State comparison
Florida vs New Jersey: which state is better to live in?
Florida costs a median household about $10,000 a year less in state and local taxes than New Jersey, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $3,196 a year against $10,650 in New Jersey.
Florida
Low tax burden · COL index 103
Wins 7 categories
New Jersey
High tax burden · COL index 121
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Florida vs New Jersey
Florida has no state income tax. New Jersey has a graduated income tax topping out at 10.75%, which works out to 3.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $2,628 a year. Florida wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.77% of home value a year in Florida and 2.13% in New Jersey (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,196 against $10,650, so Florida has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.02% in Florida and 6.60% in New Jersey; New Jersey is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $4,766 a year in Florida, $14,755 in New Jersey. Florida is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Florida's cost of living index is 103 and New Jersey's is 121, where 100 is the national average; Florida is about 17% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Florida and $500K in New Jersey (Zillow, 2024), a $85K gap in Florida's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,900 a month in Florida and $2,200 in New Jersey.
Home insurance averages $3,500 a year in Florida and $1,400 in New Jersey, so New Jersey is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 387 incidents per 100,000 residents in Florida and 213 in New Jersey (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New Jersey is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 82% lower. Property crime is 1,882 per 100,000 in Florida against 1,368 in New Jersey, again favoring New Jersey.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.3 years in Florida and 79 in New Jersey (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.7-year edge for New Jersey. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Florida's health system 40th of 50 and New Jersey's 19th, so New Jersey scores better on care.
13.2% of Florida residents have no health insurance against 6.8% in New Jersey, which favors New Jersey. New Jersey expanded Medicaid and Florida did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida's K-12 schools 19th in the country and New Jersey's 2nd, 17 places apart in New Jersey's favor. Florida runs a school-choice voucher program; New Jersey does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Florida went to Trump by 13 points and New Jersey went to Harris by 6 points.
Florida has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; New Jersey has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so New Jersey regulates guns more tightly and Florida is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Florida and protected by state law in New Jersey, and marijuana is medical only in Florida and legal for adults in New Jersey as of 2026. The minimum wage is $13.00 an hour in Florida and $15.13 in New Jersey.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Florida (hurricane, flood, tornado) and moderate in New Jersey (hurricane, flood, nor-easter), so New Jersey is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 28 in Florida and 35 in New Jersey (under 50 is good), favoring Florida.
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
7
Florida
7
New Jersey
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Florida or New Jersey better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Florida on taxes ($4,766 a year for a median household against $14,755); Florida on everyday costs (index 103 against 121); New Jersey on safety (213 violent crimes per 100,000 against 387); New Jersey on schools (ranked 2nd against 19th).
Which is cheaper, Florida or New Jersey?
Florida is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 103 against 121. The median home is $415K in Florida and $500K in New Jersey (2024). On state and local taxes Florida saves a median household about $10,000 a year.
Does Florida or New Jersey have lower taxes?
Florida. A household earning $74,580 pays about $4,766 a year in Florida ($0 income tax, $3,196 property tax on the median home and $1,571 in sales tax) and $14,755 in New Jersey ($2,628 income tax, $10,650 property tax on the median home and $1,477 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Florida or New Jersey?
New Jersey, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 387 per 100,000 residents in Florida and 213 in New Jersey; property crime is 1,882 against 1,368.
Which has better schools, Florida or New Jersey?
New Jersey. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida 19th of 50 for K-12 and New Jersey 2nd. Florida also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Florida or New Jersey better for retirees?
Florida is friendlier to retirees on paper. Florida does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; New Jersey does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,196 a year in Florida and $10,650 in New Jersey.