State comparison
Texas vs Nevada: which state is better to live in?
Nevada costs a median household about $3,200 a year less in state and local taxes than Texas, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,200 a year against $5,440 in Texas, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 101 against 97).
Texas
Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
Wins 7 categories
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Texas vs Nevada
Neither Texas nor Nevada has a state income tax, so wages are untouched at the state level in both.
Property tax is 1.60% of home value a year in Texas and 0.53% in Nevada (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $5,440 against $2,200, so Nevada has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.19% in Texas and 8.23% in Nevada; Texas 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, $4,041 in Nevada. Nevada is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Texas's cost of living index is 97 and Nevada's is 101, where 100 is the national average; Texas is about 4% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $340K in Texas and $415K in Nevada (Zillow, 2024), a $75K gap in Texas's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,600 a month in Texas and $1,550 in Nevada.
Home insurance averages $3,200 a year in Texas and $800 in Nevada, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 447 incidents per 100,000 residents in Texas and 595 in Nevada (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Texas is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 33% lower. Property crime is 2,478 per 100,000 in Texas against 2,634 in Nevada, again favoring Texas.
Health
Life expectancy is 76.3 years in Texas and 75.5 in Nevada (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.8-year edge for Texas. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Texas's health system 36th of 50 and Nevada's 35th, so Nevada scores better on care.
18.4% of Texas residents have no health insurance against 10.6% in Nevada, which favors Nevada. Nevada 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 Nevada's 48th, 12 places apart in Texas's favor. Both states run school-choice voucher programs.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Texas went to Trump by 14 points and Nevada went to Trump by 3 points.
Texas has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Nevada has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of C+, so Nevada regulates guns more tightly and Texas is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is banned with narrow exceptions in Texas and protected by state law in Nevada, and marijuana is medical only in Texas and legal for adults in Nevada as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Texas and $12.00 in Nevada.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Texas (hurricane, tornado, flood) and moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat), so Nevada is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 43 in Texas and 40 in Nevada (under 50 is good), favoring Nevada.
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
Texas
6
Nevada
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 Nevada better to live in?
Texas wins more of the measures that decide a move. Nevada on taxes ($4,041 a year for a median household against $7,272); Texas on everyday costs (index 97 against 101); Texas on safety (447 violent crimes per 100,000 against 595); Texas on schools (ranked 36th against 48th).
Which is cheaper, Texas or Nevada?
Texas is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 97 against 101. The median home is $340K in Texas and $415K in Nevada (2024). On state and local taxes Nevada saves a median household about $3,200 a year.
Does Texas or Nevada have lower taxes?
Nevada. 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 $4,041 in Nevada ($0 income tax, $2,200 property tax on the median home and $1,841 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Texas or Nevada?
Texas, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 447 per 100,000 residents in Texas and 595 in Nevada; property crime is 2,478 against 2,634.
Which has better schools, Texas or Nevada?
Texas. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Texas 36th of 50 for K-12 and Nevada 48th.
Is Texas or Nevada better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Texas does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Nevada does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $5,440 a year in Texas and $2,200 in Nevada.