The states with the highest and lowest tax burdens, according to WalletHub

Tax season is upon us. And as Americans sort through their documents to figure out what they owe — or what they’re getting back — many are probably scratching their heads about just how they pay Uncle Sam each year.

But some states pay much more than others.

WalletHub set out to rank all 50 states based on their tax rates and looked at five kinds of taxes: real estate, vehicle, income, sales, and excise taxes. To compile the ranking, the company said it “calculated relative income-tax obligations by applying the effective income-tax rates in each state and locality to the average American’s income.”

What it found isn’t too surprising, but a useful reminder: “Living in the right state can ease the stress of tax time, though, as taxpayers in the least expensive states pay less than half as much as those in the most expensive states," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

Continue reading to see the five states with the highest burden — and the five with the lowest.

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New Jersey has the fifth highest effective total tax rate at 14.06%. A median household pays $11,416 in annual state and local taxes. The state has the highest effective real estate tax rate in the nation at 8.65%. While there is no vehicle property tax, residents face a 1.11% income tax and a 4.30% sales and excise tax.

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Pennsylvania ranks as the fourth most expensive state with an effective total tax rate of 14.09%. This results in an annual tax cost of $11,445 for a median U.S. household. The state does not charge a vehicle property tax. The tax burden includes a 5.33% real estate tax, a 4.11% income tax, and a 4.65% sales and excise tax.

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Connecticut is the third most expensive state with an effective total tax rate of 14.58%. A median household pays $11,838 in annual state and local taxes. Taxpayers face a 7.42% effective real estate tax rate and a 0.74% vehicle property tax. The state also charges an effective income tax of 1.40% and a sales and excise tax of 5.02%.

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New York holds the second highest position for state and local taxes with an effective rate of 14.95%. The annual tax burden for a median household is $12,143. There is no vehicle property tax in the state. Residents are subject to a 6.36% effective real estate tax rate, a 3.80% income tax rate, and a 4.79% sales and excise tax rate.

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Illinois has the highest effective total state and local tax rate in the country at 16.87%. A median U.S. household pays $13,699 annually, which is 53.14% higher than the national average. The state features an 8.24% effective real estate tax rate and no vehicle property tax. Additional taxes include a 3.43% income tax and a 5.19% sales and excise tax.

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Montana is the fifth least expensive state with an effective total tax rate of 7.88%. The median U.S. household pays $6,398 in annual state and local taxes there. The state’s tax burden consists of a 2.94% real estate tax and a 0.41% vehicle property tax. Additionally, residents face a 3.11% income tax and the lowest sales and excise tax rate among the top five at 1.43%.

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Idaho ranks fourth among the lowest tax states with an effective total rate of 7.65%. A median household pays $6,215 annually in state and local taxes. Idaho does not charge a vehicle property tax. The effective real estate tax rate is 1.99%, the income tax rate is 1.97%, and the sales and excise tax rate is 3.69%.

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Wyoming holds the third lowest position with an effective total tax rate of 7.58%. This results in an annual tax burden of $6,156 for a median U.S. household. Wyoming is one of the states that does not charge a state income tax. Taxpayers there pay a 2.34% real estate tax, a 0.64% vehicle property tax, and a 4.60% sales and excise tax.

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Delaware is the second least expensive state for taxpayers with an effective rate of 7.19%. For a median household, this equates to $5,842 in annual state and local taxes. While the state has no vehicle property tax, it has an effective income tax rate of 3.25%. Delaware also maintains a low sales and excise tax rate of 1.88% and a real estate tax rate of 2.06%.

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Alaska is the state with the lowest tax rate in the country at an effective total of 6.94%. A median U.S. household pays $5,634 in annual taxes. Residents pay no state income tax and no vehicle property tax. The tax structure relies on a 4.53% effective real estate tax rate and a 2.41% sales and excise tax rate.