Free Money Calculators for 11 Major US Cities

Why the Same Salary Goes Further in Some Cities

Two people earning the same salary in New York City and Houston can end up with very different amounts left at the end of the month. Some of that is rent. But a surprising amount comes from rules most people never look at closely: whether the state taxes wages, how the county values your home, what the government charges when a house changes hands, and what insurance the state requires. Those rules are different in each of the 11 cities this site covers, which is why every calculator here is built city by city instead of using one national average.

Income tax: three very different systems

Four of the eleven cities are in states with no personal income tax on wages: Houston and Dallas in Texas, Miami in Florida, and Seattle in Washington. Your paycheck there is reduced only by federal income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare), plus whatever you choose to put toward benefits and retirement. That does not make these cities tax-free. Texas relies heavily on property taxes, Washington on sales tax and a tax on certain large capital gains, and Florida on sales and tourism-related taxes.

Chicago, Atlanta, and Boston sit in states with a flat income tax, meaning one rate applies to all taxable income. Illinois uses a single rate of 4.95%. Georgia moved to a flat rate in 2024 and has been lowering it in steps. Massachusetts charges a flat 5%, plus an extra 4% surtax on the part of income above roughly $1 million, a threshold that is adjusted for inflation each year.

New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington DC use graduated brackets, where higher slices of income are taxed at higher rates. New York City is the only city in this group that adds its own personal income tax on residents, on top of New York State tax. California also withholds State Disability Insurance (SDI) from most paychecks. DC is a special case: it cannot tax the wages of people who live in Maryland or Virginia, so a commuter pays income tax to their home state instead.

Property tax: the bill that follows the house

Property tax works differently almost everywhere. In Texas, the county, city, school district, and other local districts each set their own rate, and the combined rate in Harris and Dallas counties is often around 2% of a home's taxable value before exemptions. That is why the homestead exemption and the annual appraisal protest matter so much to Houston and Dallas homeowners.

California works the other way. Under Proposition 13, the base rate is 1% of assessed value plus voter-approved local charges, and a home's assessed value can rise by no more than 2% a year until it sells. A new buyer in San Francisco or Los Angeles is taxed on the purchase price, while a long-time owner next door may pay far less. Florida's Save Our Homes rule similarly limits yearly increases in assessed value for homesteaded homes in Miami-Dade. Cook County values homes at a fraction of market value and then applies a state equalizer, Boston offers a residential exemption to owner-occupants, and Fulton and DeKalb counties offer homestead exemptions that can limit how quickly a home's taxable value grows.

Buying a home: transfer and recording taxes

Closing costs are not just lender fees. Several of these cities charge taxes when property changes hands. New York City buyers pay a "mansion tax" starting at 1% of the price on homes of $1 million or more, and sellers usually pay both city and state transfer taxes. San Francisco uses a tiered transfer tax that rises with price, and Los Angeles adds Measure ULA on sales above a threshold of roughly $5 million that is adjusted each year. Washington State charges a graduated real estate excise tax (REET), Chicago stacks city, county, and state transfer taxes, Miami-Dade has its own documentary stamp tax rates, Georgia charges a transfer tax plus an intangible recording tax on the mortgage, and DC charges both recordation and transfer taxes, with a reduced rate for some first-time buyers. Texas has no real estate transfer tax at all.

Insurance, commuting, and everyday costs

Insurance costs depend heavily on local risk and state law. Miami homeowners budget for windstorm coverage and percentage-based hurricane deductibles, and standard home policies in Miami and Houston do not cover flood damage, which needs a separate policy. For drivers, New York, Florida, and Massachusetts are no-fault states that require personal injury protection (PIP), which changes what minimum coverage costs.

Getting around matters too. A monthly transit pass in New York, Boston, Chicago, or DC can replace the cost of a car, while many Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta commutes involve driving, parking, and sometimes tolls. Childcare is one of the largest costs for families in every city on this list, and it varies more between cities than most people expect.

Why every result here is an estimate

Tax brackets change every year, local rates change with each budget, and your own situation (filing status, deductions, exemptions, insurance history) can move the numbers. The calculators give you a clear, transparent estimate based on current published rules, and the Reasoning box tells you which factor mattered most. For a final number, check with the agency listed in each page's sources or with a licensed professional.

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