State comparison
Louisiana vs Nevada: which state is better to live in?
Nevada costs a median household about $1,500 a year less in state and local taxes than Louisiana, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 101 against 91).
Louisiana
Moderate tax burden · COL index 91
Wins 8 categories
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Louisiana vs Nevada
Louisiana has a graduated income tax topping out at 3%, which works out to 3.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $2,237 a year. Nevada has no state income tax. Nevada wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.53% of home value a year in Louisiana and 0.53% in Nevada (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $1,140 against $2,200.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 9.56% in Louisiana and 8.23% in Nevada; Nevada is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $5,516 a year in Louisiana, $4,041 in Nevada. Nevada is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Louisiana's cost of living index is 91 and Nevada's is 101, where 100 is the national average; Louisiana is about 11% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $215K in Louisiana and $415K in Nevada (Zillow, 2024), a $200K gap in Louisiana's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,100 a month in Louisiana and $1,550 in Nevada.
Home insurance averages $3,000 a year in Louisiana and $800 in Nevada, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 587 incidents per 100,000 residents in Louisiana and 595 in Nevada (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Louisiana is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 1% lower. Property crime is 2,426 per 100,000 in Louisiana against 2,634 in Nevada, again favoring Louisiana.
Health
Life expectancy is 73 years in Louisiana and 75.5 in Nevada (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.5-year edge for Nevada. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Louisiana's health system 45th of 50 and Nevada's 35th, so Nevada scores better on care.
8.5% of Louisiana residents have no health insurance against 10.6% in Nevada, which favors Louisiana. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Louisiana's K-12 schools 47th in the country and Nevada's 48th, 1 places apart in Louisiana's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Louisiana went to Trump by 20 points and Nevada went to Trump by 3 points.
Louisiana has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Nevada has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of C+, so Nevada regulates guns more tightly and Louisiana is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Louisiana and protected by state law in Nevada, and marijuana is medical only in Louisiana and legal for adults in Nevada as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Louisiana and $12.00 in Nevada.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Louisiana (hurricane, flood, tornado) and moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat), so Nevada is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 36 in Louisiana and 40 in Nevada (under 50 is good), favoring Louisiana.
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
Louisiana
6
Nevada
Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.
Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Louisiana or Nevada better to live in?
Louisiana wins more of the measures that decide a move. Nevada on taxes ($4,041 a year for a median household against $5,516); Louisiana on everyday costs (index 91 against 101); Louisiana on safety (587 violent crimes per 100,000 against 595); Louisiana on schools (ranked 47th against 48th).
Which is cheaper, Louisiana or Nevada?
Louisiana is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 91 against 101. The median home is $215K in Louisiana and $415K in Nevada (2024). On state and local taxes Nevada saves a median household about $1,500 a year.
Does Louisiana or Nevada have lower taxes?
Nevada. A household earning $74,580 pays about $5,516 a year in Louisiana ($2,237 income tax, $1,140 property tax on the median home and $2,139 in sales tax) and $4,041 in Nevada ($0 income tax, $2,200 property tax on the median home and $1,841 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Louisiana or Nevada?
Louisiana, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 587 per 100,000 residents in Louisiana and 595 in Nevada; property crime is 2,426 against 2,634.
Which has better schools, Louisiana or Nevada?
Louisiana. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Louisiana 47th of 50 for K-12 and Nevada 48th.
Is Louisiana or Nevada better for retirees?
Nevada is friendlier to retirees on paper. Louisiana does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Nevada does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $1,140 a year in Louisiana and $2,200 in Nevada.