State comparison
New York vs Ohio: which state is better to live in?
Ohio costs a median household about $6,200 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $3,220 a year against $6,580 in New York.
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 4 categories
Ohio
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 11 categories
Taxes: New York vs Ohio
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. Ohio has a graduated income tax topping out at 3.5%, which works out to 1.8% on a median income of $74,580, or $1,335 a year. Ohio wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.40% of home value a year in New York and 1.37% in Ohio (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $6,580 against $3,220, so Ohio has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.52% in New York and 7.22% in Ohio; Ohio 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, $6,169 in Ohio. Ohio is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
New York's cost of living index is 139 and Ohio's is 88, where 100 is the national average; Ohio is about 58% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $470K in New York and $235K in Ohio (Zillow, 2024), a $235K gap in Ohio's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,200 a month in New York and $1,050 in Ohio.
Home insurance averages $1,800 a year in New York and $1,200 in Ohio, so Ohio is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 379 incidents per 100,000 residents in New York and 303 in Ohio (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Ohio is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 25% lower. Property crime is 1,480 per 100,000 in New York against 2,081 in Ohio, again favoring New York.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.3 years in New York and 75.4 in Ohio (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.9-year edge for New York. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks New York's health system 15th of 50 and Ohio's 22nd, so New York scores better on care.
5.4% of New York residents have no health insurance against 6.9% in Ohio, 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 Ohio's 28th, 16 places apart in New York's favor. Ohio 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 Ohio went to Trump by 12 points.
New York has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Ohio has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of F, so New York regulates guns more tightly and Ohio 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 $10.45 in Ohio.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter) and moderate in Ohio (tornado, flood, blizzard). Annual average air quality index is 38 in New York and 45 in Ohio (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
4
New York
11
Ohio
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is New York or Ohio better to live in?
Ohio wins more of the measures that decide a move. Ohio on taxes ($6,169 a year for a median household against $12,349); Ohio on everyday costs (index 88 against 139); Ohio on safety (303 violent crimes per 100,000 against 379); New York on schools (ranked 12th against 28th).
Which is cheaper, New York or Ohio?
Ohio is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 139. The median home is $470K in New York and $235K in Ohio (2024). On state and local taxes Ohio saves a median household about $6,200 a year.
Does New York or Ohio have lower taxes?
Ohio. 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 $6,169 in Ohio ($1,335 income tax, $3,220 property tax on the median home and $1,615 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, New York or Ohio?
Ohio, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 379 per 100,000 residents in New York and 303 in Ohio; property crime is 1,480 against 2,081.
Which has better schools, New York or Ohio?
New York. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks New York 12th of 50 for K-12 and Ohio 28th. Ohio also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is New York or Ohio better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. New York does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax; Ohio does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $6,580 a year in New York and $3,220 in Ohio.