State comparison
Louisiana vs Tennessee: which state is better to live in?
Tennessee costs a median household about $1,800 a year less in state and local taxes than Louisiana, mostly because it has no income tax.
Louisiana
Moderate tax burden · COL index 91
Wins 7 categories
Tennessee
Low tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Louisiana vs Tennessee
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. Tennessee has no state income tax. Tennessee wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.53% of home value a year in Louisiana and 0.45% in Tennessee (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $1,140 against $1,575, so Tennessee has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 9.56% in Louisiana and 9.55% in Tennessee; Tennessee 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, $3,712 in Tennessee. Tennessee is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Louisiana's cost of living index is 91 and Tennessee's is 92, where 100 is the national average; Louisiana is about 1% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $215K in Louisiana and $350K in Tennessee (Zillow, 2024), a $135K gap in Louisiana's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,100 a month in Louisiana and $1,400 in Tennessee.
Home insurance averages $3,000 a year in Louisiana and $2,000 in Tennessee, so Tennessee is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 587 incidents per 100,000 residents in Louisiana and 668 in Tennessee (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Louisiana is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 14% lower. Property crime is 2,426 per 100,000 in Louisiana against 2,752 in Tennessee, again favoring Louisiana.
Health
Life expectancy is 73 years in Louisiana and 74.2 in Tennessee (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.2-year edge for Tennessee. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Louisiana's health system 45th of 50 and Tennessee's 39th, so Tennessee scores better on care.
8.5% of Louisiana residents have no health insurance against 10.4% in Tennessee, which favors Louisiana. Louisiana expanded Medicaid and Tennessee did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Louisiana's K-12 schools 47th in the country and Tennessee's 41st, 6 places apart in Tennessee'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 Tennessee went to Trump by 24 points.
Louisiana has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Tennessee has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is medical only in Louisiana and illegal in Tennessee as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Louisiana and $7.25 in Tennessee.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Louisiana (hurricane, flood, tornado) and moderate in Tennessee (tornado, flood, ice-storm), so Tennessee is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 36 in Louisiana and 36 in Tennessee (under 50 is good).
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
7
Louisiana
7
Tennessee
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 Tennessee better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Tennessee on taxes ($3,712 a year for a median household against $5,516); Louisiana on everyday costs (index 91 against 92); Louisiana on safety (587 violent crimes per 100,000 against 668); Tennessee on schools (ranked 41st against 47th).
Which is cheaper, Louisiana or Tennessee?
Louisiana is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 91 against 92. The median home is $215K in Louisiana and $350K in Tennessee (2024). On state and local taxes Tennessee saves a median household about $1,800 a year.
Does Louisiana or Tennessee have lower taxes?
Tennessee. 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 $3,712 in Tennessee ($0 income tax, $1,575 property tax on the median home and $2,137 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Louisiana or Tennessee?
Louisiana, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 587 per 100,000 residents in Louisiana and 668 in Tennessee; property crime is 2,426 against 2,752.
Which has better schools, Louisiana or Tennessee?
Tennessee. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Louisiana 47th of 50 for K-12 and Tennessee 41st.
Is Louisiana or Tennessee better for retirees?
Tennessee is friendlier to retirees on paper. Louisiana does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Tennessee 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 $1,575 in Tennessee.