State comparison
Massachusetts vs New York: which state is better to live in?
Massachusetts costs a median household about $1,200 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $6,032 a year against $6,580 in New York, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 148 against 139).
Massachusetts
High tax burden · COL index 148
Wins 10 categories
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 5 categories
Taxes: Massachusetts vs New York
Massachusetts has a graduated income tax topping out at 9%, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,729 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. Massachusetts wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.04% of home value a year in Massachusetts and 1.40% in New York (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $6,032 against $6,580, so Massachusetts has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.25% in Massachusetts and 8.52% in New York; Massachusetts is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $11,159 a year in Massachusetts, $12,349 in New York. Massachusetts is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Massachusetts's cost of living index is 148 and New York's is 139, where 100 is the national average; New York is about 6% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $580K in Massachusetts and $470K in New York (Zillow, 2024), a $110K gap in New York's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,400 a month in Massachusetts and $2,200 in New York.
Home insurance averages $1,500 a year in Massachusetts and $1,800 in New York, so Massachusetts is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 338 incidents per 100,000 residents in Massachusetts and 379 in New York (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Massachusetts is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 12% lower. Property crime is 1,283 per 100,000 in Massachusetts against 1,480 in New York, again favoring Massachusetts.
Health
Life expectancy is 80 years in Massachusetts and 79.3 in New York (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.7-year edge for Massachusetts. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Massachusetts's health system 1st of 50 and New York's 15th, so Massachusetts scores better on care.
3.1% of Massachusetts residents have no health insurance against 5.4% in New York, which favors Massachusetts. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Massachusetts's K-12 schools 1st in the country and New York's 12th, 11 places apart in Massachusetts's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Massachusetts went to Harris by 28 points and New York went to Harris by 12 points.
Massachusetts has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; New York has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $15.00 an hour in Massachusetts and $16.00 in New York.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Massachusetts (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter) and moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter). Annual average air quality index is 30 in Massachusetts and 38 in New York (under 50 is good), favoring Massachusetts.
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
10
Massachusetts
5
New York
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Massachusetts or New York better to live in?
Massachusetts wins more of the measures that decide a move. Massachusetts on taxes ($11,159 a year for a median household against $12,349); New York on everyday costs (index 139 against 148); Massachusetts on safety (338 violent crimes per 100,000 against 379); Massachusetts on schools (ranked 1st against 12th).
Which is cheaper, Massachusetts or New York?
New York is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 139 against 148. The median home is $580K in Massachusetts and $470K in New York (2024). On state and local taxes Massachusetts saves a median household about $1,200 a year.
Does Massachusetts or New York have lower taxes?
Massachusetts. A household earning $74,580 pays about $11,159 a year in Massachusetts ($3,729 income tax, $6,032 property tax on the median home and $1,398 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, Massachusetts or New York?
Massachusetts, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 338 per 100,000 residents in Massachusetts and 379 in New York; property crime is 1,283 against 1,480.
Which has better schools, Massachusetts or New York?
Massachusetts. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Massachusetts 1st of 50 for K-12 and New York 12th.
Is Massachusetts or New York better for retirees?
New York is friendlier to retirees on paper. Massachusetts does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax; New York does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $6,032 a year in Massachusetts and $6,580 in New York.