State comparison
New York vs Texas: which state is better to live in?
Texas costs a median household about $5,100 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because it has no income tax.
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 7 categories
Texas
Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
Wins 9 categories
Taxes: New York vs Texas
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. Texas has no state income tax. Texas wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.40% of home value a year in New York and 1.60% in Texas (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $6,580 against $5,440, so New York has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.52% in New York and 8.19% in Texas; Texas 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, $7,272 in Texas. Texas is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
New York's cost of living index is 139 and Texas's is 97, where 100 is the national average; Texas is about 43% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $470K in New York and $340K in Texas (Zillow, 2024), a $130K gap in Texas's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,200 a month in New York and $1,600 in Texas.
Home insurance averages $1,800 a year in New York and $3,200 in Texas, so New York is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 379 incidents per 100,000 residents in New York and 447 in Texas (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New York is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 18% lower. Property crime is 1,480 per 100,000 in New York against 2,478 in Texas, again favoring New York.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.3 years in New York and 76.3 in Texas (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.0-year edge for New York. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks New York's health system 15th of 50 and Texas's 36th, so New York scores better on care.
5.4% of New York residents have no health insurance against 18.4% in Texas, which favors New York. New York expanded Medicaid and Texas did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks New York's K-12 schools 12th in the country and Texas's 36th, 24 places apart in New York's favor. Texas 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 Texas went to Trump by 14 points.
New York has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Texas has permitless carry and a grade of F, so New York regulates guns more tightly and Texas is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in New York and banned with narrow exceptions in Texas, and marijuana is legal for adults in New York and medical only in Texas as of 2026. The minimum wage is $16.00 an hour in New York and $7.25 in Texas.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter) and very high in Texas (hurricane, tornado, flood), so New York is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 38 in New York and 43 in Texas (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
7
New York
9
Texas
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is New York or Texas better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Texas on taxes ($7,272 a year for a median household against $12,349); Texas on everyday costs (index 97 against 139); New York on safety (379 violent crimes per 100,000 against 447); New York on schools (ranked 12th against 36th).
Which is cheaper, New York or Texas?
Texas is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 97 against 139. The median home is $470K in New York and $340K in Texas (2024). On state and local taxes Texas saves a median household about $5,100 a year.
Does New York or Texas have lower taxes?
Texas. 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 $7,272 in Texas ($0 income tax, $5,440 property tax on the median home and $1,832 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, New York or Texas?
New York, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 379 per 100,000 residents in New York and 447 in Texas; property crime is 1,480 against 2,478.
Which has better schools, New York or Texas?
New York. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks New York 12th of 50 for K-12 and Texas 36th. Texas also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is New York or Texas better for retirees?
Texas is friendlier to retirees on paper. New York does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax; Texas 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 $5,440 in Texas.