Which Eastern US states have lowest COL and Taxes?

[Ginevra]

I know DE has low (or no) state sales tax, but how is the overall COL? What about others? I am in MD and dh and I were discussing this in terms of where we may (eventually) move. I like this region, though, so i'm not sure we could greatly improve the situation unless we move much farther north, south, or west.

[DawnM]

South Carolina is probably cheapest on the East Coast

[Ethel Mertz]

NH has no income or sales tax. It probably would depend on which part of the state you lived in for COL. 

[Mama Geek]

My guess is your adjusted gross income will affect the math.  Homes and rent are cheap in a lot of Florida, there are no state income taxes, food is fairly cheap, property taxes are cheaper than MD by far and there is sales tax on everything in FL.  If you have a low income, the no income tax wouldn't necessarily help you but the sales and property taxes would hurt.  If you have a high adjusted gross income go to FL, it is the best bet.  The other thing that plays into that would be can you find work there that pays a comparable rate as other places and live in an area of Florida that is decent to live in?

[Guest]

My guess is your adjusted gross income will affect the math. Homes and rent are cheap in a lot of Florida, there are no state income taxes, food is fairly cheap, property taxes are cheaper than MD by far and there is sales tax on everything in FL. If you have a low income, the no income tax wouldn't necessarily help you but the sales and property taxes would hurt. If you have a high adjusted gross income go to FL, it is the best bet. The other thing that plays into that would be can you find work there that pays a comparable rate as other places and live in an area of Florida that is decent to live in?

Yeah, that is the problem...yes, it is high COL here, but being 45 minutes outside the nation's capital pays well, too. Our property taxes are shocking, both because of the state and because of the county.

 

Of course there's also desire...I don't want to live in FL.

 

Dh wants to live in WV, and there is a lot to love about WV, but...well, I'm a little bit state-snobby. WV has an image problem.

 

Now, VA - that is a state where I would LOVE to be. Dh points out, though, VA makes no beneficial difference in taxes or COL.

[73349]

NC has high-ish sales tax but very reasonable real estate prices and property taxes. Other prices are comparable to the rest of the East Coast. Charlotte or Raleigh would still not be DC, but offer some nice urban options. The crime rate is fairly low in both, too. Raleigh is ~4 hours from DC, close enough for weekend trips.

[creekland]

I don't know the specifics, but I do know many people move to our area (south central) of PA from MD and cite COL and taxes as the reason.  Some endure long commutes for the privilege.  Long may be relative... it takes me 8 minutes from driveway to work/school... that's 5 miles door to door.  I can be in MD in a little over half an hour.  It takes me one to one and a half hours to where many work.  There are places further south in PA that are closer and perhaps more attractive for commuters.

[Guest]

I don't know the specifics, but I do know many people move to our area (south central) of PA from MD and cite COL and taxes as the reason. Some endure long commutes for the privilege. Long may be relative... it takes me 8 minutes from driveway to work/school... that's 5 miles door to door. I can be in MD in a little over half an hour. It takes me one to one and a half hours to where many work. There are places further south in PA that are closer and perhaps more attractive for commuters.

True, we've considered PA in the past. It used to be PA homeschool laws seemed so onerous to me, but that is becoming less relevant and will probably not matter at all by the time we do move. I know at least one of my dd's teachers (at private school) commutes from Lancaster. So I know such commutes are not rare.

[Crimson Wife]

NH has no income or sales tax. It probably would depend on which part of the state you lived in for COL.

Property taxes are quite high, however. My parents had a condo in NH until last year and they were paying some crazy high rate- like 24 per thousand of assessed value.

[Alessandra]

If you see a sign, 'Entering New Jersey,' do a quick U-turn and go the other way. :-(

[Mama Geek]

I lived in WV as a kid and Hampton Roads a few years ago.  I think if I had my choice between the 2 and could make reasonable money in either place I would pick West Virginia.  I have lots of really great memories of lots of places there.  Anytime I get into WV I really feel like I am home.  Plus they have awesome pepperoni rolls.

[imagine.more]

Georgia, South Carolina, or North Carolina are the best IMO. West Virginia has a very low COL but extraordinarily low pay (been there, done that). Pennsylvania is not nearly so low COL as native PA people think it is and the pay is only average at best. Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware I've always heard of as high COL areas though I've not lived there. MA and CT and high COL. NH can be low COL but only if, like West Virginia, you're willing to take a significant pay cut. 

