How States Raise Their Tax Dollars

These data has been updated. Click here for new data.

Taxes make up almost half of state government revenue, with the bulk coming from levies on personal income and general sales of goods and services.

Broad-based personal income taxes are the biggest source of tax dollars in 29 of the 41 states that impose them, with the highest share—70.3 percent—in Oregon. General sales taxes are the largest source in 16 of the 45 states that collect them. Florida is the most reliant on these taxes, at 63.0 percent. Neither of these streams is the greatest source in five states: Alaska, Delaware, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Vermont. 

This infographic illustrates the sources of each state’s tax revenue, showing percentages for the two largest streams.

See downloadable data for other percentages.