State comparison
Idaho vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Idaho and Washington cost a median household almost the same in state and local taxes, $7,085 a year against $6,887, so the choice comes down to housing, safety and schools.
Idaho
Moderate tax burden · COL index 96
Wins 9 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Idaho vs Washington
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. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.48% of home value a year in Idaho and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,040 against $4,788, so Idaho has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.02% in Idaho and 9.38% in Washington; 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, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Idaho's cost of living index is 96 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Idaho is about 22% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $425K in Idaho and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $145K gap in Idaho's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,500 a month in Idaho and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Idaho and $900 in Washington, so Idaho is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 228 incidents per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Idaho is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 52% lower. Property crime is 1,535 per 100,000 in Idaho against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring Idaho.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.7 years in Idaho and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.6-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Idaho's health system 32nd of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
9.0% of Idaho residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Washington, which favors Washington. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho's K-12 schools 30th in the country and Washington's 7th, 23 places apart in Washington'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 Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
Idaho 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 Idaho is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Idaho and protected by state law in Washington, and marijuana is illegal in Idaho and legal for adults in Washington as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Idaho and $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Idaho (wildfire, earthquake) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood), so Idaho is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 48 in Idaho and 40 in Washington (under 50 is good), favoring Washington.
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
9
Idaho
7
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Idaho or Washington better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Washington on taxes ($6,887 a year for a median household against $7,085); Idaho on everyday costs (index 96 against 117); Idaho on safety (228 violent crimes per 100,000 against 347); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 30th).
Which is cheaper, Idaho or Washington?
Idaho is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 96 against 117. The median home is $425K in Idaho and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $200 a year.
Does Idaho or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. 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 $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, Idaho or Washington?
Idaho, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 228 per 100,000 residents in Idaho and 347 in Washington; property crime is 1,535 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, Idaho or Washington?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Idaho 30th of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th.
Is Idaho or Washington 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; Washington 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 $4,788 in Washington.