Taxes

Alabama vs California: State Income Tax

Alabama has a lower state income tax rate than California.

Alabama flag
Alabama
AL · South
Winner
5.00%
Top marginal state income tax rate. 0% = no state income tax.
California flag
California
CA · West
13.30%
Top marginal state income tax rate. 0% = no state income tax.

Visual comparison

Alabama5.00%
California13.30%

Difference: 8.30 percentage points — Alabama leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for state income tax.

Alabama #26 · 5.00%
California #50 · 13.30%
Best Worst

10 Best States — State Income Tax

Lower is better
#1 Alaska flag Alaska
None (0%)
#2 Florida flag Florida
None (0%)
#3 Nevada flag Nevada
None (0%)
#4 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
None (0%)
#5 South Dakota flag South Dakota
None (0%)
#6 Tennessee flag Tennessee
None (0%)
#7 Texas flag Texas
None (0%)
#8 Washington flag Washington
None (0%)
#9 Wyoming flag Wyoming
None (0%)
#10 Arizona flag Arizona
2.50%
Selected states
#26 Alabama flag Alabama
5.00%
#50 California flag California
13.30%

Alabama ranks 26th and California ranks 50th nationally for state income tax.

Related context

Tax Burden Picture

Income tax is just one layer — sales and property taxes complete the picture.

MetricAlabamaCalifornia
Sales Tax 4.00% 7.25% Property Tax Rate 0.38% 0.70% Median Household Income $54,943 $84,097 Cost of Living Index 88.6 138.5

What this means

Alabama vs California: State Income Tax in context

Alabama's state income tax is 5.00%, compared with 13.30% in California. Top marginal state income tax rate. 0% = no state income tax.

Alabama
5.00%
California
13.30%
Difference
8.30 percentage points

People also ask

Alabama vs California State Income Tax — common questions

QWhat is Alabama's state income tax?

Alabama's state income tax is 5.00%.

QWhat is California's state income tax?

California's state income tax is 13.30%.

QWhich state has a lower state income tax — Alabama or California?

Alabama has a lower state income tax rate than California.

More comparisons: Alabama vs California

Grouped tabs keep the deep-dive links tighter and easier to scan.

Full comparison
State Sales Tax Property Tax Total Tax Burden Grocery Tax Rate Estate and Inheritance Tax Annual Vehicle Property Tax

Explore each state

Alabama symbols California symbols Compare other states

Data source and freshness

Primary source
Tax Foundation — State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets
Data period
2026 comparison
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Top marginal state rate; brackets, deductions, local taxes, and effective rates differ.