You are falling into the trap of thinking that federal income tax levels are all that matters. When you account for * Federal AND state income taxes * Payroll taxes (SS & Medicare/Medicaid) * Property taxes * Sales taxes * Car registration taxes You realize that depending on income level, the level of taxation in the US is much higher than the typical numbers thrown about. I have seen estimates but couldn’t find them as almost every search ends up taking me to stories and research doing the exact same thing you mention: federal income tax rates only.