 

Georgia still has a somewhat low COL (though it's creeping up steadily at least where home prices and gas are concerned) and excellent job opportunities with good pay, especially around Atlanta. South Carolina has decent pay and very low COL. North Carolina's COL is slightly lower than Georgia and yet has a higher pay depending on the job. 

 

We've been looking at the same things and we're fairly settled on North Carolina as the place we want to focus DH's job hunt. 

[dbmamaz]

If you come down to Richmond, esp the east or south areas around richmond, or more rural counties in central VA, the COL is a LOT lower.  But the lower (more rural) parts of DE are probably pretty cheap too.

[Jkacz]

Property taxes are quite high, however. My parents had a condo in NH until last year and they were paying some crazy high rate- like 24 per thousand of assessed value.

I live in NH and don't think the property taxes are "that" bad. We are at 22 per thousand but the home prices are so much lower than the surrounding areas that the total cost isn't unreasonable. My mom and sister in Connecticut have tax rates of 35 and 27 per thousand plus a state income tax of 5% and a state sales tax of over 6 percent on almost everything.

[NASDAQ]

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/calculator.jsp

[ThisIsTheDay]

Now, VA - that is a state where I would LOVE to be. Dh points out, though, VA makes no beneficial difference in taxes or COL.

 

Northern Virginia would probably not make much difference. But once you're 50 miles or so out of DC, depending on the direction it's a very different story.

 

[creekland]

True, we've considered PA in the past. It used to be PA homeschool laws seemed so onerous to me, but that is becoming less relevant and will probably not matter at all by the time we do move. I know at least one of my dd's teachers (at private school) commutes from Lancaster. So I know such commutes are not rare.

 

I never found PA's homeschool laws to be difficult to deal with at all and it was beneficial when it came to college apps later on.  The Lancaster area has a higher COL than we do (we're further west), but it is a nice area that we checked out when we moved here.

 

Together, hubby and I have lived in Western VA, RI, and West Coast FL.  Separately we lived in Upstate NY and Eastern NC.  Of all of those, we definitely prefer this area of PA.  The weather has a nice four seasons rather than being so super hot all summer or so super cold all winter.  It's also semi-rural, so has more space, yet is close enough to do day trips to a handful of cities.

 

Income tax in PA is right around 3% (flat tax).  Sales tax is at 6%, but is not assessed on most clothing or food.  I'm not sure what our property tax rate is, but our farm is taxed around $3000 - $3500 annually.  Most of that goes as school tax - something the politicians keep saying they are going to reform, but like everything political, who knows if it will ever happen.

 

This area might not be for everyone, but we sure enjoyed raising the boys here.

[PrincessMommy]

Yeah, that is the problem...yes, it is high COL here, but being 45 minutes outside the nation's capital pays well, too. Our property taxes are shocking, both because of the state and because of the county.

 

Of course there's also desire...I don't want to live in FL.

 

Dh wants to live in WV, and there is a lot to love about WV, but...well, I'm a little bit state-snobby. WV has an image problem.

 

Now, VA - that is a state where I would LOVE to be. Dh points out, though, VA makes no beneficial difference in taxes or COL.

 

I think it would depend on how far away from the beltway you'd be willing to go.   Property taxes are very high the closer you get to DC.  Heck, we just moved from one side of 270 to the other and our property taxes went up significantly!    I think if you lived away from the immediate counties (Mont. Co/PG/Balti/Loudin/Fairfax) then you'd probably see a drop.  I have friends that keep moving further towards West.MD to get away from the high COL and property taxes.  Of coures, then there's the awful commute - but I assume you're talking about retirement (?)

 

I also love the idea of living in WV... there's much to like. 

[I talk to the trees]

WV is beautiful, taxes are low there, and the cost of living is lower than any place we have ever lived. If you are considering a move for retirement, WV is the place to go. They give seniors all sorts of tax breaks.

[ThisIsTheDay]

You might find this article, dated today, interesting.  "The Best States to Retire in Are a Little Surprising."  (Ouch, couldn't they have changed that title so it wouldn't be so painful to type, maybe "The Best Retirement States" or something?)

