State comparison
Colorado vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Washington costs a median household about $750 a year less in state and local taxes than Colorado, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 117 against 110).
Colorado
Moderate tax burden · COL index 110
Wins 8 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 9 categories
Taxes: Colorado vs Washington
Colorado has a flat 4.4% income tax, which works out to 4.4% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,282 a year. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.48% of home value a year in Colorado and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,616 against $4,788, so Colorado has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.76% in Colorado and 9.38% in Washington; Colorado is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $7,634 a year in Colorado, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Colorado's cost of living index is 110 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Colorado is about 6% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $545K in Colorado and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $25K gap in Colorado's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,850 a month in Colorado and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $2,800 a year in Colorado and $900 in Washington, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 453 incidents per 100,000 residents in Colorado and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Washington is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 31% lower. Property crime is 2,859 per 100,000 in Colorado against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring Colorado.
Health
Life expectancy is 78.8 years in Colorado and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.5-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Colorado's health system 9th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Colorado scores better on care.
7.4% of Colorado residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Washington, which favors Washington. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Colorado's K-12 schools 9th in the country and Washington's 7th, 2 places apart in Washington's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Colorado went to Harris by 11 points and Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
Colorado has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A-; Washington has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so Washington regulates guns more tightly and Colorado is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $14.42 an hour in Colorado and $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Colorado (wildfire, blizzard, tornado) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood). Annual average air quality index is 50 in Colorado and 40 in Washington (under 50 is good), favoring Washington.
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
8
Colorado
9
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Colorado or Washington better to live in?
Washington wins more of the measures that decide a move. Washington on taxes ($6,887 a year for a median household against $7,634); Colorado on everyday costs (index 110 against 117); Washington on safety (347 violent crimes per 100,000 against 453); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 9th).
Which is cheaper, Colorado or Washington?
Colorado is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 110 against 117. The median home is $545K in Colorado and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $750 a year.
Does Colorado or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. A household earning $74,580 pays about $7,634 a year in Colorado ($3,282 income tax, $2,616 property tax on the median home and $1,736 in sales tax) and $6,887 in Washington ($0 income tax, $4,788 property tax on the median home and $2,099 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Colorado or Washington?
Washington, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 453 per 100,000 residents in Colorado and 347 in Washington; property crime is 2,859 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, Colorado or Washington?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Colorado 9th of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th.
Is Colorado or Washington better for retirees?
Washington is friendlier to retirees on paper. Colorado taxes Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Washington does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,616 a year in Colorado and $4,788 in Washington.