State comparison
Nevada vs New Hampshire: which state is better to live in?
Nevada costs a median household about $4,100 a year less in state and local taxes than New Hampshire, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,200 a year against $8,184 in New Hampshire.
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 7 categories
New Hampshire
Low tax burden · COL index 114
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Nevada vs New Hampshire
Neither Nevada nor New Hampshire has a state income tax, so wages are untouched at the state level in both.
Property tax is 0.53% of home value a year in Nevada and 1.86% in New Hampshire (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,200 against $8,184, so Nevada has the lower rate.
New Hampshire has no sales tax; combined state and local sales tax averages 8.23% in Nevada.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $4,041 a year in Nevada, $8,184 in New Hampshire. Nevada is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Nevada's cost of living index is 101 and New Hampshire's is 114, where 100 is the national average; Nevada is about 13% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Nevada and $440K in New Hampshire (Zillow, 2024), a $25K gap in Nevada's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,550 a month in Nevada and $1,750 in New Hampshire.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Nevada and $950 in New Hampshire, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 595 incidents per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 167 in New Hampshire (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New Hampshire is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 256% lower. Property crime is 2,634 per 100,000 in Nevada against 1,150 in New Hampshire, again favoring New Hampshire.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.5 years in Nevada and 79.7 in New Hampshire (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 4.2-year edge for New Hampshire. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Nevada's health system 35th of 50 and New Hampshire's 6th, so New Hampshire scores better on care.
10.6% of Nevada residents have no health insurance against 6.3% in New Hampshire, which favors New Hampshire. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Nevada's K-12 schools 48th in the country and New Hampshire's 5th, 43 places apart in New Hampshire's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Nevada went to Trump by 3 points and New Hampshire was a swing state decided by 2 points.
Nevada has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of C+; New Hampshire has permitless carry and a grade of F, so Nevada regulates guns more tightly and New Hampshire is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in Nevada and legal with limits in New Hampshire, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $12.00 an hour in Nevada and $7.25 in New Hampshire.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat) and low in New Hampshire (blizzard, flood), so New Hampshire is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 40 in Nevada and 27 in New Hampshire (under 50 is good), favoring New Hampshire.
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
Nevada
6
New Hampshire
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Nevada or New Hampshire better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Nevada on taxes ($4,041 a year for a median household against $8,184); Nevada on everyday costs (index 101 against 114); New Hampshire on safety (167 violent crimes per 100,000 against 595); New Hampshire on schools (ranked 5th against 48th).
Which is cheaper, Nevada or New Hampshire?
Nevada is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 101 against 114. The median home is $415K in Nevada and $440K in New Hampshire (2024). On state and local taxes Nevada saves a median household about $4,100 a year.
Does Nevada or New Hampshire have lower taxes?
Nevada. A household earning $74,580 pays about $4,041 a year in Nevada ($0 income tax, $2,200 property tax on the median home and $1,841 in sales tax) and $8,184 in New Hampshire ($0 income tax, $8,184 property tax on the median home and $0 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Nevada or New Hampshire?
New Hampshire, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 595 per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 167 in New Hampshire; property crime is 2,634 against 1,150.
Which has better schools, Nevada or New Hampshire?
New Hampshire. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Nevada 48th of 50 for K-12 and New Hampshire 5th.
Is Nevada or New Hampshire better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Nevada does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; New Hampshire does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,200 a year in Nevada and $8,184 in New Hampshire.