State comparison
Arizona vs Texas: which state is better to live in?
Arizona costs a median household about $1,400 a year less in state and local taxes than Texas, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,142 a year against $5,440 in Texas, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 102 against 97).
Arizona
Moderate tax burden · COL index 102
Wins 4 categories
Texas
Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
Wins 8 categories
Taxes: Arizona vs Texas
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. Texas has no state income tax. Texas wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.51% of home value a year in Arizona and 1.60% in Texas (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,142 against $5,440, so Arizona has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.37% in Arizona and 8.19% in Texas; Texas 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, $7,272 in Texas. Arizona is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Arizona's cost of living index is 102 and Texas's is 97, where 100 is the national average; Texas is about 5% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $420K in Arizona and $340K in Texas (Zillow, 2024), a $80K gap in Texas's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,600 a month in Arizona and $1,600 in Texas.
Home insurance averages $1,850 a year in Arizona and $3,200 in Texas, so Arizona is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 474 incidents per 100,000 residents in Arizona and 447 in Texas (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Texas is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 6% lower. Property crime is 2,624 per 100,000 in Arizona against 2,478 in Texas, again favoring Texas.
Health
Life expectancy is 76.3 years in Arizona and 76.3 in Texas (County Health Rankings, 2024). The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Arizona's health system 34th of 50 and Texas's 36th, so Arizona scores better on care.
10.8% of Arizona residents have no health insurance against 18.4% in Texas, which favors Arizona. Arizona expanded Medicaid and Texas did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Arizona's K-12 schools 45th in the country and Texas's 36th, 9 places apart in Texas's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Arizona went to Trump by 5 points and Texas went to Trump by 14 points.
Arizona has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Texas has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in Arizona and medical only in Texas as of 2026. The minimum wage is $14.35 an hour in Arizona and $7.25 in Texas.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Arizona (wildfire, extreme-heat, drought) and very high in Texas (hurricane, tornado, flood), so Arizona is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 46 in Arizona and 43 in Texas (under 50 is good), favoring Texas.
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
4
Arizona
8
Texas
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Arizona or Texas better to live in?
Texas wins more of the measures that decide a move. Arizona on taxes ($5,879 a year for a median household against $7,272); Texas on everyday costs (index 97 against 102); Texas on safety (447 violent crimes per 100,000 against 474); Texas on schools (ranked 36th against 45th).
Which is cheaper, Arizona or Texas?
Texas is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 97 against 102. The median home is $420K in Arizona and $340K in Texas (2024). On state and local taxes Arizona saves a median household about $1,400 a year.
Does Arizona or Texas 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 $7,272 in Texas ($0 income tax, $5,440 property tax on the median home and $1,832 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Arizona or Texas?
Texas, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 474 per 100,000 residents in Arizona and 447 in Texas; property crime is 2,624 against 2,478.
Which has better schools, Arizona or Texas?
Texas. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Arizona 45th of 50 for K-12 and Texas 36th.
Is Arizona or Texas better for retirees?
Texas is friendlier to retirees on paper. Arizona does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Texas does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,142 a year in Arizona and $5,440 in Texas.