State comparison
Idaho vs Texas: which state is better to live in?
Idaho and Texas cost a median household almost the same in state and local taxes, $7,085 a year against $7,272, so the choice comes down to housing, safety and schools.
Idaho
Moderate tax burden · COL index 96
Wins 12 categories
Texas
Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
Wins 3 categories
Taxes: Idaho vs Texas
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. Texas has no state income tax. Texas wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.48% of home value a year in Idaho and 1.60% in Texas (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,040 against $5,440, so Idaho has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.02% in Idaho and 8.19% in Texas; 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, $7,272 in Texas. Idaho is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Idaho's cost of living index is 96 and Texas's is 97, where 100 is the national average; Idaho is about 1% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $425K in Idaho and $340K in Texas (Zillow, 2024), a $85K gap in Texas's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500 a month in Idaho and $1,600 in Texas.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Idaho and $3,200 in Texas, so Idaho is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 228 incidents per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 447 in Texas (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Idaho is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 96% lower. Property crime is 1,535 per 100,000 in Idaho against 2,478 in Texas, again favoring Idaho.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.7 years in Idaho and 76.3 in Texas (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.4-year edge for Idaho. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Idaho's health system 32nd of 50 and Texas's 36th, so Idaho scores better on care.
9.0% of Idaho residents have no health insurance against 18.4% in Texas, which favors Idaho. Idaho expanded Medicaid and Texas did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho's K-12 schools 30th in the country and Texas's 36th, 6 places apart in Idaho's favor. Texas runs a school-choice voucher program; Idaho does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Idaho went to Trump by 30 points and Texas went to Trump by 14 points.
Idaho has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Texas has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is illegal in Idaho and medical only in Texas as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Idaho and $7.25 in Texas.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Idaho (wildfire, earthquake) and very high in Texas (hurricane, tornado, flood), so Idaho is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 48 in Idaho and 43 in Texas (under 50 is good), favoring Texas.
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
12
Idaho
3
Texas
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Idaho or Texas 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 $7,272); Idaho on everyday costs (index 96 against 97); Idaho on safety (228 violent crimes per 100,000 against 447); Idaho on schools (ranked 30th against 36th).
Which is cheaper, Idaho or Texas?
Idaho is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 96 against 97. The median home is $425K in Idaho and $340K in Texas (2024). On state and local taxes Idaho saves a median household about $190 a year.
Does Idaho or Texas 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 $7,272 in Texas ($0 income tax, $5,440 property tax on the median home and $1,832 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Idaho or Texas?
Idaho, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 228 per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 447 in Texas; property crime is 1,535 against 2,478.
Which has better schools, Idaho or Texas?
Idaho. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho 30th of 50 for K-12 and Texas 36th. Texas also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Idaho or Texas better for retirees?
Texas is friendlier to retirees on paper. Idaho does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Texas does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,040 a year in Idaho and $5,440 in Texas.