Moving from New York to Washington: Cost & Tax Comparison
Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from New York to Washington.
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
What changes when you move from New York to Washington
New York has graduated income tax rates up to 10.9% and Washington has no state income tax on wages. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $4,860 in state income tax in New York and $0 in state income tax in Washington. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax falls by $4,860 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,400 a month across New York's metro areas and $1,352 across Washington's (-3.4%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $59,552 in New York and $67,499 in Washington. City and county income taxes, which some localities add, are not included in these state-level figures; the metro routes below include them.
Metropolitan Corridors Between New York & Washington
Moving from New York to Washington on a $100,000 salary: pay $4,860 less in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,352 vs $1,400 a month (HUD.
Quick answers
For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $4,860 lower in Washington than in New York (4.9 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Washington's metros is $1,352 a month, versus $1,400 in New York (-3.4%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$5,437 a year.
New York: Graduated Brackets, top rate 10.9%. Washington: No State Income Tax, top rate 0%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.