Moving from Arizona to District of Columbia: Cost & Tax Comparison
Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from Arizona to District of Columbia.
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
What changes when you move from Arizona to District of Columbia
Arizona has a flat 2.5% income tax and District of Columbia has graduated income tax rates up to 10.75%. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $2,098 in state income tax in Arizona and $5,532 in state income tax in District of Columbia. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $3,434 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,184 a month across Arizona's metro areas and $2,204 across District of Columbia's (+86.1%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $50,374 in Arizona and $71,060 in District of Columbia. City and county income taxes, which some localities add, are not included in these state-level figures; the metro routes below include them.
District of Columbia Paycheck & Living Costs
Metropolitan Corridors Between Arizona & District of Columbia
Moving from Arizona to District of Columbia on a $100,000 salary: pay $3,434 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $2,204 vs $1,184 a month.
Quick answers
For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $3,434 higher in District of Columbia than in Arizona (3.4 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across District of Columbia's metros is $2,204 a month, versus $1,184 in Arizona (+86.1%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$15,672 a year.
Arizona: Flat Tax, top rate 2.5%. District of Columbia: Graduated Brackets, top rate 10.75%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.