Looking for the best place to make a living? For best results, you’ll want to at least consider states where no income tax is collected, according to .
Based on data crunched by MoneyRates, Texas, Washington and Wyoming landed in the top three spots on the list, in part because of a lack of state income tax. In most cases, Forbes said, this means a 3 to 5 percent increase in take-home pay.
MoneyRates evaluated average annual wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, state tax information, cost of living, unemployment, and workplace illness, injuries and fatalities.
Although Colorado dropped three rungs in the ranking to No. 7 this year, the state still ranks well in terms of average wages — $49,930 per year. Unemployment dropped to 4.2 percent from 6 percent. There were 3.7 workplace safety issues per 100 workers reported.
Average wages in Wyoming — $44,930 per year — are slightly below the national average, however the state finished at No. 3 because of favorable tax conditions, a low unemployment rate (4.1 percent) and fewer workplace safety issues (3.5 per 100 workers).
