State comparison
Georgia vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Washington costs a median household about $1,200 a year less in state and local taxes than Georgia, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 117 against 91).
Georgia
Moderate tax burden · COL index 91
Wins 7 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 9 categories
Taxes: Georgia vs Washington
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. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.81% of home value a year in Georgia and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,754 against $4,788, so Georgia has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.35% in Georgia and 9.38% in Washington; Georgia 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, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Georgia's cost of living index is 91 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Georgia is about 29% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $340K in Georgia and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $230K gap in Georgia's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,600 a month in Georgia and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $2,200 a year in Georgia and $900 in Washington, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 499 incidents per 100,000 residents in Georgia and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Washington is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 44% lower. Property crime is 2,212 per 100,000 in Georgia against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring Georgia.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.2 years in Georgia and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 4.1-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Georgia's health system 37th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
14.1% of Georgia residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Washington, which favors Washington. Washington 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 Washington's 7th, 25 places apart in Washington's favor. Georgia runs a school-choice voucher program; Washington does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Georgia was a swing state decided by 2 points and Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
Georgia has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Washington has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so Washington regulates guns more tightly and Georgia is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Georgia and protected by state law in Washington, and marijuana is medical only in Georgia and legal for adults in Washington as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Georgia and $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Georgia (hurricane, tornado, flood) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood). Annual average air quality index is 36 in Georgia and 40 in Washington (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
7
Georgia
9
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Georgia or Washington better to live in?
Washington wins more of the measures that decide a move. Washington on taxes ($6,887 a year for a median household against $8,120); Georgia on everyday costs (index 91 against 117); Washington on safety (347 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 32nd).
Which is cheaper, Georgia or Washington?
Georgia is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 91 against 117. The median home is $340K in Georgia and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $1,200 a year.
Does Georgia or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. 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 $6,887 in Washington ($0 income tax, $4,788 property tax on the median home and $2,099 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Georgia or Washington?
Washington, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 499 per 100,000 residents in Georgia and 347 in Washington; property crime is 2,212 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, Georgia or Washington?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Georgia 32nd of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th. Georgia also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Georgia or Washington 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; Washington does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,754 a year in Georgia and $4,788 in Washington.