State comparison
New Hampshire vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Washington costs a median household about $1,300 a year less in state and local taxes than New Hampshire, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $4,788 a year against $8,184 in New Hampshire, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 117 against 114).
New Hampshire
Low tax burden · COL index 114
Wins 11 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 3 categories
Taxes: New Hampshire vs Washington
Neither New Hampshire nor Washington 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 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $8,184 against $4,788, so Washington has the lower rate.
New Hampshire has no sales tax; combined state and local sales tax averages 9.38% in Washington.
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, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
New Hampshire's cost of living index is 114 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; New Hampshire is about 3% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $440K in New Hampshire and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $130K gap in New Hampshire's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,750 a month in New Hampshire and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $950 a year in New Hampshire and $900 in Washington, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 167 incidents per 100,000 residents in New Hampshire and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New Hampshire is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 108% lower. Property crime is 1,150 per 100,000 in New Hampshire against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring New Hampshire.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.7 years in New Hampshire and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.4-year edge for New Hampshire. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks New Hampshire's health system 6th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so New Hampshire scores better on care.
6.3% of New Hampshire residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Washington, 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 Washington's 7th, 2 places apart in New Hampshire's favor. New Hampshire runs a school-choice voucher program; Washington does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election New Hampshire was a swing state decided by 2 points and Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
New Hampshire has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Washington has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so Washington 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 Washington, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in New Hampshire and $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is low in New Hampshire (blizzard, flood) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood), so New Hampshire is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 27 in New Hampshire and 40 in Washington (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
11
New Hampshire
3
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is New Hampshire or Washington better to live in?
New Hampshire wins more of the measures that decide a move. Washington on taxes ($6,887 a year for a median household against $8,184); New Hampshire on everyday costs (index 114 against 117); New Hampshire on safety (167 violent crimes per 100,000 against 347); New Hampshire on schools (ranked 5th against 7th).
Which is cheaper, New Hampshire or Washington?
New Hampshire is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 114 against 117. The median home is $440K in New Hampshire and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $1,300 a year.
Does New Hampshire or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. 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 $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, New Hampshire or Washington?
New Hampshire, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 167 per 100,000 residents in New Hampshire and 347 in Washington; property crime is 1,150 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, New Hampshire or Washington?
New Hampshire. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks New Hampshire 5th of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th. New Hampshire also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is New Hampshire or Washington better for retirees?
New Hampshire is friendlier to retirees on paper. New Hampshire 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 $8,184 a year in New Hampshire and $4,788 in Washington.