State comparison
Idaho vs Michigan: which state is better to live in?
Idaho costs a median household about $730 a year less in state and local taxes than Michigan, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,040 a year against $3,300 in Michigan, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 96 against 88).
Idaho
Moderate tax burden · COL index 96
Wins 8 categories
Michigan
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Idaho vs Michigan
Idaho has a flat 5.8% income tax, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,698 a year. Michigan has a flat 4.25% income tax, which works out to 4.3% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,170 a year. Michigan wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.48% of home value a year in Idaho and 1.32% in Michigan (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,040 against $3,300, so Idaho has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.02% in Idaho and 6.00% in Michigan; Michigan is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $7,085 a year in Idaho, $7,812 in Michigan. Idaho is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Idaho's cost of living index is 96 and Michigan's is 88, where 100 is the national average; Michigan is about 9% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $425K in Idaho and $250K in Michigan (Zillow, 2024), a $175K gap in Michigan's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500 a month in Idaho and $1,150 in Michigan.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Idaho and $1,100 in Michigan, so Idaho is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 228 incidents per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 445 in Michigan (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Idaho is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 95% lower. Property crime is 1,535 per 100,000 in Idaho against 1,670 in Michigan, again favoring Idaho.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.7 years in Idaho and 75.7 in Michigan (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.0-year edge for Idaho. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Idaho's health system 32nd of 50 and Michigan's 25th, so Michigan scores better on care.
9.0% of Idaho residents have no health insurance against 5.9% in Michigan, which favors Michigan. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho's K-12 schools 30th in the country and Michigan's 38th, 8 places apart in Idaho's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Idaho went to Trump by 30 points and Michigan was a swing state decided by 2 points.
Idaho has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Michigan has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of C+, so Michigan regulates guns more tightly and Idaho is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Idaho and protected by state law in Michigan, and marijuana is illegal in Idaho and legal for adults in Michigan as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Idaho and $10.33 in Michigan.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Idaho (wildfire, earthquake) and moderate in Michigan (blizzard, flood, tornado). Annual average air quality index is 48 in Idaho and 42 in Michigan (under 50 is good), favoring Michigan.
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
8
Idaho
7
Michigan
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Idaho or Michigan better to live in?
Idaho wins more of the measures that decide a move. Idaho on taxes ($7,085 a year for a median household against $7,812); Michigan on everyday costs (index 88 against 96); Idaho on safety (228 violent crimes per 100,000 against 445); Idaho on schools (ranked 30th against 38th).
Which is cheaper, Idaho or Michigan?
Michigan is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 96. The median home is $425K in Idaho and $250K in Michigan (2024). On state and local taxes Idaho saves a median household about $730 a year.
Does Idaho or Michigan have lower taxes?
Idaho. A household earning $74,580 pays about $7,085 a year in Idaho ($3,698 income tax, $2,040 property tax on the median home and $1,347 in sales tax) and $7,812 in Michigan ($3,170 income tax, $3,300 property tax on the median home and $1,342 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Idaho or Michigan?
Idaho, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 228 per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 445 in Michigan; property crime is 1,535 against 1,670.
Which has better schools, Idaho or Michigan?
Idaho. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho 30th of 50 for K-12 and Michigan 38th.
Is Idaho or Michigan better for retirees?
Idaho is friendlier to retirees on paper. Idaho does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Michigan taxes Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,040 a year in Idaho and $3,300 in Michigan.