State comparison
Virginia vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Washington costs a median household about $1,300 a year less in state and local taxes than Virginia, mostly because it has no income tax, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 117 against 102).
Virginia
Moderate tax burden · COL index 102
Wins 8 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 8 categories
Taxes: Virginia vs Washington
Virginia has a graduated income tax topping out at 5.75%, which works out to 5.4% on a median income of $74,580, or $4,031 a year. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.74% of home value a year in Virginia and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,886 against $4,788, so Virginia has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 5.73% in Virginia and 9.38% in Washington; Virginia is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $8,199 a year in Virginia, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Virginia's cost of living index is 102 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Virginia is about 15% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $390K in Virginia and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $180K gap in Virginia's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,700 a month in Virginia and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $1,200 a year in Virginia and $900 in Washington, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 197 incidents per 100,000 residents in Virginia and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Virginia is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 76% lower. Property crime is 1,617 per 100,000 in Virginia against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring Virginia.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.9 years in Virginia and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.4-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Virginia's health system 16th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
8.1% of Virginia residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Washington, which favors Washington. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Virginia's K-12 schools 10th in the country and Washington's 7th, 3 places apart in Washington's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Virginia went to Harris by 3 points and Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
Virginia has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A-; Washington has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so Washington regulates guns more tightly and Virginia is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is legal with limits in Virginia and protected by state law in Washington, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $12.00 an hour in Virginia and $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Virginia (hurricane, flood, nor-easter) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood), so Virginia is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 37 in Virginia and 40 in Washington (under 50 is good), favoring Virginia.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at rates in force as of 2026-09-04. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
8
Virginia
8
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Virginia or Washington better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Washington on taxes ($6,887 a year for a median household against $8,199); Virginia on everyday costs (index 102 against 117); Virginia on safety (197 violent crimes per 100,000 against 347); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 10th).
Which is cheaper, Virginia or Washington?
Virginia is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 102 against 117. The median home is $390K in Virginia and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $1,300 a year.
Does Virginia or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. A household earning $74,580 pays about $8,199 a year in Virginia ($4,031 income tax, $2,886 property tax on the median home and $1,282 in sales tax) and $6,887 in Washington ($0 income tax, $4,788 property tax on the median home and $2,099 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Virginia or Washington?
Virginia, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 197 per 100,000 residents in Virginia and 347 in Washington; property crime is 1,617 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, Virginia or Washington?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Virginia 10th of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th.
Is Virginia or Washington better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Virginia does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax; Washington does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,886 a year in Virginia and $4,788 in Washington.