State comparison
Florida vs Tennessee: which state is better to live in?
Tennessee costs a median household about $1,100 a year less in state and local taxes than Florida, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $1,575 a year against $3,196 in Florida.
Florida
Low tax burden · COL index 103
Wins 4 categories
Tennessee
Low tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 8 categories
Taxes: Florida vs Tennessee
Neither Florida nor Tennessee has a state income tax, so wages are untouched at the state level in both.
Property tax is 0.77% of home value a year in Florida and 0.45% in Tennessee (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,196 against $1,575, so Tennessee has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.02% in Florida and 9.55% in Tennessee; 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, $3,712 in Tennessee. Tennessee is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Florida's cost of living index is 103 and Tennessee's is 92, where 100 is the national average; Tennessee is about 12% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Florida and $350K in Tennessee (Zillow, 2024), a $65K gap in Tennessee's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,900 a month in Florida and $1,400 in Tennessee.
Home insurance averages $3,500 a year in Florida and $2,000 in Tennessee, so Tennessee is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 387 incidents per 100,000 residents in Florida and 668 in Tennessee (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Florida is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 73% lower. Property crime is 1,882 per 100,000 in Florida against 2,752 in Tennessee, again favoring Florida.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.3 years in Florida and 74.2 in Tennessee (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.1-year edge for Florida. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Florida's health system 40th of 50 and Tennessee's 39th, so Tennessee scores better on care.
13.2% of Florida residents have no health insurance against 10.4% in Tennessee, which favors Tennessee. Neither state has expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida's K-12 schools 19th in the country and Tennessee's 41st, 22 places apart in Florida's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Florida went to Trump by 13 points and Tennessee went to Trump by 24 points.
Florida has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Tennessee has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is medical only in Florida and illegal in Tennessee as of 2026. The minimum wage is $13.00 an hour in Florida and $7.25 in Tennessee.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Florida (hurricane, flood, tornado) and moderate in Tennessee (tornado, flood, ice-storm), so Tennessee is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 28 in Florida and 36 in Tennessee (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
4
Florida
8
Tennessee
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Florida or Tennessee better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Tennessee on taxes ($3,712 a year for a median household against $4,766); Tennessee on everyday costs (index 92 against 103); Florida on safety (387 violent crimes per 100,000 against 668); Florida on schools (ranked 19th against 41st).
Which is cheaper, Florida or Tennessee?
Tennessee is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 92 against 103. The median home is $415K in Florida and $350K in Tennessee (2024). On state and local taxes Tennessee saves a median household about $1,100 a year.
Does Florida or Tennessee have lower taxes?
Tennessee. 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 $3,712 in Tennessee ($0 income tax, $1,575 property tax on the median home and $2,137 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Florida or Tennessee?
Florida, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 387 per 100,000 residents in Florida and 668 in Tennessee; property crime is 1,882 against 2,752.
Which has better schools, Florida or Tennessee?
Florida. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida 19th of 50 for K-12 and Tennessee 41st.
Is Florida or Tennessee better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Florida does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Tennessee does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,196 a year in Florida and $1,575 in Tennessee.