States
Priority US states with unique editorial context — paired with calculators, not spun city spam.
CA
California
California combines progressive state income tax with high housing costs — paycheck friction and mortgage refinance math both hit harder than in no-income-tax states.
TX
Texas
Texas has no state wage income tax, but property taxes, auto costs, and banking/remittance patterns still create money friction worth measuring.
FL
Florida
Florida’s lack of state wage income tax sits beside insurance, condo, and auto cost realities — net pay is only one slice of household friction.
NY
New York
New York State (and NYC for many residents) layers income tax on top of federal and FICA — paycheck estimators need an explicit state/local assumption.
IL
Illinois
Illinois uses a flat state income tax framework on wages (rate set by statute) plus local realities in Chicagoland — model take-home and debt payoff explicitly.