State comparison
Idaho vs New York: which state is better to live in?
Idaho costs a median household about $5,300 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,040 a year against $6,580 in New York.
Idaho
Moderate tax burden · COL index 96
Wins 11 categories
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 4 categories
Taxes: Idaho vs New York
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. New York has a graduated income tax topping out at 10.9%, which works out to 5.2% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,862 a year. Idaho wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.48% of home value a year in Idaho and 1.40% in New York (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,040 against $6,580, so Idaho has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.02% in Idaho and 8.52% in New York; Idaho 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, $12,349 in New York. Idaho is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Idaho's cost of living index is 96 and New York's is 139, where 100 is the national average; Idaho is about 45% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $425K in Idaho and $470K in New York (Zillow, 2024), a $45K gap in Idaho's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500 a month in Idaho and $2,200 in New York.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Idaho and $1,800 in New York, so Idaho is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 228 incidents per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 379 in New York (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Idaho is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 66% lower. Property crime is 1,535 per 100,000 in Idaho against 1,480 in New York, again favoring New York.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.7 years in Idaho and 79.3 in New York (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.6-year edge for New York. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Idaho's health system 32nd of 50 and New York's 15th, so New York scores better on care.
9.0% of Idaho residents have no health insurance against 5.4% in New York, which favors New York. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho's K-12 schools 30th in the country and New York's 12th, 18 places apart in New York'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 New York went to Harris by 12 points.
Idaho has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; New York has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so New York 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 New York, and marijuana is illegal in Idaho and legal for adults in New York as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Idaho and $16.00 in New York.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Idaho (wildfire, earthquake) and moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter). Annual average air quality index is 48 in Idaho and 38 in New York (under 50 is good), favoring New York.
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
11
Idaho
4
New York
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Idaho or New York 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 $12,349); Idaho on everyday costs (index 96 against 139); Idaho on safety (228 violent crimes per 100,000 against 379); New York on schools (ranked 12th against 30th).
Which is cheaper, Idaho or New York?
Idaho is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 96 against 139. The median home is $425K in Idaho and $470K in New York (2024). On state and local taxes Idaho saves a median household about $5,300 a year.
Does Idaho or New York 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 $12,349 in New York ($3,862 income tax, $6,580 property tax on the median home and $1,906 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Idaho or New York?
Idaho, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 228 per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 379 in New York; property crime is 1,535 against 1,480.
Which has better schools, Idaho or New York?
New York. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho 30th of 50 for K-12 and New York 12th.
Is Idaho or New York better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Idaho does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; New York does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,040 a year in Idaho and $6,580 in New York.