State comparison
Nevada vs Tennessee: which state is better to live in?
Tennessee costs a median household about $330 a year less in state and local taxes than Nevada, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $1,575 a year against $2,200 in Nevada.
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 5 categories
Tennessee
Low tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Nevada vs Tennessee
Neither Nevada nor Tennessee 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 0.45% in Tennessee (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,200 against $1,575, so Tennessee has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.23% in Nevada and 9.55% in Tennessee; 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, $3,712 in Tennessee. Tennessee is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Nevada's cost of living index is 101 and Tennessee's is 92, where 100 is the national average; Tennessee is about 10% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Nevada and $350K in Tennessee (Zillow, 2024), a $65K gap in Tennessee's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,550 a month in Nevada and $1,400 in Tennessee.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Nevada and $2,000 in Tennessee, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 595 incidents per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 668 in Tennessee (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Nevada is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 12% lower. Property crime is 2,634 per 100,000 in Nevada against 2,752 in Tennessee, again favoring Nevada.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.5 years in Nevada and 74.2 in Tennessee (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.3-year edge for Nevada. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Nevada's health system 35th of 50 and Tennessee's 39th, so Nevada scores better on care.
10.6% of Nevada residents have no health insurance against 10.4% in Tennessee, which favors Tennessee. Nevada expanded Medicaid and Tennessee did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Nevada's K-12 schools 48th in the country and Tennessee's 41st, 7 places apart in Tennessee'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 Tennessee went to Trump by 24 points.
Nevada has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of C+; Tennessee has permitless carry and a grade of F, so Nevada regulates guns more tightly and Tennessee is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in Nevada and banned with narrow exceptions in Tennessee, and marijuana is legal for adults in Nevada and illegal in Tennessee as of 2026. The minimum wage is $12.00 an hour in Nevada and $7.25 in Tennessee.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat) and moderate in Tennessee (tornado, flood, ice-storm). Annual average air quality index is 40 in Nevada and 36 in Tennessee (under 50 is good), favoring Tennessee.
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
5
Nevada
7
Tennessee
Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.
Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Nevada or Tennessee better to live in?
Tennessee wins more of the measures that decide a move. Tennessee on taxes ($3,712 a year for a median household against $4,041); Tennessee on everyday costs (index 92 against 101); Nevada on safety (595 violent crimes per 100,000 against 668); Tennessee on schools (ranked 41st against 48th).
Which is cheaper, Nevada or Tennessee?
Tennessee is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 92 against 101. The median home is $415K in Nevada and $350K in Tennessee (2024). On state and local taxes Tennessee saves a median household about $330 a year.
Does Nevada or Tennessee have lower taxes?
Tennessee. 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 $3,712 in Tennessee ($0 income tax, $1,575 property tax on the median home and $2,137 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Nevada or Tennessee?
Nevada, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 595 per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 668 in Tennessee; property crime is 2,634 against 2,752.
Which has better schools, Nevada or Tennessee?
Tennessee. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Nevada 48th of 50 for K-12 and Tennessee 41st.
Is Nevada or Tennessee 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; Tennessee 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 $1,575 in Tennessee.