 

http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/05/retirement/retirement-states/index.html?iid=HP_Highlight

 

 

[Crimson Wife]

I live in NH and don't think the property taxes are "that" bad. We are at 22 per thousand but the home prices are so much lower than the surrounding areas that the total cost isn't unreasonable. My mom and sister in Connecticut have tax rates of 35 and 27 per thousand plus a state income tax of 5% and a state sales tax of over 6 percent on almost everything.

Those all seem crazy high to me. We are paying I believe 15 per thousand. Now granted that is on crazy California housing prices, but some of the lakefront condos in my parents' old complex in NH probably are in a similar price range (my parents' unit was back a bit from the lake so it was less).

[creekland]

Those all seem crazy high to me. We are paying I believe 15 per thousand. Now granted that is on crazy California housing prices, but some of the lakefront condos in my parents' old complex in NH probably are in a similar price range (my parents' unit was back a bit from the lake so it was less).

 

I just googled our property tax rates.  For our county, we're at 3.92 per thousand.  For our school district we're at 10.72.   For our township we're at 0.74.  Add those together and we're at 15.38 - pretty much the same as your area, but the prices in our area are considerably lower than closer to cities or in expensive states.  Same tax rate, but lower actual taxes on property.

 

[AmandaVT]

Don't move to VT - we pay $2.29 per hundred!!

[dbmamaz]

Well, we dont really expect to be able to afford to retire . . . or, we'll retire to DH's home country in canada.  

 

But the article mad the assumption that moving to a healthy part of the country makes you healthy - i suspect they are misusing that statistic - the people already living in the midwest tend to be farmers, working outside their whole lives, instead of sedentary city-dwellers breathing in pollution.  

 

But still, VA was on the list, esp Norfolk, for some reason.

[Brilliant]

Ours is $4.20 per hundred.

 

Yikes!  I was about to say, "You must live in TX," but then I scrolled up & saw you said NY.  I had no idea NY property tax rates were so high.

[Lanny]

There are many many factors that are involved here. How much you earn, the cost to buy/rent a nice house, property tax, sales tax, income tax, etc. I worked on a temporary job assignment in Delaware and rented a house in Maryland, but that had to do with wanting to live in a nice area more than the cost of a rental. The Toyota USA HQ is moving from CA to TX. One of *many* things I'm sure they considered is that in CA, the top tax rate is 13%. In TX the top tax rate is zero (no State Income tax in TX).   Possibly begin with where the best employment opportunities are and then narrow your list down to 4 or 5 places you might enjoy living in and then begin investigating.  GL 

[BrookValley.]

Typing this sitting in DC traffic...pfffftt. Lol.

 

I would definitely look into WV or DE if you want to stay in the area. Yeah, there are the WV stereotypes, but it also has a reputation for being beautiful--because it is. If you/your family are the outdoorsy type, it can't be beat. And there are some nice small towns, too. Maybe find someplace near Charles Town or Martinsburg...you'd be close to Harper's Ferry, Frederick, MD, etc. It's lovely up that way. DE isn't bad, either, tho I think it's a little boring compared to WV...but I love mountains. :)

 

You wouldn't escape the property taxes this way, but if you want to stay in MD you could head to western MD or the eastern shore for lower COL. Of course, I'm sure you already knew that...my property taxes in MD aren't bad but I'm zoned agricultural (forestry plan--easy peasy).

[Guest]

There are many many factors that are involved here. How much you earn, the cost to buy/rent a nice house, property tax, sales tax, income tax, etc. I worked on a temporary job assignment in Delaware and rented a house in Maryland, but that had to do with wanting to live in a nice area more than the cost of a rental. The Toyota USA HQ is moving from CA to TX. One of *many* things I'm sure they considered is that in CA, the top tax rate is 13%. In TX the top tax rate is zero (no State Income tax in TX). Possibly begin with where the best employment opportunities are and then narrow your list down to 4 or 5 places you might enjoy living in and then begin investigating. GL

Yes, of course. Lots of variables. Dh is 8 years older than I. He wants to retire soon-ish. I'm in almost the opposite boat; I plan to be finished earning my degree in three years and will be finished/soon finishing hsing. I would like to work FT at that point, maybe. I would like to work for the government, possibly at NSA or another department. If that happens, obviously it will make sense not to have moved outside of the DC-metro region. There are a lot of variables in the equation right now, so i don't know really which direction we'll take or how far into the future it will be.

