Taxes

California vs Massachusetts: State Income Tax

Massachusetts has a lower state income tax rate than California.

California flag
California
CA · West
13.30%
Top marginal state income tax rate. 0% = no state income tax.
Massachusetts flag
Massachusetts
MA · Northeast
Winner
5.00%
Top marginal state income tax rate. 0% = no state income tax.

Visual comparison

California13.30%
Massachusetts5.00%

Difference: 8.30 percentage points — Massachusetts leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

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

California #50 · 13.30%
Massachusetts #27 · 5.00%
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
#50 California flag California
13.30%
#27 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
5.00%

California ranks 50th and Massachusetts ranks 27th nationally for state income tax.

Related context

Tax Burden Picture

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

MetricCaliforniaMassachusetts
Sales Tax 7.25% 6.25% Property Tax Rate 0.70% 1.07% Median Household Income $84,097 $96,505 Cost of Living Index 138.5 148.8

What this means

California vs Massachusetts: State Income Tax in context

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

California
13.30%
Massachusetts
5.00%
Difference
8.30 percentage points

People also ask

California vs Massachusetts State Income Tax — common questions

QWhat is California's state income tax?

California's state income tax is 13.30%.

QWhat is Massachusetts's state income tax?

Massachusetts's state income tax is 5.00%.

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

Massachusetts has a lower state income tax rate than California.

More comparisons: California vs Massachusetts

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

California symbols Massachusetts 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.