State comparison
Ohio vs Texas: which state is better to live in?
Ohio costs a median household about $1,100 a year less in state and local taxes than Texas, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $3,220 a year against $5,440 in Texas.
Ohio
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 11 categories
Texas
Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
Wins 4 categories
Taxes: Ohio vs Texas
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. Texas has no state income tax. Texas wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.37% of home value a year in Ohio and 1.60% in Texas (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,220 against $5,440, so Ohio has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.22% in Ohio and 8.19% in Texas; 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, $7,272 in Texas. Ohio is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Ohio's cost of living index is 88 and Texas's is 97, where 100 is the national average; Ohio is about 10% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $235K in Ohio and $340K in Texas (Zillow, 2024), a $105K gap in Ohio's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050 a month in Ohio and $1,600 in Texas.
Home insurance averages $1,200 a year in Ohio and $3,200 in Texas, so Ohio is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 303 incidents per 100,000 residents in Ohio and 447 in Texas (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Ohio is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 48% lower. Property crime is 2,081 per 100,000 in Ohio against 2,478 in Texas, again favoring Ohio.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.4 years in Ohio and 76.3 in Texas (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.9-year edge for Texas. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Ohio's health system 22nd of 50 and Texas's 36th, so Ohio scores better on care.
6.9% of Ohio residents have no health insurance against 18.4% in Texas, which favors Ohio. Ohio expanded Medicaid and Texas did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Ohio's K-12 schools 28th in the country and Texas's 36th, 8 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 Texas went to Trump by 14 points.
Ohio has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Texas has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is protected by state law in Ohio and banned with narrow exceptions in Texas, and marijuana is legal for adults in Ohio and medical only in Texas as of 2026. The minimum wage is $10.45 an hour in Ohio and $7.25 in Texas.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Ohio (tornado, flood, blizzard) and very high in Texas (hurricane, tornado, flood), so Ohio is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 45 in Ohio and 43 in Texas (under 50 is good), favoring Texas.
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
4
Texas
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Ohio or Texas 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 $7,272); Ohio on everyday costs (index 88 against 97); Ohio on safety (303 violent crimes per 100,000 against 447); Ohio on schools (ranked 28th against 36th).
Which is cheaper, Ohio or Texas?
Ohio is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 97. The median home is $235K in Ohio and $340K in Texas (2024). On state and local taxes Ohio saves a median household about $1,100 a year.
Does Ohio or Texas have lower taxes?
Ohio. 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 $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, Ohio or Texas?
Ohio, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 303 per 100,000 residents in Ohio and 447 in Texas; property crime is 2,081 against 2,478.
Which has better schools, Ohio or Texas?
Ohio. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Ohio 28th of 50 for K-12 and Texas 36th.
Is Ohio or Texas better for retirees?
Texas is friendlier to retirees on paper. Ohio does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Texas 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 $5,440 in Texas.