State comparison
Texas vs Wyoming: which state is better to live in?
Wyoming costs a median household about $4,200 a year less in state and local taxes than Texas, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $1,925 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 4 categories
Wyoming
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 9 categories
Taxes: Texas vs Wyoming
Neither Texas nor Wyoming 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 0.55% in Wyoming (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $5,440 against $1,925, so Wyoming has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.19% in Texas and 5.34% in Wyoming; Wyoming 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, $3,120 in Wyoming. Wyoming is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Texas's cost of living index is 97 and Wyoming'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 $350K in Wyoming (Zillow, 2024), a $10K gap in Texas's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,600 a month in Texas and $1,300 in Wyoming.
Home insurance averages $3,200 a year in Texas and $1,500 in Wyoming, so Wyoming is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 447 incidents per 100,000 residents in Texas and 221 in Wyoming (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Wyoming is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 102% lower. Property crime is 2,478 per 100,000 in Texas against 1,812 in Wyoming, again favoring Wyoming.
Health
Life expectancy is 76.3 years in Texas and 76 in Wyoming (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.3-year edge for Texas. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Texas's health system 36th of 50 and Wyoming's 33rd, so Wyoming scores better on care.
18.4% of Texas residents have no health insurance against 12.3% in Wyoming, which favors Wyoming. Neither state has expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Texas's K-12 schools 36th in the country and Wyoming's 39th, 3 places apart in Texas's favor. Texas runs a school-choice voucher program; Wyoming does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Texas went to Trump by 14 points and Wyoming went to Trump by 43 points.
Texas has permitless carry and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; Wyoming 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 Wyoming as of 2026. The minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in Texas and $7.25 in Wyoming.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in Texas (hurricane, tornado, flood) and moderate in Wyoming (blizzard, drought, wildfire), so Wyoming is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 43 in Texas and 30 in Wyoming (under 50 is good), favoring Wyoming.
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
4
Texas
9
Wyoming
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 Wyoming better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Wyoming on taxes ($3,120 a year for a median household against $7,272); Texas on everyday costs (index 97 against 101); Wyoming on safety (221 violent crimes per 100,000 against 447); Texas on schools (ranked 36th against 39th).
Which is cheaper, Texas or Wyoming?
Texas is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 97 against 101. The median home is $340K in Texas and $350K in Wyoming (2024). On state and local taxes Wyoming saves a median household about $4,200 a year.
Does Texas or Wyoming have lower taxes?
Wyoming. 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 $3,120 in Wyoming ($0 income tax, $1,925 property tax on the median home and $1,195 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Texas or Wyoming?
Wyoming, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 447 per 100,000 residents in Texas and 221 in Wyoming; property crime is 2,478 against 1,812.
Which has better schools, Texas or Wyoming?
Texas. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Texas 36th of 50 for K-12 and Wyoming 39th. Texas also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Texas or Wyoming 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; Wyoming 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 $1,925 in Wyoming.