Moving from Washington to California: Cost & Tax Comparison
Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from Washington to California.
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
What changes when you move from Washington to California
Washington has no state income tax on wages and California has graduated income tax rates up to 13.3%. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $0 in state income tax in Washington and $4,911 in state income tax in California. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $6,211 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,352 a month across Washington's metro areas and $1,899 across California's (+40.5%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $67,499 in Washington and $58,891 in California. 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 Washington & California
Moving from Washington to California on a $100,000 salary: pay $6,211 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,899 vs $1,352 a month (HUD.
Quick answers
For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $6,211 higher in California than in Washington (6.2 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across California's metros is $1,899 a month, versus $1,352 in Washington (+40.5%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$12,775 a year.
Washington: No State Income Tax, top rate 0%. California: Graduated Brackets, top rate 13.3%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.