Tax Burden Calculator

What This Calculator Shows

This calculator computes your total tax burden — the combined effect of property tax, state income tax, and sales tax — personalized to your specific county. Unlike most tax calculators that only show federal income tax, we factor in the taxes that actually vary by location. Two people earning $100,000 can have a $10,000+ difference in total taxes depending on where they live. By entering your income, home value, and estimated taxable spending, you get a realistic picture of what you actually keep after all state and local taxes.

Our methodology uses real data from the US Census American Community Survey (ACS) for property tax rates, the Tax Foundation for state income tax structures, and combined state+local sales tax rates at the county level. Property tax is calculated as the effective rate multiplied by your home value. Income tax uses the actual bracket structure for your state (including deductions and exemptions where applicable). Sales tax is estimated as taxable spending multiplied by your county's combined rate. All calculations run entirely in your browser — we never send your financial data to any server.

Total tax burden matters more than any single tax rate because states often trade off between tax types. Texas has no income tax but has property tax rates nearly double the national average. Oregon has no sales tax but has one of the highest income tax rates. New Hampshire has no income or sales tax but has the third-highest property tax in the country. Looking at any one tax in isolation gives a misleading picture — the combined burden is what determines how much of your earnings you actually keep. This is especially important when considering a move, negotiating a salary, or planning for retirement in a specific location.