State comparison
North Carolina vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
North Carolina and Washington cost a median household almost the same in state and local taxes, $6,887 a year against $6,887, so the choice comes down to housing, safety and schools.
North Carolina
Moderate tax burden · COL index 94
Wins 7 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 9 categories
Taxes: North Carolina vs Washington
North Carolina has a flat 4.5% income tax, which works out to 4.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $2,976 a year. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.70% of home value a year in North Carolina and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,345 against $4,788, so North Carolina has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.00% in North Carolina and 9.38% in Washington; North Carolina is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $6,887 a year in North Carolina, $6,887 in Washington. The bills are identical.
Housing and cost of living
North Carolina's cost of living index is 94 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; North Carolina is about 24% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $335K in North Carolina and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $235K gap in North Carolina's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,450 a month in North Carolina and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $1,900 a year in North Carolina and $900 in Washington, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 398 incidents per 100,000 residents in North Carolina and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Washington is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 15% lower. Property crime is 2,226 per 100,000 in North Carolina against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring North Carolina.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.7 years in North Carolina and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.6-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks North Carolina's health system 23rd of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
11.8% of North Carolina 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 North Carolina's K-12 schools 29th in the country and Washington's 7th, 22 places apart in Washington's favor. North Carolina runs a school-choice voucher program; Washington does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election North Carolina went to Trump by 3 points and Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
North Carolina has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of C+; Washington has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so Washington regulates guns more tightly and North Carolina is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is legal with limits in North Carolina and protected by state law in Washington, and marijuana is illegal in North Carolina and legal for adults in Washington as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in North Carolina and $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in North Carolina (hurricane, tornado, flood) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood). Annual average air quality index is 36 in North Carolina and 40 in Washington (under 50 is good), favoring North Carolina.
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
North Carolina
9
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is North Carolina or Washington better to live in?
Washington wins more of the measures that decide a move. North Carolina on everyday costs (index 94 against 117); Washington on safety (347 violent crimes per 100,000 against 398); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 29th).
Which is cheaper, North Carolina or Washington?
North Carolina is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 94 against 117. The median home is $335K in North Carolina and $570K in Washington (2024). State and local taxes come out the same for a median household.
Does North Carolina or Washington have lower taxes?
They are even. A household earning $74,580 pays about $6,887 a year in North Carolina ($2,976 income tax, $2,345 property tax on the median home and $1,566 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, North Carolina or Washington?
Washington, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 398 per 100,000 residents in North Carolina and 347 in Washington; property crime is 2,226 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, North Carolina or Washington?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks North Carolina 29th of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th. North Carolina also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is North Carolina or Washington better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. North Carolina does not tax Social Security, partly 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 $2,345 a year in North Carolina and $4,788 in Washington.