State comparison
Florida vs New York: which state is better to live in?
Florida costs a median household about $7,600 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because it has no income tax.
Florida
Low tax burden · COL index 103
Wins 10 categories
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Florida vs New York
Florida has no state income tax. 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. Florida wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.77% of home value a year in Florida and 1.40% in New York (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,196 against $6,580, so Florida has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.02% in Florida and 8.52% in New York; Florida 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, $12,349 in New York. Florida is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Florida's cost of living index is 103 and New York's is 139, where 100 is the national average; Florida is about 35% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Florida and $470K in New York (Zillow, 2024), a $55K gap in Florida's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,900 a month in Florida and $2,200 in New York.
Home insurance averages $3,500 a year in Florida and $1,800 in New York, so New York is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 387 incidents per 100,000 residents in Florida and 379 in New York (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New York is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 2% lower. Property crime is 1,882 per 100,000 in Florida against 1,480 in New York, again favoring New York.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.3 years in Florida and 79.3 in New York (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.0-year edge for New York. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Florida's health system 40th of 50 and New York's 15th, so New York scores better on care.
13.2% of Florida residents have no health insurance against 5.4% in New York, which favors New York. New York 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 York's 12th, 7 places apart in New York's favor. Florida runs a school-choice voucher program; New York does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Florida went to Trump by 13 points and New York went to Harris by 12 points.
Florida 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 Florida is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Florida and protected by state law in New York, and marijuana is medical only in Florida and legal for adults in New York as of 2026. The minimum wage is $13.00 an hour in Florida and $16.00 in New York.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Florida (hurricane, flood, tornado) and moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter), so New York is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 28 in Florida and 38 in New York (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
10
Florida
6
New York
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Florida or New York better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Florida on taxes ($4,766 a year for a median household against $12,349); Florida on everyday costs (index 103 against 139); New York on safety (379 violent crimes per 100,000 against 387); New York on schools (ranked 12th against 19th).
Which is cheaper, Florida or New York?
Florida is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 103 against 139. The median home is $415K in Florida and $470K in New York (2024). On state and local taxes Florida saves a median household about $7,600 a year.
Does Florida or New York 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 $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, Florida or New York?
New York, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 387 per 100,000 residents in Florida and 379 in New York; property crime is 1,882 against 1,480.
Which has better schools, Florida or New York?
New York. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida 19th of 50 for K-12 and New York 12th. Florida also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Florida or New York 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 York does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,196 a year in Florida and $6,580 in New York.