State comparison
Ohio vs Nevada: which state is better to live in?
Nevada costs a median household about $2,100 a year less in state and local taxes than Ohio, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 101 against 88).
Ohio
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 9 categories
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Ohio vs Nevada
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. Nevada has no state income tax. Nevada wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.37% of home value a year in Ohio and 0.53% in Nevada (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,220 against $2,200, so Nevada has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.22% in Ohio and 8.23% in Nevada; 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, $4,041 in Nevada. Nevada is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Ohio's cost of living index is 88 and Nevada's is 101, where 100 is the national average; Ohio is about 15% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $235K in Ohio and $415K in Nevada (Zillow, 2024), a $180K gap in Ohio's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050 a month in Ohio and $1,550 in Nevada.
Home insurance averages $1,200 a year in Ohio and $800 in Nevada, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 303 incidents per 100,000 residents in Ohio and 595 in Nevada (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Ohio is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 96% lower. Property crime is 2,081 per 100,000 in Ohio against 2,634 in Nevada, again favoring Ohio.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.4 years in Ohio and 75.5 in Nevada (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.1-year edge for Nevada. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Ohio's health system 22nd of 50 and Nevada's 35th, so Ohio scores better on care.
6.9% of Ohio residents have no health insurance against 10.6% in Nevada, 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 Nevada's 48th, 20 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 Nevada went to Trump by 3 points.
Ohio has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Nevada has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of C+, so Nevada 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 $10.45 an hour in Ohio and $12.00 in Nevada.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Ohio (tornado, flood, blizzard) and moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat). Annual average air quality index is 45 in Ohio and 40 in Nevada (under 50 is good), favoring Nevada.
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
9
Ohio
6
Nevada
Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.
Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Ohio or Nevada better to live in?
Ohio wins more of the measures that decide a move. Nevada on taxes ($4,041 a year for a median household against $6,169); Ohio on everyday costs (index 88 against 101); Ohio on safety (303 violent crimes per 100,000 against 595); Ohio on schools (ranked 28th against 48th).
Which is cheaper, Ohio or Nevada?
Ohio is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 101. The median home is $235K in Ohio and $415K in Nevada (2024). On state and local taxes Nevada saves a median household about $2,100 a year.
Does Ohio or Nevada have lower taxes?
Nevada. 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 $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, Ohio or Nevada?
Ohio, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 303 per 100,000 residents in Ohio and 595 in Nevada; property crime is 2,081 against 2,634.
Which has better schools, Ohio or Nevada?
Ohio. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Ohio 28th of 50 for K-12 and Nevada 48th.
Is Ohio or Nevada better for retirees?
Nevada is friendlier to retirees on paper. Ohio does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Nevada does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,220 a year in Ohio and $2,200 in Nevada.