State comparison
Nevada vs Texas: which state is better to live in?
Nevada costs a median household about $3,200 a year less in state and local taxes than Texas, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,200 a year against $5,440 in Texas, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 101 against 97).
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 6 categories
Texas
Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Nevada vs Texas
Neither Nevada nor Texas 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 1.60% in Texas (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,200 against $5,440, so Nevada has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.23% in Nevada and 8.19% in Texas; Texas 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, $7,272 in Texas. Nevada is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Nevada's cost of living index is 101 and Texas's is 97, where 100 is the national average; Texas is about 4% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Nevada and $340K in Texas (Zillow, 2024), a $75K gap in Texas's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,550 a month in Nevada and $1,600 in Texas.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Nevada and $3,200 in Texas, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 595 incidents per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 447 in Texas (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Texas is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 33% lower. Property crime is 2,634 per 100,000 in Nevada against 2,478 in Texas, again favoring Texas.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.5 years in Nevada and 76.3 in Texas (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.8-year edge for Texas. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Nevada's health system 35th of 50 and Texas's 36th, so Nevada scores better on care.
10.6% of Nevada residents have no health insurance against 18.4% in Texas, which favors Nevada. Nevada expanded Medicaid and Texas did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Nevada's K-12 schools 48th in the country and Texas's 36th, 12 places apart in Texas'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 Texas went to Trump by 14 points.
Nevada has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of C+; Texas has permitless carry and a grade of F, so Nevada regulates guns more tightly and Texas is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in Nevada and banned with narrow exceptions in Texas, and marijuana is legal for adults in Nevada and medical only in Texas as of 2026. The minimum wage is $12.00 an hour in Nevada and $7.25 in Texas.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat) and very high in Texas (hurricane, tornado, flood), so Nevada is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 40 in Nevada and 43 in Texas (under 50 is good), favoring Nevada.
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
6
Nevada
7
Texas
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Nevada or Texas better to live in?
Texas wins more of the measures that decide a move. Nevada on taxes ($4,041 a year for a median household against $7,272); Texas on everyday costs (index 97 against 101); Texas on safety (447 violent crimes per 100,000 against 595); Texas on schools (ranked 36th against 48th).
Which is cheaper, Nevada or Texas?
Texas is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 97 against 101. The median home is $415K in Nevada and $340K in Texas (2024). On state and local taxes Nevada saves a median household about $3,200 a year.
Does Nevada or Texas 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 $7,272 in Texas ($0 income tax, $5,440 property tax on the median home and $1,832 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Nevada or Texas?
Texas, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 595 per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 447 in Texas; property crime is 2,634 against 2,478.
Which has better schools, Nevada or Texas?
Texas. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Nevada 48th of 50 for K-12 and Texas 36th.
Is Nevada or Texas 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; Texas 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 $5,440 in Texas.