State comparison
Arizona vs New York: which state is better to live in?
Arizona costs a median household about $6,500 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,142 a year against $6,580 in New York.
Arizona
Moderate tax burden · COL index 102
Wins 9 categories
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Arizona vs New York
Arizona has a flat 2.5% income tax, which works out to 2.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $1,865 a year. New York has a graduated income tax topping out at 10.9%, which works out to 5.2% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,862 a year. Arizona wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.51% of home value a year in Arizona and 1.40% in New York (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,142 against $6,580, so Arizona has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.37% in Arizona and 8.52% in New York; Arizona is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $5,879 a year in Arizona, $12,349 in New York. Arizona is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Arizona's cost of living index is 102 and New York's is 139, where 100 is the national average; Arizona is about 36% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $420K in Arizona and $470K in New York (Zillow, 2024), a $50K gap in Arizona's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,600 a month in Arizona and $2,200 in New York.
Home insurance averages $1,850 a year in Arizona and $1,800 in New York, so New York is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 474 incidents per 100,000 residents in Arizona and 379 in New York (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New York is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 25% lower. Property crime is 2,624 per 100,000 in Arizona against 1,480 in New York, again favoring New York.
Health
Life expectancy is 76.3 years in Arizona and 79.3 in New York (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.0-year edge for New York. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Arizona's health system 34th of 50 and New York's 15th, so New York scores better on care.
10.8% of Arizona residents have no health insurance against 5.4% in New York, which favors New York. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Arizona's K-12 schools 45th in the country and New York's 12th, 33 places apart in New York's favor. Arizona runs a school-choice voucher program; New York does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Arizona went to Trump by 5 points and New York went to Harris by 12 points.
Arizona has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; New York has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so New York regulates guns more tightly and Arizona is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Arizona and protected by state law in New York, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $14.35 an hour in Arizona and $16.00 in New York.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Arizona (wildfire, extreme-heat, drought) and moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter). Annual average air quality index is 46 in Arizona and 38 in New York (under 50 is good), favoring New York.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
9
Arizona
6
New York
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Arizona or New York better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Arizona on taxes ($5,879 a year for a median household against $12,349); Arizona on everyday costs (index 102 against 139); New York on safety (379 violent crimes per 100,000 against 474); New York on schools (ranked 12th against 45th).
Which is cheaper, Arizona or New York?
Arizona is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 102 against 139. The median home is $420K in Arizona and $470K in New York (2024). On state and local taxes Arizona saves a median household about $6,500 a year.
Does Arizona or New York have lower taxes?
Arizona. A household earning $74,580 pays about $5,879 a year in Arizona ($1,865 income tax, $2,142 property tax on the median home and $1,873 in sales tax) and $12,349 in New York ($3,862 income tax, $6,580 property tax on the median home and $1,906 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Arizona or New York?
New York, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 474 per 100,000 residents in Arizona and 379 in New York; property crime is 2,624 against 1,480.
Which has better schools, Arizona or New York?
New York. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Arizona 45th of 50 for K-12 and New York 12th. Arizona also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Arizona or New York better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Arizona does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; New York does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,142 a year in Arizona and $6,580 in New York.