Retirement taxes by state (2026)

Where you live in retirement can shape how much of your income you keep, and each state handles it in its own way. Some states have no income tax at all. Others tax Social Security benefits, and some go easy on pensions and IRA withdrawals. This guide brings together everything on how each state treats retirement income, so you can look at the differences side by side. It's for anyone who is thinking about moving, staying put, or splitting time between two places, and who wants to see what the same retired couple might owe from one state to the next.

The 2026 figures

Every state at a glance (2026)

The last column is Monte Climb's estimate of state income tax for one example household: a married couple, both 67, with $42,000 of Social Security, a $24,000 pension, $36,000 of IRA withdrawals and $4,000 of interest. Each state's page shows the working and the sources.

* The tables model no retirement-income subtraction for this state yet, so the estimate may be high.

What this guide answers

• Which states have no income tax?
• Which states tax Social Security?
• Which states exempt pensions and IRA withdrawals?
• What would the same retired couple pay in each state?

What this means for your plan

State taxes are just one piece of a retirement plan, but they affect many others. They change how far your savings stretch, which accounts make sense to draw from first, and what a move would really cost or save you. Housing, healthcare, family and how you want to spend your days still matter more for most people. Looking at taxes next to all of those gives a fuller picture. Monte Climb applies each state's rules to your own plan, so you can compare places using your own numbers instead of an example household.

Sources

1. Monte Climb's 2026 state income tax tables; each state's own sources are on its page

Figures read by code from Monte Climb's 2026 tables. General information, not advice.