State comparison
Texas vs Tennessee: 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.
Texas
Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
Wins 6 categories
Tennessee
Low tax burden · COL index 92
Wins 7 categories
Taxes: Texas vs Tennessee
Neither Texas nor Tennessee 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 0.45% in Tennessee (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $5,440 against $1,575, so Tennessee has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.19% in Texas and 9.55% in Tennessee; 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, $3,712 in Tennessee. Tennessee is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Texas's cost of living index is 97 and Tennessee's is 92, where 100 is the national average; Tennessee is about 5% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $340K in Texas and $350K in Tennessee (Zillow, 2024), a $10K gap in Texas's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,600 a month in Texas and $1,400 in Tennessee.
Home insurance averages $3,200 a year in Texas and $2,000 in Tennessee, so Tennessee is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 447 incidents per 100,000 residents in Texas and 668 in Tennessee (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Texas is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 49% lower. Property crime is 2,478 per 100,000 in Texas against 2,752 in Tennessee, again favoring Texas.
Health
Life expectancy is 76.3 years in Texas and 74.2 in Tennessee (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.1-year edge for Texas. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Texas's health system 36th of 50 and Tennessee's 39th, so Texas scores better on care.
18.4% of Texas residents have no health insurance against 10.4% in Tennessee, which favors Tennessee. Neither state has expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Texas's K-12 schools 36th in the country and Tennessee's 41st, 5 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 Tennessee went to Trump by 24 points.
Texas has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Tennessee 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 Tennessee as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Texas and $7.25 in Tennessee.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Texas (hurricane, tornado, flood) and moderate in Tennessee (tornado, flood, ice-storm), so Tennessee is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 43 in Texas and 36 in Tennessee (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
6
Texas
7
Tennessee
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 Tennessee 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, Texas or Tennessee?
Tennessee is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 92 against 97. The median home is $340K in Texas and $350K in Tennessee (2024). On state and local taxes Tennessee saves a median household about $3,600 a year.
Does Texas or Tennessee have lower taxes?
Tennessee. 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 $3,712 in Tennessee ($0 income tax, $1,575 property tax on the median home and $2,137 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Texas or Tennessee?
Texas, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 447 per 100,000 residents in Texas and 668 in Tennessee; property crime is 2,478 against 2,752.
Which has better schools, Texas or Tennessee?
Texas. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Texas 36th of 50 for K-12 and Tennessee 41st.
Is Texas or Tennessee 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; Tennessee 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 $1,575 in Tennessee.