State comparison
New York vs Nevada: which state is better to live in?
Nevada costs a median household about $8,300 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,200 a year against $6,580 in New York.
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 5 categories
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 11 categories
Taxes: New York vs Nevada
New York has a graduated income tax topping out at 10.9%, which works out to 5.2% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,862 a year. Nevada has no state income tax. Nevada wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.40% of home value a year in New York and 0.53% in Nevada (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $6,580 against $2,200, so Nevada has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.52% in New York and 8.23% in Nevada; Nevada is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $12,349 a year in New York, $4,041 in Nevada. Nevada is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
New York's cost of living index is 139 and Nevada's is 101, where 100 is the national average; Nevada is about 38% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $470K in New York and $415K in Nevada (Zillow, 2024), a $55K gap in Nevada's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,200 a month in New York and $1,550 in Nevada.
Home insurance averages $1,800 a year in New York and $800 in Nevada, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 379 incidents per 100,000 residents in New York and 595 in Nevada (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New York is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 57% lower. Property crime is 1,480 per 100,000 in New York against 2,634 in Nevada, again favoring New York.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.3 years in New York and 75.5 in Nevada (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.8-year edge for New York. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks New York's health system 15th of 50 and Nevada's 35th, so New York scores better on care.
5.4% of New York residents have no health insurance against 10.6% in Nevada, which favors New York. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks New York's K-12 schools 12th in the country and Nevada's 48th, 36 places apart in New York's favor. Nevada runs a school-choice voucher program; New York does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election New York went to Harris by 12 points and Nevada went to Trump by 3 points.
New York has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Nevada has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of C+, so New York 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 $16.00 an hour in New York and $12.00 in Nevada.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter) and moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat). Annual average air quality index is 38 in New York and 40 in Nevada (under 50 is good), favoring New York.
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
5
New York
11
Nevada
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is New York 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 $12,349); Nevada on everyday costs (index 101 against 139); New York on safety (379 violent crimes per 100,000 against 595); New York on schools (ranked 12th against 48th).
Which is cheaper, New York or Nevada?
Nevada is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 101 against 139. The median home is $470K in New York and $415K in Nevada (2024). On state and local taxes Nevada saves a median household about $8,300 a year.
Does New York or Nevada have lower taxes?
Nevada. A household earning $74,580 pays about $12,349 a year in New York ($3,862 income tax, $6,580 property tax on the median home and $1,906 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 York or Nevada?
New York, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 379 per 100,000 residents in New York and 595 in Nevada; property crime is 1,480 against 2,634.
Which has better schools, New York or Nevada?
New York. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks New York 12th of 50 for K-12 and Nevada 48th. Nevada also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is New York or Nevada better for retirees?
Nevada is friendlier to retirees on paper. New York does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax; Nevada does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $6,580 a year in New York and $2,200 in Nevada.