State comparison
Texas vs Idaho: which state is better to live in?
Texas and Idaho cost a median household almost the same in state and local taxes, $7,272 a year against $7,085, so the choice comes down to housing, safety and schools.
Texas
Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
Wins 3 categories
Idaho
Moderate tax burden · COL index 96
Wins 12 categories
Taxes: Texas vs Idaho
Texas has no state income tax. Idaho has a flat 5.8% income tax, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,698 a year. Texas wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.60% of home value a year in Texas and 0.48% in Idaho (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $5,440 against $2,040, so Idaho has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.19% in Texas and 6.02% in Idaho; Idaho is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $7,272 a year in Texas, $7,085 in Idaho. Idaho is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Texas's cost of living index is 97 and Idaho's is 96, where 100 is the national average; Idaho is about 1% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $340K in Texas and $425K in Idaho (Zillow, 2024), a $85K gap in Texas's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,600 a month in Texas and $1,500 in Idaho.
Home insurance averages $3,200 a year in Texas and $800 in Idaho, so Idaho is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 447 incidents per 100,000 residents in Texas and 228 in Idaho (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Idaho is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 96% lower. Property crime is 2,478 per 100,000 in Texas against 1,535 in Idaho, again favoring Idaho.
Health
Life expectancy is 76.3 years in Texas and 77.7 in Idaho (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.4-year edge for Idaho. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Texas's health system 36th of 50 and Idaho's 32nd, so Idaho scores better on care.
18.4% of Texas residents have no health insurance against 9.0% in Idaho, which favors Idaho. Idaho expanded Medicaid and Texas did not.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Texas's K-12 schools 36th in the country and Idaho's 30th, 6 places apart in Idaho's favor. Texas runs a school-choice voucher program; Idaho does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Texas went to Trump by 14 points and Idaho went to Trump by 30 points.
Texas has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Idaho has permitless carry and a grade of F.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in both states, and marijuana is medical only in Texas and illegal in Idaho as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Texas and $7.25 in Idaho.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Texas (hurricane, tornado, flood) and moderate in Idaho (wildfire, earthquake), so Idaho is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 43 in Texas and 48 in Idaho (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
3
Texas
12
Idaho
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 Texas or Idaho better to live in?
Idaho wins more of the measures that decide a move. Idaho on taxes ($7,085 a year for a median household against $7,272); Idaho on everyday costs (index 96 against 97); Idaho on safety (228 violent crimes per 100,000 against 447); Idaho on schools (ranked 30th against 36th).
Which is cheaper, Texas or Idaho?
Idaho is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 96 against 97. The median home is $340K in Texas and $425K in Idaho (2024). On state and local taxes Idaho saves a median household about $190 a year.
Does Texas or Idaho have lower taxes?
Idaho. A household earning $74,580 pays about $7,272 a year in Texas ($0 income tax, $5,440 property tax on the median home and $1,832 in sales tax) and $7,085 in Idaho ($3,698 income tax, $2,040 property tax on the median home and $1,347 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Texas or Idaho?
Idaho, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 447 per 100,000 residents in Texas and 228 in Idaho; property crime is 2,478 against 1,535.
Which has better schools, Texas or Idaho?
Idaho. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Texas 36th of 50 for K-12 and Idaho 30th. Texas also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Texas or Idaho better for retirees?
Texas is friendlier to retirees on paper. Texas does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Idaho does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $5,440 a year in Texas and $2,040 in Idaho.