See what leaving California's income tax puts back in your pocket.

Figures use the 2025 California tax year rate schedules published by the California Franchise Tax Board (returns filed in 2026).

Income tax

We take your household income, subtract California's standard deduction ($5,706 single / $11,412 married & head of household), and apply California's progressive brackets (1% to 12.3%, plus a 1% surcharge above $1M). Tennessee charges $0 state income tax on earned income, so your California bill is your savings.

What this doesn't include

Federal income tax is the same in both states, so it's left out on purpose. This estimate uses the standard deduction only — itemized deductions, credits, dependents, and retirement contributions will shift the exact number. California also has a State Disability Insurance payroll tax (1.2%) that Tennessee doesn't, so your real savings may run a little higher than shown.

Property & sales tax (optional section)

Property tax reflects what a new buyer actually pays, not the misleading statewide average. California's often-cited 0.71% average is held down by Proposition 13, which freezes assessments for long-time owners — a new purchase is taxed at the full 1% base plus local bonds, roughly 1.15% of price. Tennessee's Williamson County assesses homes at 25% of value with a low county rate, landing near 0.40% effective. Combined sales tax uses ~8.8% CA vs ~9.55% TN (Tennessee is actually higher). Local rates vary, so these two lines are close estimates, not exact.