Moving from District of Columbia to Arizona: Cost & Tax Comparison
Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from District of Columbia to Arizona.
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
What changes when you move from District of Columbia to Arizona
District of Columbia has graduated income tax rates up to 10.75% and Arizona has a flat 2.5% income tax. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $5,532 in state income tax in District of Columbia and $2,098 in state income tax in Arizona. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $3,434 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $2,204 a month across District of Columbia's metro areas and $1,184 across Arizona's (-46.3%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $71,060 in District of Columbia and $50,374 in Arizona. 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 District of Columbia & Arizona
Moving from District of Columbia to Arizona on a $100,000 salary: pay $3,434 less in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,184 vs $2,204 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 lower in Arizona than in District of Columbia (3.4 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Arizona's metros is $1,184 a month, versus $2,204 in District of Columbia (-46.3%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$15,672 a year.
District of Columbia: Graduated Brackets, top rate 10.75%. Arizona: Flat Tax, top rate 2.5%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.