Per Kiplinger, Texas is one of the least tax friendly states for retirees. Colorado came in as one of the best states for retirees.
You might be surprised to see the Lone Star State on the list of least tax-friendly states for retirees. After all, isn't Texas one of the handful of states with no income tax? Well, yes, it's true that there are no income taxes in Texas...which means no taxes on Social Security benefits, pensions, 401(k)s, IRAs, or any other type of retirement income. But a lot of states don't tax these types of retirement income anyway (or at least partially exempt them), so states without any income tax don't necessarily have an advantage over other states when it comes to taxes on seniors.
Texas' main problem is with its property taxes. The state's median property tax rate is the seventh-highest in the country. For our hypothetical retired couples, that means an estimated annual property tax bill of $4,383 for the couple with the $250,000 home and $6,136 for the couple with the $350,000 home. On the bright side, seniors may be able to get a $10,000 property tax exemption, have their tax bill "frozen," or delay payment of taxes.
Sales taxes are on the high end in Texas, too. The state imposes a 6.25% tax, but local governments can tack on up to 2% more. When combined, the average state and local sales tax rate in Texas is 8.2%, which is the 14th-highest combined rate in the country.