• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting

3

Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting

3

Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
FinanceTaxes

5 States Where Your Tax Dollars Go the Furthest

By
Annalyn Kurtz
Annalyn Kurtz
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Annalyn Kurtz
Annalyn Kurtz
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 28, 2017, 11:23 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Tax reform is now dominating headlines as President Trump and Republicans in Congress turn their attention from their failed Obamacare repeal to overhauling the tax code.

Not surprisingly, most Americans think their federal income taxes are too high. But your own viewpoint is probably heavily skewed by where you live in the country.

While the federal tax code is uniform across the nation, state and local taxes vary widely. Seven states boast no personal income tax at all: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.

WalletHub is out with a new report Tuesday, ranking states by where taxpayers get the most bang for their buck when it comes to state and local taxes.

The question: Do people in high-tax states benefit from superior government services, whereas citizens of low-tax states suffer from lower-quality public schools, crumbling roads and bridges and higher crime rates?

The answer isn’t clear cut. WalletHub scored the quality of government services in each state by looking at 23 metrics across five categories: education, health, safety, economy, and infrastructure and pollution.

Here are the five states where taxpayers get the highest ROI—or return on investment—from their taxes, according to WalletHub.

New Hampshire

While the Granite State doesn’t tax wages, it does tax income from dividends and interest at 5%. It also has no state sales tax. Taking all of this into account, WalletHub found New Hampshire residents have the second-lowest tax bills after Alaskans, averaging just $2,364 per capita.

But even though taxes are so low, residents benefit from strong measures of public wellbeing. New Hampshire boasts the lowest rates of poverty, unemployment, and infant mortality in the nation. Violent crime and property crime are also low, as is the number of fatalities in auto accidents.

South Dakota

Residents of the Mount Rushmore State pay no state income tax on their wages, but state and local jurisdictions have other ways of collecting revenue. South Dakota levies a 4% sales tax, for example, and property taxes average about 4.4%.

Overall, South Dakotans pay an average of $2,634 per capita in state and local taxes. WalletHub said the state scored high on measures of health and infrastructure and pollution. The state has the highest number of hospital beds per 1,000 residents, a very low unemployment rate at just 2.8%, and low levels of air pollution.

Florida

The Sunshine State is at best, mediocre in terms of government services. It scored high for quality of roads and bridges, but otherwise was middle-of-the road on health and public education.

Still, Florida is near the top for ROI, mainly because taxes there are low. The state doesn’t tax wages, and property taxes average 3.5%, while sales tax is 6%. Overall, WalletHub estimates state and local taxes average $2,385 per person.

Virginia

WalletHub ranked the Old Dominion among the top 10 states for public education and safety. State and local taxes average $3,213 per person.

Alaska

The Last Frontier ranks near the bottom on WalletHub’s measures of health, safety and education—but overall boasts the lowest state and local taxes in the country. Alaskans pay only $1,584 per person in state and local taxes, the report finds.

About the Author
By Annalyn Kurtz
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

t
PoliticsDonald Trump
Trump holds landmark affordable housing bill hostage over his pet issue: The ‘national emergency’ of voter ID
By Mary Clare Jalonick and The Associated PressJune 24, 2026
3 hours ago
s
BankingScott Bessent
Scott Bessent calls Mamdani ‘leader of the Democratic Party,’ touts weekly Warsh breakfasts and a new push to put every American in the stock market
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
3 hours ago
a
RetailAmazon
Amazon’s record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
3 hours ago
rd
AsiaChina
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
5 hours ago
Top CD rates from major banks June 24, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on June 24, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJune 24, 2026
5 hours ago
Current price of gold as of June 24, 2026
Personal Financegold prices
Current price of gold as of June 24, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 24, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting
Economy
The Pentagon said Iran War costs $29 billion, but the real cost is closer to $200 billion—and counting
By Jacqueline MunisJune 24, 2026
11 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
Banking
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
By Jim EdwardsJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of June 23, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 23, 2026
1 day ago
Texas and Charlotte used to build huge McMansions—now they're copying the California design tricks they once mocked
Real Estate
Texas and Charlotte used to build huge McMansions—now they're copying the California design tricks they once mocked
By Sydney LakeJune 22, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.