State comparison
Pennsylvania vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Washington costs a median household about $680 a year less in state and local taxes than Pennsylvania, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 117 against 97).
Pennsylvania
Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
Wins 7 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 8 categories
Taxes: Pennsylvania vs Washington
Pennsylvania has a flat 3.07% income tax, which works out to 3.1% on a median income of $74,580, or $2,290 a year. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.43% of home value a year in Pennsylvania and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,861 against $4,788, so Washington has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.34% in Pennsylvania and 9.38% in Washington; Pennsylvania is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $7,569 a year in Pennsylvania, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Pennsylvania's cost of living index is 97 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Pennsylvania is about 21% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $270K in Pennsylvania and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $300K gap in Pennsylvania's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,350 a month in Pennsylvania and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $1,100 a year in Pennsylvania and $900 in Washington, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 305 incidents per 100,000 residents in Pennsylvania and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Pennsylvania is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 14% lower. Property crime is 1,394 per 100,000 in Pennsylvania against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring Pennsylvania.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.1 years in Pennsylvania and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.2-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Pennsylvania's health system 17th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
6.5% of Pennsylvania residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Washington. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Pennsylvania's K-12 schools 23rd in the country and Washington's 7th, 16 places apart in Washington's favor. Pennsylvania runs a school-choice voucher program; Washington does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Pennsylvania was a swing state decided by 2 points and Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is medical only in Pennsylvania and legal for adults in Washington as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Pennsylvania and $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Pennsylvania (blizzard, flood, nor-easter) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood), so Pennsylvania is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 47 in Pennsylvania 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
7
Pennsylvania
8
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Pennsylvania 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 $7,569); Pennsylvania on everyday costs (index 97 against 117); Pennsylvania on safety (305 violent crimes per 100,000 against 347); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 23rd).
Which is cheaper, Pennsylvania or Washington?
Pennsylvania is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 97 against 117. The median home is $270K in Pennsylvania and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $680 a year.
Does Pennsylvania or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. A household earning $74,580 pays about $7,569 a year in Pennsylvania ($2,290 income tax, $3,861 property tax on the median home and $1,419 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, Pennsylvania or Washington?
Pennsylvania, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 305 per 100,000 residents in Pennsylvania and 347 in Washington; property crime is 1,394 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, Pennsylvania or Washington?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Pennsylvania 23rd of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th. Pennsylvania also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Pennsylvania or Washington better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Pennsylvania does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an inheritance tax; Washington does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $3,861 a year in Pennsylvania and $4,788 in Washington.