California Tax Brackets Explained (2026)
California has a state income tax with a top marginal rate of 13.3%. On top of federal rates (10%–37%), residents can face a combined marginal rate exceeding 40% at higher income levels. However, your effective rate is always lower than the marginal rate because only income above each threshold is taxed at that bracket's rate.
The median household in California earns $84,000/year. At that income (single filer), the federal effective rate is approximately 12–14%, bringing total income tax (federal + state) to roughly 20–23%.
How Marginal vs. Effective Rate Works
The marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar of income — it does not apply to all income. The effective rate is your total tax divided by total income. For example, someone earning $100,000 in California has a 22% federal marginal rate but an effective federal rate of roughly 15%, because the first $44,725 (2024) is taxed at 10% and 12%, not 22%.