[Guest]

Typing this sitting in DC traffic...pfffftt. Lol.

 

I would definitely look into WV or DE if you want to stay in the area. Yeah, there are the WV stereotypes, but it also has a reputation for being beautiful--because it is. If you/your family are the outdoorsy type, it can't be beat. And there are some nice small towns, too. Maybe find someplace near Charles Town or Martinsburg...you'd be close to Harper's Ferry, Frederick, MD, etc. It's lovely up that way. DE isn't bad, either, tho I think it's a little boring compared to WV...but I love mountains. :)

 

You wouldn't escape the property taxes this way, but if you want to stay in MD you could head to western MD or the eastern shore for lower COL. Of course, I'm sure you already knew that...my property taxes in MD aren't bad but I'm zoned agricultural (forestry plan--easy peasy).

Truly, WV is quite lovely. I am a mountains-space-loving gal, so that is sure nice about WV. There could be too much assumption here, but when i've been in WV, the people seem so friendly and open. You know, a smile and "Good morning" while you pass them entering a building, that sort of thing. It's nice. People where I live have a rushed and self-concerned attitude more often. Not to say I don't act that way too; I probably do. There's not much acknowledgement of other people - they're just strangers who happen to be getting lunch at Panera, too.

[G5052]

FWIW also look at medical care.

 

My parents both suffered significantly in their later years because of lack of access to specialists, and for one, a very poor primary care doctor.  If you are in a nursing home or receive home health care, and the nearest specialist is over an hour away, you're probably not going to get to see them unless a family member is very involved and willing to make sure that happens.

 

A family member goes to a distant specialist now, and I'm a little concerned about that.  I can't see driving that far a decade or more from now, but we'll see.  We do have a local specialist who could take over, but not of that caliber.

[Brilliant]

FWIW also look at medical care.

 

My parents both suffered significantly in their later years because of lack of access to specialists, and for one, a very poor primary care doctor.  If you are in a nursing home or receive home health care, and the nearest specialist is over an hour away, you're probably not going to get to see them unless a family member is very involved and willing to make sure that happens.

 

...

 

Yes, everybody needs to consider this.  I was shocked when I saw the states listed on the "surprising" link above - healthcare was an important part of the ranking, yet many of the states listed are rural, which means you don't have access to that healthcare unless you live in a city. (North Dakota?  Nebraska? Wyoming?)  We are going through this right now with my parents who live in a tiny town, 3 hours from their doctors.  They are both in poor health.  EVERY week they drive the 3 hours, see the doctor, sometimes pay for a hotel to spend the night (because my dad won't drive after dark).  My mother has been very ill since November.  I fear for the day that my dad can't do the driving anymore, because she's absolutely not able to.  They don't have family or close friends there either (they relocated there on a whim in their late 60s, so no long-term relationships to count on).  Since they are so far from us, (and 3 hours from the nearest airport!) I can't offer them a lot of help  with chronic conditions.  When it comes down to it, I will offer to help them pack up and move to a city with doctors.

[ThisIsTheDay]

There are many many factors that are involved here. How much you earn, the cost to buy/rent a nice house, property tax, sales tax, income tax, etc.

 

Yes, yes, yes.  My parents live in Washington state, "Ooh, no state income tax!"  But they are taxed to death everywhere else, property taxes, gasoline tax, sales tax. 

 

Here's a nifty little map I found that combines state and local sales taxes to get an average rate.  I'd love to find one that takes ALL taxes into account, property and state income rates too, every nickel and dime. 

[foxbridgeacademy]

I would suggest Charlotte NC or just over the state border outside Charlotte.  COL is decent, pay is good in most sectors, crime is not horrible, lots of parks/green space, close to the mountains and Atlantic. I remember thinking the taxes were high but compared to the NE.... not so much.  HSing laws are so-so, yearly testing, in SC it's even easier.  Great shopping, I miss the grocery stores.  Lots and lots of HSer's.  From what I understand Raleigh is about the same. The best thing about NC is the Weather.  What they call "winter" is a "brisk" fall where I come from.  I mean, I was gardening for over 10 months.  Plus it isn't nearly as hot humid as Florida.  We'll probably move back in a few years depending on how the winters go here in Indiana. 

[Guest]

Foxbridge, that's where my SIL is. This past brutal winter, she kept saying, you need to move down here! :D she is just across the VA/NC line.

[Berta]

We moved from NJ to SC four years ago, I'll never go back. I LOVE living in SC. My mortgage went from $2,000 a month to $425 and my taxes went from $8,000 per year to under $700.

[Serenade]

We moved from NJ to SC four years ago, I'll never go back. I LOVE living in SC. My mortgage went from $2,000 a month to $425 and my taxes went from $8,000 per year to under $700.

Wow! That's impressive.

[Jkacz]

Here's a nifty little map I found that combines state and local sales taxes to get an average rate. I'd love to find one that takes ALL taxes into account, property and state income rates too, every nickel and dime.

Not to be picky, but the income tax chart in the link has an error. It says that NH state income tax is 5%, but NH does not have a state income tax. It has a dividends and interest tax of 5% which applies to dividends or interest in excess of $4800 per year. When I find 1 error, it makes me concerned how accurate the other numbers in the chart are.

[Guest]

We moved from NJ to SC four years ago, I'll never go back. I LOVE living in SC. My mortgage went from $2,000 a month to $425 and my taxes went from $8,000 per year to under $700.

I can not. Even. Imagine. That. I just paid property taxes on one of our rentals. Cozy little place. $3,056 for the year. Sheesh. Oh, and we have a new rule in our county. We must pay by Cashiers check or Money Orders, no more regular bank checks. Such a pain to have to go get a cashiers check, rather than just pay the silly thing. Anyone else have this doofy rule in place?

[ThisIsTheDay]

Not to be picky, but the income tax chart in the link has an error. It says that NH state income tax is 5%, but NH does not have a state income tax. It has a dividends and interest tax of 5% which applies to dividends or interest in excess of $4800 per year. When I find 1 error, it makes me concerned how accurate the other numbers in the chart are.

 

Then you must not have seen that the map says: "New Hampshire taxes interest and dividend income but does not tax wages"?

 

[dbmamaz]

btw, my church just agreed to hire a minister whose husband is retiring from the DC area, and they thought Glen Allen (just north of Richmond) would be a great place to retire . . . 

[Annie]

We just moved from south central VA to what sounds like a very similar part of Maryland to you. Augh. I miss Virginia so much. We're only in MD for a year, so we're renting an apartment. This very modest two bedroom apartment is costing us $400 / month more than the mortgage taxes and insurance on our four bedroom house with a great yard in VA. Our property taxes in VA are .5%. Yes, you read that right. $1,000/year for a $200,000 house. I'm so glad we're only here for a year!

[creekland]

Although, to be perfectly fair, the property taxes here include water and trash.  So although it seems insane, and yes it is, it's probably not SO insane given those factors.

 

Our water is free (well water).  Our trash is $35 per pickup truck load at the dump.  We only need that once a year or so as we can legally burn paper items and take most everything else to the recycling center.  Any compostable item we compost.

[Jane in NC]

Not to be picky, but the income tax chart in the link has an error. It says that NH state income tax is 5%, but NH does not have a state income tax. It has a dividends and interest tax of 5% which applies to dividends or interest in excess of $4800 per year. When I find 1 error, it makes me concerned how accurate the other numbers in the chart are.

There is a foot note on the map stating that NH only taxes interest and dividend income--not wages.  Placed beneath Florida, it may not have been obvious. 

[PrincessMommy]

We just moved from south central VA to what sounds like a very similar part of Maryland to you. Augh. I miss Virginia so much. We're only in MD for a year, so we're renting an apartment. This very modest two bedroom apartment is costing us $400 / month more than the mortgage taxes and insurance on our four bedroom house with a great yard in VA. Our property taxes in VA are .5%. Yes, you read that right. $1,000/year for a $200,000 house. I'm so glad we're only here for a year!

 

I feel your pain.. it is hard in this area.   It's why most of my friends and family have moved away and they've never come back.  I wish the gov/t officials would take notice.  But, there's just too many people coming to the area for the jobs to have that ever change.