State comparison
Georgia vs Virginia: which state is better to live in?
Georgia and Virginia cost a median household almost the same in state and local taxes, $8,120 a year against $8,199, so the choice comes down to housing, safety and schools.
Georgia
Moderate tax burden · COL index 91
Wins 5 categories
Virginia
Moderate tax burden · COL index 102
Wins 9 categories
Taxes: Georgia vs Virginia
Georgia has a flat 5.49% income tax, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,722 a year. Virginia has a graduated income tax topping out at 5.75%, which works out to 5.4% on a median income of $74,580, or $4,031 a year. Georgia wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.81% of home value a year in Georgia and 0.74% in Virginia (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,754 against $2,886, so Virginia has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.35% in Georgia and 5.73% in Virginia; Virginia is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $8,120 a year in Georgia, $8,199 in Virginia. Georgia is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Georgia's cost of living index is 91 and Virginia's is 102, where 100 is the national average; Georgia is about 12% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $340K in Georgia and $390K in Virginia (Zillow, 2024), a $50K gap in Georgia's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,600 a month in Georgia and $1,700 in Virginia.
Home insurance averages $2,200 a year in Georgia and $1,200 in Virginia, so Virginia is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 499 incidents per 100,000 residents in Georgia and 197 in Virginia (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Virginia is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 153% lower. Property crime is 2,212 per 100,000 in Georgia against 1,617 in Virginia, again favoring Virginia.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.2 years in Georgia and 77.9 in Virginia (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.7-year edge for Virginia. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Georgia's health system 37th of 50 and Virginia's 16th, so Virginia scores better on care.
14.1% of Georgia residents have no health insurance against 8.1% in Virginia, which favors Virginia. Virginia expanded Medicaid and Georgia did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Georgia's K-12 schools 32nd in the country and Virginia's 10th, 22 places apart in Virginia's favor. Georgia runs a school-choice voucher program; Virginia does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Georgia was a swing state decided by 2 points and Virginia went to Harris by 3 points.
Georgia has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Virginia has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of A-, so Virginia regulates guns more tightly and Georgia is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Georgia and legal with limits in Virginia, and marijuana is medical only in Georgia and legal for adults in Virginia as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Georgia and $12.00 in Virginia.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Georgia (hurricane, tornado, flood) and moderate in Virginia (hurricane, flood, nor-easter), so Virginia is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 36 in Georgia and 37 in Virginia (under 50 is good), favoring Georgia.
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
5
Georgia
9
Virginia
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Georgia or Virginia better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Georgia on taxes ($8,120 a year for a median household against $8,199); Georgia on everyday costs (index 91 against 102); Virginia on safety (197 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); Virginia on schools (ranked 10th against 32nd).
Which is cheaper, Georgia or Virginia?
Georgia is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 91 against 102. The median home is $340K in Georgia and $390K in Virginia (2024). On state and local taxes Georgia saves a median household about $80 a year.
Does Georgia or Virginia have lower taxes?
Georgia. A household earning $74,580 pays about $8,120 a year in Georgia ($3,722 income tax, $2,754 property tax on the median home and $1,644 in sales tax) and $8,199 in Virginia ($4,031 income tax, $2,886 property tax on the median home and $1,282 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Georgia or Virginia?
Virginia, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 499 per 100,000 residents in Georgia and 197 in Virginia; property crime is 2,212 against 1,617.
Which has better schools, Georgia or Virginia?
Virginia. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Georgia 32nd of 50 for K-12 and Virginia 10th. Georgia also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Georgia or Virginia better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Georgia does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Virginia does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,754 a year in Georgia and $2,886 in Virginia.