State comparison
Tennessee vs Texas: which state is better to live in?
Tennessee costs a median household about $3,600 a year less in state and local taxes than Texas, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $1,575 a year against $5,440 in Texas.
Tennessee
Low tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 7 categories
Texas
Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Tennessee vs Texas
Neither Tennessee nor Texas has a state income tax, so wages are untouched at the state level in both.
Property tax is 0.45% of home value a year in Tennessee and 1.60% in Texas (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $1,575 against $5,440, so Tennessee has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 9.55% in Tennessee and 8.19% in Texas; Texas is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $3,712 a year in Tennessee, $7,272 in Texas. Tennessee is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Tennessee's cost of living index is 92 and Texas's is 97, where 100 is the national average; Tennessee is about 5% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $350K in Tennessee and $340K in Texas (Zillow, 2024), a $10K gap in Texas's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,400 a month in Tennessee and $1,600 in Texas.
Home insurance averages $2,000 a year in Tennessee and $3,200 in Texas, so Tennessee is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 668 incidents per 100,000 residents in Tennessee and 447 in Texas (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Texas is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 49% lower. Property crime is 2,752 per 100,000 in Tennessee against 2,478 in Texas, again favoring Texas.
Health
Life expectancy is 74.2 years in Tennessee and 76.3 in Texas (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.1-year edge for Texas. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Tennessee's health system 39th of 50 and Texas's 36th, so Texas scores better on care.
10.4% of Tennessee residents have no health insurance against 18.4% in Texas, which favors Tennessee. Neither state has expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Tennessee's K-12 schools 41st in the country and Texas's 36th, 5 places apart in Texas's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Tennessee went to Trump by 24 points and Texas went to Trump by 14 points.
Tennessee has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Texas has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is illegal in Tennessee and medical only in Texas as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Tennessee and $7.25 in Texas.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Tennessee (tornado, flood, ice-storm) and very high in Texas (hurricane, tornado, flood), so Tennessee is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 36 in Tennessee and 43 in Texas (under 50 is good), favoring Tennessee.
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
Tennessee
6
Texas
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Tennessee or Texas better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Tennessee on taxes ($3,712 a year for a median household against $7,272); Tennessee on everyday costs (index 92 against 97); Texas on safety (447 violent crimes per 100,000 against 668); Texas on schools (ranked 36th against 41st).
Which is cheaper, Tennessee or Texas?
Tennessee is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 92 against 97. The median home is $350K in Tennessee and $340K in Texas (2024). On state and local taxes Tennessee saves a median household about $3,600 a year.
Does Tennessee or Texas have lower taxes?
Tennessee. A household earning $74,580 pays about $3,712 a year in Tennessee ($0 income tax, $1,575 property tax on the median home and $2,137 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, Tennessee or Texas?
Texas, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 668 per 100,000 residents in Tennessee and 447 in Texas; property crime is 2,752 against 2,478.
Which has better schools, Tennessee or Texas?
Texas. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Tennessee 41st of 50 for K-12 and Texas 36th.
Is Tennessee or Texas better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Tennessee does not tax Social Security, 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 $1,575 a year in Tennessee and $5,440 in Texas.