10. New York
- Our rating for the Middle-Class: Least tax-friendly
- State sales tax: 4 percent state levy
- Income tax: Between 4 percent (on up to $8,500 of taxable income for those who file as singles and up to $17,150 for those who are married and file jointly) and 8.82 percent (on taxable income over $1,070,550 for those who file as individuals and over $2,155,350 for those who are married and file jointly)
- Property taxes: Here, the median property tax rate is $1,692 per $100,000 of assessed home value
According to the Tax Foundation, in the Empire State, localities can actually add as much as 4.875 percent, the average combined rate being 8.25 percent when referring to sales taxes. Wait, there’s more: the New York metropolitan area comes with another surprise, namely an extra 0.375 percent sales tax in order to support transit.
However, if you’ve got your eyes on a new pair of shoes, note that sales taxes are exempt only if the pair costs less than $110. The same applies to clothing (per item). In New York, prescription drugs and groceries are also exempt, but motor vehicle sales aren’t that lucky.
In fact, sales taxes here go to another level, because the Empire State also established a commuter tax. This type of tax also applies to those who live in Putnam, Rockland, Nassau, Dutchess, Suffolk, Westchester Counties, and Orange.
9. Kansas
- Our rating for the Middle-Class: Least tax-friendly
- State sales tax: 6.5 percent state levy
- Income tax: Between 3.1 percent (on $2,500 or less of taxable income for those who file as individuals and $3,000 or less for couples who file jointly) and 5.7 percent (on more than $30,000 of taxable income for residents who file as singles and more than $60,000 for those who file jointly)
- Property taxes: Residents who are also homeowners face a median property tax rate of $1,369 per $100,000 of assessed home value
In the Sunflower State, localities can bring about as much as 4 percent in sales taxes; therefore the average combined rate is approximately 8.68 percent. The same rates also apply to clothing, groceries, prescription drugs, and motor vehicles.
