Moving from Texas to Colorado: What Changes for Your Paycheck (2026)
About 14,106 people moved along this corridor in 2019. Here is what the move does to take-home pay at every salary we model, and the one rule that decides whether the bill matches the arithmetic.
Last updated
At a glance
Tax year 2026, single filer, $100,000, biweekly pay, no retirement contribution, health premium or local tax — the same assumptions as the method section. Rates and brackets come from the Tax Foundation tables in force on January 1, 2026.
| Rule | Texas → Colorado |
|---|---|
| Texas | No wage income tax |
| Colorado | Flat 4.4% on taxable income |
| Take-home at $100,000 | $$79,180 → $$75,488 |
| Difference | −$$3,692 per year, −$$142 per paycheck |
| Movers on this corridor | 14,106 (Census ACS 2019, top net-mover corridors) |
Paycheck comparison
Both columns are computed by the calculator from the same inputs, so the only thing that differs between them is the state layer. Federal tax, Social Security and Medicare cancel out — the difference column is entirely Texas and Colorado.
| Income | Texas | Colorado | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $$42,355 | $$40,863 | −$$1,492 |
| $75,000 | $$61,593 | $$59,001 | −$$2,592 |
| $100,000 | $$79,180 | $$75,488 | −$$3,692 |
| $150,000 | $$113,791 | $$107,899 | −$$5,892 |
Want different inputs? Run this move through the calculator with Colorado selected — filing status, retirement percentage, health premium and local tax all change the answer, and none of them are modelled above.
Zero to a flat rate — plus Colorado's 12-hour overtime rule
Colorado's flat state tax replaces Texas' nothing, a real difference at every income in the table. If you are paid hourly, Colorado also adds overtime on top of the federal rule: 1.5× after 12 hours in a single workday or 12 consecutive hours, under COMPS Order #40.
- Colorado's daily threshold is higher than California's 8-hour day — you reach 12 hours before daily overtime engages.
- The federal 40-hour weekly trigger still applies in both states; the two run side by side and either can be reached first.
- Colorado's flat rate means a raise does not move you into a higher Colorado bracket.
The year you move
Neither state recognises the day you unpacked the boxes as a bright line. You file a part-year resident return in Texas for the wages earned while you were its resident and a part-year return in Colorado for the rest, and the date each one starts is a question of domicile facts — home, family, licence, registration, voting, business ties — not of the calendar.
The rules above decide who gets to tax which days; the mechanics of residency, day-count apportionment and safe harbors are the same on every corridor and are set out once in which state taxes a remote worker. Keep a per-day log of where you worked, your employer’s written statement of your work location, and the paperwork that shows you actually moved.
Read the full schedules behind these figures: Texas tax brackets and Colorado tax brackets.
Common questions
Does Colorado tax wages?
Colorado taxes wage income with a flat schedule and a top rate of 4.4%. Your employer withholds it from each paycheck once you are a resident, and the year you arrive is a part-year resident return.
How much do I keep moving from Texas to Colorado?
At $100,000 for a single filer, take-home is $$79,180 in Texas and $$75,488 in Colorado — a difference of −$$3,692 a year, or about −$$142 per biweekly paycheck. The four-income table above shows the same calculation at $50,000, $75,000 and $150,000; the federal tax and FICA portions are identical on both sides.
What is the one thing to get right on this move?
Colorado's daily threshold is higher than California's 8-hour day — you reach 12 hours before daily overtime engages.
Estimates for a modelled filer, not tax advice, and not a prediction of your return — part-year residency, bonuses, local taxes and filing status all move the number. See the Disclaimer and what this site’s numbers do and do not model.