State comparison
Michigan vs New York: which state is better to live in?
Michigan costs a median household about $4,500 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $3,300 a year against $6,580 in New York.
Michigan
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 10 categories
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Michigan vs New York
Michigan has a flat 4.25% income tax, which works out to 4.3% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,170 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. Michigan wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.32% of home value a year in Michigan and 1.40% in New York (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,300 against $6,580, so Michigan has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.00% in Michigan and 8.52% in New York; Michigan is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $7,812 a year in Michigan, $12,349 in New York. Michigan is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Michigan's cost of living index is 88 and New York's is 139, where 100 is the national average; Michigan is about 58% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $250K in Michigan and $470K in New York (Zillow, 2024), a $220K gap in Michigan's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,150 a month in Michigan and $2,200 in New York.
Home insurance averages $1,100 a year in Michigan and $1,800 in New York, so Michigan is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 445 incidents per 100,000 residents in Michigan and 379 in New York (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New York is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 17% lower. Property crime is 1,670 per 100,000 in Michigan against 1,480 in New York, again favoring New York.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.7 years in Michigan and 79.3 in New York (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.6-year edge for New York. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Michigan's health system 25th of 50 and New York's 15th, so New York scores better on care.
5.9% of Michigan residents have no health insurance against 5.4% in New York, which favors New York. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Michigan's K-12 schools 38th in the country and New York's 12th, 26 places apart in New York's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Michigan was a swing state decided by 2 points and New York went to Harris by 12 points.
Michigan has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of C+; New York has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so New York regulates guns more tightly and Michigan is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $10.33 an hour in Michigan and $16.00 in New York.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Michigan (blizzard, flood, tornado) and moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter). Annual average air quality index is 42 in Michigan and 38 in New York (under 50 is good), favoring New York.
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
Michigan
6
New York
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Michigan or New York better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Michigan on taxes ($7,812 a year for a median household against $12,349); Michigan on everyday costs (index 88 against 139); New York on safety (379 violent crimes per 100,000 against 445); New York on schools (ranked 12th against 38th).
Which is cheaper, Michigan or New York?
Michigan is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 139. The median home is $250K in Michigan and $470K in New York (2024). On state and local taxes Michigan saves a median household about $4,500 a year.
Does Michigan or New York have lower taxes?
Michigan. A household earning $74,580 pays about $7,812 a year in Michigan ($3,170 income tax, $3,300 property tax on the median home and $1,342 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, Michigan or New York?
New York, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 445 per 100,000 residents in Michigan and 379 in New York; property crime is 1,670 against 1,480.
Which has better schools, Michigan or New York?
New York. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Michigan 38th of 50 for K-12 and New York 12th.
Is Michigan or New York better for retirees?
New York is friendlier to retirees on paper. Michigan taxes Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; New York does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,300 a year in Michigan and $6,580 in New York.