State comparison
Oregon vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Washington costs a median household about $3,300 a year less in state and local taxes than Oregon, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 117 against 110).
Oregon
Moderate tax burden · COL index 110
Wins 8 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Oregon vs Washington
Oregon has a graduated income tax topping out at 9.9%, which works out to 8.3% on a median income of $74,580, or $6,207 a year. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.82% of home value a year in Oregon and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,936 against $4,788, so Oregon has the lower rate.
Oregon has no sales tax; combined state and local sales tax averages 9.38% in Washington.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $10,143 a year in Oregon, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Oregon's cost of living index is 110 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Oregon is about 6% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $480K in Oregon and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $90K gap in Oregon's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,700 a month in Oregon and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $800 a year in Oregon and $900 in Washington, so Oregon is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 302 incidents per 100,000 residents in Oregon and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Oregon is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 15% lower. Property crime is 3,078 per 100,000 in Oregon against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring Oregon.
Health
Life expectancy is 78 years in Oregon and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.3-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Oregon's health system 14th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
7.1% of Oregon 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 Oregon's K-12 schools 21st in the country and Washington's 7th, 14 places apart in Washington's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Oregon went to Harris by 14 points and Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
Oregon has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A-; Washington has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so Washington regulates guns more tightly and Oregon 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 $14.70 an hour in Oregon and $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Oregon (wildfire, earthquake, flood) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood). Annual average air quality index is 50 in Oregon and 40 in Washington (under 50 is good), favoring Washington.
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
8
Oregon
7
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Oregon or Washington better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Washington on taxes ($6,887 a year for a median household against $10,143); Oregon on everyday costs (index 110 against 117); Oregon on safety (302 violent crimes per 100,000 against 347); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 21st).
Which is cheaper, Oregon or Washington?
Oregon is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 110 against 117. The median home is $480K in Oregon and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $3,300 a year.
Does Oregon or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. A household earning $74,580 pays about $10,143 a year in Oregon ($6,207 income tax, $3,936 property tax on the median home and $0 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, Oregon or Washington?
Oregon, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 302 per 100,000 residents in Oregon and 347 in Washington; property crime is 3,078 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, Oregon or Washington?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Oregon 21st of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th.
Is Oregon or Washington better for retirees?
Washington is friendlier to retirees on paper. Oregon does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax; Washington does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,936 a year in Oregon and $4,788 in Washington.