Moving from Washington to Louisiana: Cost & Tax Comparison
Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from Washington to Louisiana.
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 Louisiana
Washington has no state income tax on wages and Louisiana has a flat 3% income tax. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $0 in state income tax in Washington and $2,614 in state income tax in Louisiana. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $2,614 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $1,352 a month across Washington's metro areas and $877 across Louisiana's (-35.2%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $67,499 in Washington and $45,449 in Louisiana. 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 & Louisiana
Moving from Washington to Louisiana on a $100,000 salary: pay $2,614 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $877 vs $1,352 a month (HUD FMR).
Quick answers
For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $2,614 higher in Louisiana than in Washington (2.6 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Louisiana's metros is $877 a month, versus $1,352 in Washington (-35.2%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by +$3,094 a year.
Washington: No State Income Tax, top rate 0%. Louisiana: Flat Tax, top rate 3%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.