State comparison
Washington vs Nevada: which state is better to live in?
Nevada costs a median household about $2,800 a year less in state and local taxes than Washington, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,200 a year against $4,788 in Washington.
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 6 categories
Nevada
Low tax burden · COL index 101
Wins 8 categories
Taxes: Washington vs Nevada
Neither Washington nor Nevada has a state income tax, so wages are untouched at the state level in both.
Property tax is 0.84% of home value a year in Washington and 0.53% in Nevada (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $4,788 against $2,200, so Nevada has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 9.38% in Washington and 8.23% in Nevada; Nevada is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $6,887 a year in Washington, $4,041 in Nevada. Nevada is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Washington's cost of living index is 117 and Nevada's is 101, where 100 is the national average; Nevada is about 16% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $570K in Washington and $415K in Nevada (Zillow, 2024), a $155K gap in Nevada's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,000 a month in Washington and $1,550 in Nevada.
Home insurance averages $900 a year in Washington and $800 in Nevada, so Nevada is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 347 incidents per 100,000 residents in Washington and 595 in Nevada (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Washington is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 71% lower. Property crime is 3,187 per 100,000 in Washington against 2,634 in Nevada, again favoring Nevada.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.3 years in Washington and 75.5 in Nevada (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.8-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Washington's health system 10th of 50 and Nevada's 35th, so Washington scores better on care.
6.5% of Washington residents have no health insurance against 10.6% in Nevada, which favors Washington. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Washington's K-12 schools 7th in the country and Nevada's 48th, 41 places apart in Washington's favor. Nevada runs a school-choice voucher program; Washington does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Washington went to Harris by 16 points and Nevada went to Trump by 3 points.
Washington has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Nevada has shall-issue carry permits and a grade of C+, so Washington regulates guns more tightly and Nevada is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $16.28 an hour in Washington and $12.00 in Nevada.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood) and moderate in Nevada (drought, wildfire, extreme-heat), so Nevada is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 40 in Washington and 40 in Nevada (under 50 is good).
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
Washington
8
Nevada
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Washington or Nevada better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Nevada on taxes ($4,041 a year for a median household against $6,887); Nevada on everyday costs (index 101 against 117); Washington on safety (347 violent crimes per 100,000 against 595); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 48th).
Which is cheaper, Washington or Nevada?
Nevada is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 101 against 117. The median home is $570K in Washington and $415K in Nevada (2024). On state and local taxes Nevada saves a median household about $2,800 a year.
Does Washington or Nevada have lower taxes?
Nevada. A household earning $74,580 pays about $6,887 a year in Washington ($0 income tax, $4,788 property tax on the median home and $2,099 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, Washington or Nevada?
Washington, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 347 per 100,000 residents in Washington and 595 in Nevada; property crime is 3,187 against 2,634.
Which has better schools, Washington or Nevada?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Washington 7th of 50 for K-12 and Nevada 48th. Nevada also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Washington or Nevada better for retirees?
Nevada is friendlier to retirees on paper. Washington does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax; Nevada does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $4,788 a year in Washington and $2,200 in Nevada.