State comparison
New Jersey vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Washington costs a median household about $7,900 a year less in state and local taxes than New Jersey, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $4,788 a year against $10,650 in New Jersey.
New Jersey
High tax burden · COL index 121
Wins 6 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 10 categories
Taxes: New Jersey vs Washington
New Jersey has a graduated income tax topping out at 10.75%, which works out to 3.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $2,628 a year. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 2.13% of home value a year in New Jersey and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $10,650 against $4,788, so Washington has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.60% in New Jersey and 9.38% in Washington; New Jersey is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $14,755 a year in New Jersey, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
New Jersey's cost of living index is 121 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Washington is about 3% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $500K in New Jersey and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $70K gap in New Jersey's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,200 a month in New Jersey and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $1,400 a year in New Jersey and $900 in Washington, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 213 incidents per 100,000 residents in New Jersey and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New Jersey is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 63% lower. Property crime is 1,368 per 100,000 in New Jersey against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring New Jersey.
Health
Life expectancy is 79 years in New Jersey and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.3-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks New Jersey's health system 19th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
6.8% of New Jersey 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 New Jersey's K-12 schools 2nd in the country and Washington's 7th, 5 places apart in New Jersey's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election New Jersey went to Harris by 6 points and Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
New Jersey has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Washington has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of A.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $15.13 an hour in New Jersey and $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in New Jersey (hurricane, flood, nor-easter) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood), so New Jersey is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 35 in New Jersey and 40 in Washington (under 50 is good), favoring New Jersey.
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 Jersey
10
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is New Jersey or Washington better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Washington on taxes ($6,887 a year for a median household against $14,755); Washington on everyday costs (index 117 against 121); New Jersey on safety (213 violent crimes per 100,000 against 347); New Jersey on schools (ranked 2nd against 7th).
Which is cheaper, New Jersey or Washington?
Washington is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 117 against 121. The median home is $500K in New Jersey and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $7,900 a year.
Does New Jersey or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. A household earning $74,580 pays about $14,755 a year in New Jersey ($2,628 income tax, $10,650 property tax on the median home and $1,477 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 Jersey or Washington?
New Jersey, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 213 per 100,000 residents in New Jersey and 347 in Washington; property crime is 1,368 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, New Jersey or Washington?
New Jersey. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks New Jersey 2nd of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th.
Is New Jersey or Washington better for retirees?
Washington is friendlier to retirees on paper. New Jersey does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an inheritance tax; Washington does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $10,650 a year in New Jersey and $4,788 in Washington.