State comparison
Ohio vs Arizona: which state is better to live in?
Arizona costs a median household about $290 a year less in state and local taxes than Ohio, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,142 a year against $3,220 in Ohio, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 102 against 88).
Ohio
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 11 categories
Arizona
Moderate tax burden · COL index 102
Wins 3 categories
Taxes: Ohio vs Arizona
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. Arizona has a flat 2.5% income tax, which works out to 2.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $1,865 a year. Ohio wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.37% of home value a year in Ohio and 0.51% in Arizona (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,220 against $2,142, so Arizona has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.22% in Ohio and 8.37% in Arizona; Ohio is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $6,169 a year in Ohio, $5,879 in Arizona. Arizona is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Ohio's cost of living index is 88 and Arizona's is 102, where 100 is the national average; Ohio is about 16% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $235K in Ohio and $420K in Arizona (Zillow, 2024), a $185K gap in Ohio's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050 a month in Ohio and $1,600 in Arizona.
Home insurance averages $1,200 a year in Ohio and $1,850 in Arizona, so Ohio is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 303 incidents per 100,000 residents in Ohio and 474 in Arizona (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Ohio is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 56% lower. Property crime is 2,081 per 100,000 in Ohio against 2,624 in Arizona, again favoring Ohio.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.4 years in Ohio and 76.3 in Arizona (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.9-year edge for Arizona. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Ohio's health system 22nd of 50 and Arizona's 34th, so Ohio scores better on care.
6.9% of Ohio residents have no health insurance against 10.8% in Arizona, which favors Ohio. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Ohio's K-12 schools 28th in the country and Arizona's 45th, 17 places apart in Ohio's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Ohio went to Trump by 12 points and Arizona went to Trump by 5 points.
Ohio has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Arizona has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is protected by state law in Ohio and banned with narrow exceptions in Arizona, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $10.45 an hour in Ohio and $14.35 in Arizona.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Ohio (tornado, flood, blizzard) and moderate in Arizona (wildfire, extreme-heat, drought). Annual average air quality index is 45 in Ohio and 46 in Arizona (under 50 is good), favoring Ohio.
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
11
Ohio
3
Arizona
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Ohio or Arizona better to live in?
Ohio wins more of the measures that decide a move. Arizona on taxes ($5,879 a year for a median household against $6,169); Ohio on everyday costs (index 88 against 102); Ohio on safety (303 violent crimes per 100,000 against 474); Ohio on schools (ranked 28th against 45th).
Which is cheaper, Ohio or Arizona?
Ohio is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 102. The median home is $235K in Ohio and $420K in Arizona (2024). On state and local taxes Arizona saves a median household about $290 a year.
Does Ohio or Arizona have lower taxes?
Arizona. A household earning $74,580 pays about $6,169 a year in Ohio ($1,335 income tax, $3,220 property tax on the median home and $1,615 in sales tax) and $5,879 in Arizona ($1,865 income tax, $2,142 property tax on the median home and $1,873 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Ohio or Arizona?
Ohio, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 303 per 100,000 residents in Ohio and 474 in Arizona; property crime is 2,081 against 2,624.
Which has better schools, Ohio or Arizona?
Ohio. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Ohio 28th of 50 for K-12 and Arizona 45th.
Is Ohio or Arizona better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Ohio does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Arizona does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,220 a year in Ohio and $2,142 in Arizona.