Highest State And Local Tax Burdens Are In Blue States, Lowest Are In Red States

Tax Foundation, State-Local Tax Burden Rankings FY 2012:

During the 2012 fiscal year, state-local tax burdens as a share of state incomes decreased on average across the U.S. Average income increased at a faster rate than tax collections, driving down state-local tax burdens on average.

New Yorkers faced the highest burden, with 12.7 percent of income in the state going to state and local taxes. Connecticut (12.6 percent) and New Jersey (12.2 percent) followed closely behind. On the other end of the spectrum, Alaska (6.5 percent), South Dakota (7.1 percent) and Wyoming (7.1 percent) had the lowest burdens.

Interestingly, the ten states with the highest per capita tax burden voted for Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election, and eight of the ten states with the lowest per capita tax burden voted for Mitt Romney.

1	New York	12.7%
2	Connecticut	12.6%
3	New Jersey	12.2%
4	Wisconsin	11.0%
5	Illinois	11.0%
6	California	11.0%
7	Maryland	10.9%
8	Minnesota	10.8%
9	Rhode Island	10.8%
10	Pennsylvania	10.2%
41	Mississippi	8.6%
42	Nevada	8.2%
43	Nevada	8.1%
44	New Hampshire	7.9%
45	Louisiana	7.6%
46	Texas	7.6%
47	Tennessee	7.3%
48	Wyoming	7.1%
49	South Dakota	7.1%
50	Alaska	6.5%