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Utah

Moderate tax burden · COL index 101

Wins 8 categories

VS

Washington

Moderate tax burden · COL index 117

Wins 8 categories

Washington has no state income tax. Utah's top rate is 4.65%. Cost of living in Washington (index 117) runs 16% higher than Utah (index 101). Property taxes are meaningfully different: Washington averages 0.84% annually vs Utah's 0.44%. Politically, Utah voted Republican in 2024 (R+13.0) while Washington went Democratic (D+16.0).

Utah
Washington

Taxes

4.65%
Income Tax (top rate)
None
0.44%/yr
Property Tax Rate
0.84%/yr
7.19%
Sales Tax (avg)
9.38%
No
Social Security Tax
Yes
Yes
Estate Tax
No
As income
Capital Gains Tax
7%

Housing & Cost of Living

101
COL Index (100=avg)
117
$500K
Median Home Price
$570K
$1,650/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$2,000/mo
$900/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$900/yr

Crime & Safety

237
Violent Crime / 100K
347
2,280
Property Crime / 100K
3,187

Healthcare

#31 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#10 of 50
79.2 yrs
Life Expectancy
79.3 yrs
9.8%
Uninsured Rate
6.5%
Yes
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#37 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#7 of 50
Yes
School Choice / Vouchers
No

Childcare

$1,150/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$2,100/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$110/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$95/mo
$490/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$590/mo
#17 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#39 of 50

Social Policy

F
Gun Laws Grade
A
R+13.0
2024 Presidential Margin
D+16.0

Category wins

8

Utah

8

Washington

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Your Priorities

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable