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STATE TAX FILTER

Which states will not tax
your retirement?

A single tax score buries the detail that decides real moves. A state can skip income tax and still take a bite through property tax, or exempt your pension and then tax what your children inherit. Check the boxes that matter to you and see which states, and which of their retirement cities, actually fit.

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HOW IT WORKS

Check what matters. Watch the map shrink.

Every state with a RetireMeHere city is on this page, each with its income tax structure, Social Security and retirement withdrawal treatment, combined sales tax, effective property tax, and estate and inheritance status, summarized in plain English. Each filter you apply removes the states that fail it. The cities listed on each surviving card link to their full profiles, so a tax shortlist turns into a real one.

THE FILTER

Your rules, applied.

QUESTIONS

The fine print, in plain English.

What is the difference between an estate tax and an inheritance tax?
An estate tax is paid by the estate itself before anything is distributed, and it only applies above an exemption threshold, often several million dollars. An inheritance tax is paid by the person who receives the money, is set by their relationship to the deceased, and in some states applies from the first dollar. A state can have one, both, or neither, which is why the filter treats them as two separate boxes.
What does Partial mean next to Social Security or retirement income?
Partial means the state taxes that income for some people and not others, usually depending on age or total income. The note on each state card spells out the mechanism, such as an income threshold below which Social Security is exempt, or a deduction that shelters the first slice of pension and IRA withdrawals. If you check a filter box, Partial states are excluded, because the box means the state does not tax it for anyone.
Where does this data come from, and how current is it?
Rates and structures come from the Tax Foundation's published tables, Social Security and retirement income treatment from Kiplinger and AARP's state guides, and death taxes from current legal summaries, all reconciled against enacted state law. Every state card shows the tax year the facts describe. The figures are summaries for typical retirees, not tax advice: confirm the details with the state before you move.

Taxes are one dimension. There are ten.

A tax shortlist tells you where the state will leave your money alone. The quiz weighs healthcare, climate, walkability, safety, and the rest against what you actually care about.

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