Best states to win the lottery
Current Powerball jackpot $360 million, cash option $153.6 million, single filer.
In the best states you keep
$96.8 million in cash
Ninety-six million eight hundred eighteen thousand and 00/100 dollars
10 jurisdictions take no state tax on lottery prizes. The least is kept in New York City: $74.1 million.
Jackpot data as of Sep 24, 2026, for the Saturday, Sep 26 drawing.
The best states to win the lottery are the ones that do not tax the prize: Alaska, California, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. After them, flat-tax states with low rates rank highest. The ranking is for residents who bought their ticket at home.
All 50 states and DC, ranked
| Rank | State | State tax | Cash kept |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska* | none | $96.8 million |
| 1 | California | exempt | $96.8 million |
| 1 | Florida | none | $96.8 million |
| 1 | Nevada* | none | $96.8 million |
| 1 | New Hampshire | none | $96.8 million |
| 1 | South Dakota | none | $96.8 million |
| 1 | Tennessee | none | $96.8 million |
| 1 | Texas | none | $96.8 million |
| 1 | Washington | none | $96.8 million |
| 1 | Wyoming | none | $96.8 million |
| 11 | Arizona | 2.5% | $93 million |
| 11 | North Dakota | 2.5% | $93 million |
| 13 | Ohio | 2.75% | $92.6 million |
| 14 | Indiana | 2.95% | $92.3 million |
| 15 | Louisiana | 3% | $92.2 million |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 3.07% | $92.1 million |
| 17 | Kentucky | 3.5% | $91.4 million |
| 18 | Arkansas | 3.7% | $91.1 million |
| 19 | Iowa | 3.8% | $91 million |
| 20 | North Carolina | 3.99% | $90.7 million |
| 21 | Mississippi | 4% | $90.7 million |
| 22 | Michigan | 4.25% | $90.3 million |
| 23 | Colorado | 4.4% | $90.1 million |
| 24 | Utah* | 4.45% | $90 million |
| 25 | Oklahoma | 4.5% | $89.9 million |
| 26 | Nebraska | 4.55% | $89.8 million |
| 27 | West Virginia | 4.58% | $89.8 million |
| 28 | Missouri | 4.7% | $89.6 million |
| 29 | Illinois | 4.95% | $89.2 million |
| 30 | Georgia | 4.99% | $89.2 million |
| 31 | Alabama* | 5% | $89.1 million |
| 32 | South Carolina | 5.21% | $88.8 million |
| 33 | Idaho | 5.3% | $88.7 million |
| 34 | Kansas | 5.58% | $88.2 million |
| 35 | Montana | 5.65% | $88.1 million |
| 36 | Virginia | 5.75% | $88 million |
| 37 | New Mexico | 5.9% | $87.8 million |
| 38 | Rhode Island | 5.99% | $87.6 million |
| 39 | Maryland | 6.5% | $86.8 million |
| 40 | Delaware | 6.6% | $86.7 million |
| 41 | Connecticut | 6.99% | $86.1 million |
| 42 | Wisconsin | 7.65% | $85.1 million |
| 43 | Vermont | 8.75% | $83.4 million |
| 44 | Massachusetts | 9% | $83 million |
| 45 | Maine | 9.15% | $82.8 million |
| 46 | Minnesota | 9.85% | $81.7 million |
| 47 | Oregon | 9.9% | $81.6 million |
| 48 | District of Columbia | 10.75% | $80.3 million |
| 48 | New Jersey | 10.75% | $80.3 million |
| 50 | New York | 10.9% | $80.1 million |
| 51 | Hawaii* | 11% | $79.9 million |
* No state lottery: residents must buy tickets in another state, which may tax the prize first.
Why the ticket's state matters too
A prize is taxed where you live and can also be taxed where the ticket was sold. States such as Arizona and Maryland tax non-residents who win with a ticket bought there; your home state then gives a credit, so you pay the higher of the two rates. Buying in a no-tax state does not help if your home state taxes lottery prizes. The calculator handles both states.
Questions
What is the best state to win the lottery in?
The 10 jurisdictions that do not tax lottery prizes tie for first: Alaska, California, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming. A winner there keeps about $96.8 million of the current Powerball jackpot in cash.
What is the worst state to win the lottery in?
Hawaii takes the biggest share among states, and New York City residents pay the most of all: about $74.1 million kept from the same jackpot.
Can you move to a state with no income tax before claiming?
Moving after the drawing does not help: the prize is taxed by the state you lived in when you won, and the state where the ticket was bought can tax it too. Consult a tax professional before claiming.
These figures describe the taxes on a prize that has already been won; they are not a reason to buy a ticket. Jackpot odds are hundreds of millions to one. If gambling is causing problems for you or someone close to you, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER (National Problem Gambling Helpline, 24/7).
Sources for this page
- Powerball official site (current jackpot and cash value) (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Report of the official jackpot estimate used here (checked Sep 26, 2026)
- IRS: 2026 inflation adjustments (Rev. Proc. 2025-32) (checked Sep 26, 2026)
- IRS Publication 505: withholding on gambling winnings (checked Sep 26, 2026)
- State rules: see the sources page for all 51 jurisdictions
Figures are estimates for planning, not tax or legal advice. How they are calculated: methodology. Read the disclaimer.