This. Lots of “tax burden” comparisons purposefully distort the rankings by only using the top marginal rate even though almost no one actually pays that.

New Jersey’s income tax is very progressive, so if you’re low- or middle-income you’re likely paying less than you would in many “low tax” states. It’s only folks who make over $1 million per year that pay the highest tax rate, and even then it’s only applied to every dollar made over $1 million.