State comparison
Nevada vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Nevada costs a median household about $2,800 a year less in state and local taxes than Washington, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,200 a year against $4,788 in Washington.
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 8 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Nevada vs Washington
Neither Nevada nor Washington 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 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,200 against $4,788, so Nevada has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.23% in Nevada and 9.38% in Washington; 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, $6,887 in Washington. Nevada is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Nevada's cost of living index is 101 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Nevada is about 16% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $415K in Nevada and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $155K gap in Nevada's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,550 a month in Nevada and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Nevada and $900 in Washington, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 595 incidents per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Washington is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 71% lower. Property crime is 2,634 per 100,000 in Nevada against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring Nevada.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.5 years in Nevada and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.8-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Nevada's health system 35th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
10.6% of Nevada residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Washington, which favors Washington. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Nevada's K-12 schools 48th in the country and Washington's 7th, 41 places apart in Washington's favor. Nevada runs a school-choice voucher program; Washington does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Nevada went to Trump by 3 points and Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
Nevada 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 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 $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood), so Nevada is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 40 in Nevada and 40 in Washington (under 50 is good).
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
8
Nevada
6
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Nevada or Washington better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Nevada on taxes ($4,041 a year for a median household against $6,887); Nevada on everyday costs (index 101 against 117); Washington on safety (347 violent crimes per 100,000 against 595); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 48th).
Which is cheaper, Nevada or Washington?
Nevada is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 101 against 117. The median home is $415K in Nevada and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Nevada saves a median household about $2,800 a year.
Does Nevada or Washington 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 $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, Nevada or Washington?
Washington, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 595 per 100,000 residents in Nevada and 347 in Washington; property crime is 2,634 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, Nevada or Washington?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Nevada 48th of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th. Nevada also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Nevada or Washington 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; Washington 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 $4,788 in Washington.