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