New York vs North Carolina taxes

Where North Carolina’s lead comes from

On $75,000 a single filer keeps $59,109 in North Carolina and $57,784 in New York State: $1,324 a year more in North Carolina, about $110 a month. Three differences add up to it.

The deduction. North Carolina lets a single filer take $12,750 off before tax. New York allows $8,000. Neither figure rises with inflation, but North Carolina’s shelters more.

The rate. North Carolina charges a flat 3.99%, the last step of a phasedown from 5.25%. New York’s brackets start at 3.9% but reach 5.4% at a taxable income of $13,900, so most of a typical salary is taxed at that rate. Together, the rate and deduction make the income tax $3,453 in New York and $2,484 in North Carolina on $75,000.

Payroll deductions. New York’s Paid Family Leave and disability insurance take $355 on $75,000. North Carolina takes nothing.

How the gap moves with income

North Carolina keeps more at every salary, single or joint. On an ordinary salary the gap grows slowly: $864 on $50,000 and $1,822 on $100,000. It speeds up at higher pay, because New York’s rate rises to 5.9% and then 6.9% while North Carolina’s stays flat: $4,939 on $250,000 and $12,089 on $500,000.

A married couple filing jointly on $150,000 keeps $2,376 more in North Carolina, a little less than a single filer on the same pay, since New York’s joint brackets are roughly twice as wide as its single ones.

If you are leaving New York City

The New York column is the state outside the city. A move from the five boroughs also ends the city’s resident income tax, which widens North Carolina’s lead to $3,588 on $75,000 and $7,776 on $150,000 for a single filer. The New York City calculator shows that side in full.

What the move depends on

The figures assume you both live and work in North Carolina. Income tax follows where the work is done, and New York’s convenience of the employer rule can treat days worked at home for a New York employer as New York days, even from another state. If you plan to keep a New York job and work remotely from Charlotte or Raleigh, confirm how New York will treat those days first.

Both states have been cutting rates. New York trimmed its five lower rates for 2026 and has another cut scheduled for 2027; North Carolina’s law allows further cuts below 3.99% if revenue conditions are met. Neither is large enough on a typical salary to change which state keeps more.

What the take-home figure does not count

Housing, property tax and the cost of living differ widely between the two states and within each, and for most households moving between them those matter more than the gap above. This page compares only what is taken from wages.

Questions people ask

Do you take home more in New York or North Carolina on $75,000?

North Carolina, by $1,324 a year, or $110 a month, for a single filer in 2026. That counts federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, state income tax and every state payroll deduction.

Is the difference the same at every salary?

No, but the same side stays ahead. The gap is $496 a year at $30,000 and $4,939 at $250,000, for a single filer.

Does Charlotte or Raleigh have a city income tax like New York City's?

No. No North Carolina city or county levies an income tax. New York City's resident income tax applies only to people who live in the five boroughs, and it is not in the New York column here; the New York City calculator adds it.

Does either state take anything else from a paycheck?

New York does: Paid Family Leave and a small disability insurance charge, both employee-paid. North Carolina takes nothing beyond its income tax. Its unemployment insurance is funded by employers, and it runs no disability or paid family leave program.

Does North Carolina tax Social Security?

No. Social Security benefits are deducted from North Carolina taxable income. The state also exempts military retirement pay for anyone with 20 years of service or a medical retirement. These figures cover wages, so they do not show either exclusion.

What this comparison covers

Income tax and payroll deductions on wages: federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state income tax, every state payroll deduction. It does not compare sales tax, property tax, housing or the cost of living, which can outweigh the difference in take-home pay. Figures assume the standard deduction, no dependents and no pre-tax retirement contributions. See how we calculate.