PA Residents Will Pay $530K+ Average Lifetime Taxes In U.S.: Study

PENNSYLVANIA — On average, Pennsylvania residents will fork over more than half a million dollars in taxes over a lifetime, according to a report released by Self Financial.

Pennsylvania residents pay $532,077 on average in lifetime taxes, or about 35.3 percent percent of their lifetime earnings, according to the study conducted by researchers at the Texas-based financial technology company. This includes an average $274,968 on earnings, $52,796 on personal expenses, $174,057 on property and $30,256 on cars.

New Jersey tops the list of states where residents pay the highest lifetime taxes on average, with D.C. and Connecticut trailing behind at $884,820 and $855,307, respectively. Pennsylvania ranked on the state-by-state comparison at No. 19.

Massachusetts ($816,700) and New York ($748,199) also cracked the top 5 list, followed by New Hampshire ($722,610).

West Virginia and Louisiana pay the least lifetime taxes on average at $358,407 and $358,611, respectively. West Virginia residents shell out about 28.4 percent of their lifetime earnings, the study found, though Alaska residents pay the lowest percentage of their life’s earnings on tax ($400,742) — the equivalent of 24.5 percent of their lifetime earnings.

You can view the full state-by-state breakdown here.