State comparison
Michigan vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Washington costs a median household about $930 a year less in state and local taxes than Michigan, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 117 against 88).
Michigan
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 7 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 10 categories
Taxes: Michigan vs Washington
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. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.32% of home value a year in Michigan and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,300 against $4,788, so Washington has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.00% in Michigan and 9.38% in Washington; 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, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Michigan's cost of living index is 88 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Michigan is about 33% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $250K in Michigan and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $320K gap in Michigan's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,150 a month in Michigan and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $1,100 a year in Michigan and $900 in Washington, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 445 incidents per 100,000 residents in Michigan and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Washington is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 28% lower. Property crime is 1,670 per 100,000 in Michigan against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring Michigan.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.7 years in Michigan and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.6-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Michigan's health system 25th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
5.9% of Michigan residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Washington, which favors Michigan. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Michigan's K-12 schools 38th in the country and Washington's 7th, 31 places apart in Washington'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 Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
Michigan has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of C+; Washington has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so Washington 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 $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Michigan (blizzard, flood, tornado) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood), so Michigan is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 42 in Michigan 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
7
Michigan
10
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Michigan or Washington better to live in?
Washington wins more of the measures that decide a move. Washington on taxes ($6,887 a year for a median household against $7,812); Michigan on everyday costs (index 88 against 117); Washington on safety (347 violent crimes per 100,000 against 445); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 38th).
Which is cheaper, Michigan or Washington?
Michigan is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 117. The median home is $250K in Michigan and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $930 a year.
Does Michigan or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. 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 $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, Michigan or Washington?
Washington, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 445 per 100,000 residents in Michigan and 347 in Washington; property crime is 1,670 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, Michigan or Washington?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Michigan 38th of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th.
Is Michigan or Washington better for retirees?
Washington is friendlier to retirees on paper. Michigan taxes 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 $3,300 a year in Michigan and $4,788 in Washington.