State comparison
Nevada vs New York: which state is better to live in?
Nevada costs a median household about $8,300 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,200 a year against $6,580 in New York.
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 11 categories
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 5 categories
Taxes: Nevada vs New York
Nevada has no state income tax. 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. Nevada wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.53% of home value a year in Nevada and 1.40% in New York (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,200 against $6,580, so Nevada has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.23% in Nevada and 8.52% in New York; Nevada is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $4,041 a year in Nevada, $12,349 in New York. Nevada is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Nevada's cost of living index is 101 and New York's is 139, where 100 is the national average; Nevada is about 38% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Nevada and $470K in New York (Zillow, 2024), a $55K gap in Nevada's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,550 a month in Nevada and $2,200 in New York.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Nevada and $1,800 in New York, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 595 incidents per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 379 in New York (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New York is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 57% lower. Property crime is 2,634 per 100,000 in Nevada against 1,480 in New York, again favoring New York.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.5 years in Nevada and 79.3 in New York (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.8-year edge for New York. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Nevada's health system 35th of 50 and New York's 15th, so New York scores better on care.
10.6% of Nevada 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 Nevada's K-12 schools 48th in the country and New York's 12th, 36 places apart in New York's favor. Nevada runs a school-choice voucher program; New York does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Nevada went to Trump by 3 points and New York went to Harris by 12 points.
Nevada 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 Nevada 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 $12.00 an hour in Nevada and $16.00 in New York.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat) and moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter). Annual average air quality index is 40 in Nevada 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
11
Nevada
5
New York
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Nevada or New York better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Nevada on taxes ($4,041 a year for a median household against $12,349); Nevada on everyday costs (index 101 against 139); New York on safety (379 violent crimes per 100,000 against 595); New York on schools (ranked 12th against 48th).
Which is cheaper, Nevada or New York?
Nevada is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 101 against 139. The median home is $415K in Nevada and $470K in New York (2024). On state and local taxes Nevada saves a median household about $8,300 a year.
Does Nevada or New York 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 $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, Nevada or New York?
New York, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 595 per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 379 in New York; property crime is 2,634 against 1,480.
Which has better schools, Nevada or New York?
New York. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Nevada 48th of 50 for K-12 and New York 12th. Nevada also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Nevada or New York better for retirees?
Nevada is friendlier to retirees on paper. Nevada does not tax Social Security, 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 $2,200 a year in Nevada and $6,580 in New York.