California vs Washington Taxes: Income, Property & Sales

Does California or Washington have lower taxes? We answer that in a variety of ways below:

California vs Washington Income Tax Comparison

	California	Washington
Income Tax Rates & Thresholds	1.00%: $0-$10,099 2.00%: $10,100-$23,942 4.00%: $23,943-$37,788 6.00%: $37,789-$52,455 8.00%: $52,456-$66,295 9.30%: $66,296-$338,639 10.30%: $338,640-$406,364 11.30%: $406,365-$677,275 12.30%: $677,276-$1,000,000 13.30%: $1,000,001+	7.0% on capital gains income only
Median Income	$85,300	$89,430
Income Tax Paid On Median Household Income	$16,010	$12,442
Income After Tax Based on Median Household Income	$69,290	$76,988

Top Accounting Software:

California vs Washington Property Tax Comparison

	California	Washington
Average Property Tax Rate	0.66%	0.70%
Average House Price By State	$762,981	$593,406
Average Property Tax Owed Per Year	$5,036	$4,154
Income After Income Taxes & Property Taxes Based On Median State Household Income	$64,254	$72,834

California vs Washington Sales Tax Comparison

	California	Washington
Average State Sales Tax	7.25%	6.50%
Average Local Sales Tax Across the State	1.57%	2.79%
Average Combined Sales Tax Rate	8.82%	9.29%
Maximum Amount of Sales Tax Paid Based on Median Household Income	$5,208	$6,191
Maximum Disposable Income Based on Median Household Income	$59,046	$66,643

After Tax Comparison Earning $40,000 Per Year Filing As Single

	California	Washington
Income Tax Owed	$3,911	$3,040
After Tax Income	$36,089	$36,960
Income After Income & Property Tax	$31,053	$32,806
Maximum Disposable Income After Income, Property & Sales Taxes	$28,536	$30,018

After Tax Comparison Earning $60,000 Per Year Filing As Single

	California	Washington
Income Tax Owed	$8,171	$5,968
After Tax Income	$51,829	$54,032
Income After Income & Property Tax	$46,793	$49,878
Maximum Disposable Income After Income, Property & Sales Taxes	$43,001	$45,638

After Tax Comparison Earning $80,000 Per Year Filing As Single

	California	Washington
Income Tax Owed	$14,351	$10,368
After Tax Income	$65,649	$69,632
Income After Income & Property Tax	$60,613	$65,478
Maximum Disposable Income After Income, Property & Sales Taxes	$55,701	$59,912

After Tax Comparison Earning $100,000 Per Year Filing As Single

	California	Washington
Income Tax Owed	$20,611	$14,768
After Tax Income	$79,389	$85,232
Income After Income & Property Tax	$74,353	$81,078
Maximum Disposable Income After Income, Property & Sales Taxes	$68,327	$74,186

After Tax Comparison Earning $100,000 Per Year Filing As Married Filing Jointly

	California	Washington
Income Tax Owed	$11,423	$8,481
After Tax Income	$88,577	$91,519
Income After Income & Property Tax	$83,541	$87,365
Maximum Disposable Income After Income, Property & Sales Taxes	$76,770	$79,939

After Tax Comparison Earning $150,000 Per Year Filing As Married Filing Jointly

	California	Washington
Income Tax Owed	$25,573	$18,536
After Tax Income	$124,427	$131,464
Income After Income & Property Tax	$119,391	$127,310
Maximum Disposable Income After Income, Property & Sales Taxes	$109,715	$116,488

After Tax Comparison Earning $200,000 Per Year Filing As Married Filing Jointly

	California	Washington
Income Tax Owed	$41,223	$29,536
After Tax Income	$158,777	$170,464
Income After Income & Property Tax	$153,741	$166,310
Maximum Disposable Income After Income, Property & Sales Taxes	$141,280	$152,173

After Tax Comparison Earning $250,000 Per Year Filing As Married Filing Jointly

	California	Washington
Income Tax Owed	$57,792	$41,455
After Tax Income	$192,208	$208,545
Income After Income & Property Tax	$187,172	$204,391
Maximum Disposable Income After Income, Property & Sales Taxes	$172,002	$187,017

FAQ

Does California or Washington have lower income taxes?

California’s income tax falls into the following range:

• 1.00%: $0-$10,099
• 2.00%: $10,100-$23,942
• 4.00%: $23,943-$37,788
• 6.00%: $37,789-$52,455
• 8.00%: $52,456-$66,295
• 9.30%: $66,296-$338,639
• 10.30%: $338,640-$406,364
• 11.30%: $406,365-$677,275
• 12.30%: $677,276-$1,000,000
• 13.30%: $1,000,001+

Whereas Washington’s income tax is the following 7.0% on capital gains income only

Does California or Washington have lower property taxes?

California has an average property tax rate of 0.66%

In comparison, Washington has an average property tax rate of 0.70%

Does California or Washington have lower sales taxes?

California has a state sales tax rate of 7.25% and an average local rate of 1.57% for a combined total rate of 8.82%.

In contrast, Washington has a state sales tax rate of 6.50% and an average local rate of 2.79% for a combined total rate of 9.29%.

Do you get to keep more money in California or Washington?

Based on median household income after income, property and sales taxes California gives you a maximum amount of disposable income of $59,046

In comparison, Washington gives you $66,643.

More Comparisons:

California vs Arizona
California vs Tennessee
California vs Massachusetts
California vs Indiana
California vs Missouri

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_income_tax#Rates_by_jurisdiction

https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/property-tax-by-state/#by-state

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/release/tables?eid=259515&rid=249

https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-house-price-state/

https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/2022-sales-taxes/

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/income-tax-calculator/