State comparison
Florida vs Utah: which state is better to live in?
Florida costs a median household about $2,400 a year less in state and local taxes than Utah, mostly because it has no income tax.
Florida
Low tax burden · COL index 103
Wins 7 categories
Utah
Moderate tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 9 categories
Taxes: Florida vs Utah
Florida has no state income tax. Utah has a flat 4.65% income tax, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,319 a year. Florida wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.77% of home value a year in Florida and 0.44% in Utah (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,196 against $2,200, so Utah has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.02% in Florida and 7.19% in Utah; 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, $7,128 in Utah. Florida is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Florida's cost of living index is 103 and Utah's is 101, where 100 is the national average; Utah is about 2% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Florida and $500K in Utah (Zillow, 2024), a $85K gap in Florida's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,900 a month in Florida and $1,650 in Utah.
Home insurance averages $3,500 a year in Florida and $900 in Utah, so Utah is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 387 incidents per 100,000 residents in Florida and 237 in Utah (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Utah is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 63% lower. Property crime is 1,882 per 100,000 in Florida against 2,280 in Utah, again favoring Florida.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.3 years in Florida and 79.2 in Utah (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.9-year edge for Utah. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Florida's health system 40th of 50 and Utah's 31st, so Utah scores better on care.
13.2% of Florida residents have no health insurance against 9.8% in Utah, which favors Utah. Utah 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 Utah's 37th, 18 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 Utah went to Trump by 13 points.
Florida has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Utah has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is medical only in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $13.00 an hour in Florida and $7.25 in Utah.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Florida (hurricane, flood, tornado) and moderate in Utah (drought, wildfire, earthquake), so Utah is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 28 in Florida and 55 in Utah (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
9
Utah
Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.
Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Florida or Utah better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Florida on taxes ($4,766 a year for a median household against $7,128); Utah on everyday costs (index 101 against 103); Utah on safety (237 violent crimes per 100,000 against 387); Florida on schools (ranked 19th against 37th).
Which is cheaper, Florida or Utah?
Utah is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 101 against 103. The median home is $415K in Florida and $500K in Utah (2024). On state and local taxes Florida saves a median household about $2,400 a year.
Does Florida or Utah 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 $7,128 in Utah ($3,319 income tax, $2,200 property tax on the median home and $1,609 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Florida or Utah?
Utah, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 387 per 100,000 residents in Florida and 237 in Utah; property crime is 1,882 against 2,280.
Which has better schools, Florida or Utah?
Florida. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Florida 19th of 50 for K-12 and Utah 37th.
Is Florida or Utah 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; Utah taxes Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,196 a year in Florida and $2,200 in Utah.