California top rate is 13.3% on both income and gains. Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Nevada, Washington (income), Wyoming, South Dakota and Alaska are zero. Net it against cost-of-living.
California → Texas
The arithmetic is unambiguously in favour of moving on a dollar basis. The arithmetic is silent about everything else: friends, family, schools, climate, distance from ageing parents. Use this as one input, not the answer.
Top-bracket state rates only; property tax, sales tax and state-specific deductions are not modelled. California aggressively pursues residents who claim to have moved while maintaining ties; document the move comprehensively. RSU and equity comp may remain taxable by the originating state for vesting-period portions even after a move.
Worth runs interstate scenarios alongside your full tax position so the saving is real, not just the headline. Join the waitlist.
California doesn't have a formal exit tax, but it aggressively pursues residents who claim to have moved while maintaining ties (property, family, business). To break residency cleanly: sell the California property, register vehicles elsewhere, change voter registration, get a new driver's license, and stay out of CA for substantially most of the first year. Document everything.
Generally taxable by the originating state for the portion that vested while you were a resident. RSUs granted in California but vested after moving to Texas, California still taxes the California-resident portion under sourcing rules. The tail can be multiple years; check with a CPA before assuming a clean break.
Generally taxable where you live and work, not where the employer is headquartered. But some states (notably New York) have 'convenience of the employer' rules that tax remote workers as if they were physically there. Research before relocating, especially out of New York.