State comparison tool50 states1,225 matchups54 measures eachUpdated October 2026

Compare Any Two US States Side by Side

America's Dashboard compares any two of the 50 US states side by side on 54 measures from the latest government releases: cost of living, typical home value, taxes, crime, pay, schools, health and how many households move between them. All 1,225 matchups have a page. Across them, New Hampshire wins the most head-to-head verdicts (49 of 49), Maryland vs Delaware is the closest call, and New York–New Jersey is the busiest moving corridor.

Deciding between two states? Pick them below and open the matchup. Starting from a lifestyle instead? Begin with the best states by lifestyle, then compare the two that fit. Every row on a comparison shows both states, the gap, the US figure and which state is ahead once the gap is material; smaller gaps read even.

First state

Second state

Matchups: 1,225; 86 even overall · 1,139 decided
Bordering pairs: 105; States that share a land border
Moving corridors: 237; Pairs with 2,000+ households moving one way
Measures per pair: 54; Plus 11 category scores and 6 lifestyle indexes

Read what all 1,225 matchups show

Only 86 of the 1,225 matchups (7%) finish within 2 composite points; the average gap is 15.4 and the widest is Louisiana vs New Hampshire at 53.4. New Hampshire has the best record at 49–0–0, Louisiana the worst at 0–48–1, and Georgia is even with 7 states, more than any other.

Price is not a proxy for quality: the pricier state ranks higher in 56% of the 966 decided matchups, the cheaper one in 44%, and the higher-income state is also the pricier one 93% of the time. Across the 105 bordering pairs, people move toward the cheaper state in 20 of the 23 with a clear net flow, and on the 34 no-income-tax borders the no-tax side has the lower total tax burden in 27.

Which states win the most head-to-head matchups?

New Hampshire wins 49 of its 49 matchups on the composite score; Louisiana wins 0. A matchup is even when the two composite scores are within 2 points. Hover a state for its record; click through to its profile.

Top ten head-to-head records: wins, losses and even matchups across each state's 49 opponents, composite score, latest release.
State	Record	Narrowest loss
1New Hampshire	49–0–0	Undefeated
2Idaho	46–1–2	New Hampshire by 5
3Wyoming	46–1–2	New Hampshire by 3.5
4South Dakota	46–1–2	New Hampshire by 4.1
5North Dakota	42–4–3	Idaho by 2.9
6Utah	42–4–3	Idaho by 3
7Montana	42–4–3	Idaho by 3.4
8Vermont	42–4–3	Idaho by 4.4
9Maine	37–8–4	Vermont by 2.4
10Nebraska	36–8–5	Vermont by 2.9

wins even losses

Show all 50 records

Head-to-head record of every state across its 49 matchups on the composite score, latest release. Wins, losses and even matchups; share of individual measures won; the category each state wins and loses most often; its narrowest loss.
#	State	Record	Measures won	Wins most on	Loses most on	Narrowest loss
1	New Hampshire#1 overall	49–0–0	48%	Economy	Affordability	Undefeated
2	Idaho#4 overall	46–1–2	52%	Growth	Education	New Hampshire by 5
3	Wyoming#2 overall	46–1–2	51%	Fiscal Health	Health	New Hampshire by 3.5
4	South Dakota#3 overall	46–1–2	51%	Economy	Health	New Hampshire by 4.1
5	North Dakota#5 overall	42–4–3	49%	Economy	Environment	Idaho by 2.9
6	Utah#6 overall	42–4–3	49%	Education	Livability	Idaho by 3
7	Montana#7 overall	42–4–3	43%	Livability	Safety	Idaho by 3.4
8	Vermont#8 overall	42–4–3	38%	Environment	Fiscal Health	Idaho by 4.4
9	Maine#9 overall	37–8–4	41%	Environment	Affordability	Vermont by 2.4
10	Nebraska#10 overall	36–8–5	46%	Fiscal Health	Outdoor Access	Vermont by 2.9
11	Wisconsin#11 overall	36–8–5	44%	Education	Outdoor Access	Vermont by 3.4
12	Minnesota#12 overall	36–8–5	43%	Transportation	Affordability	Vermont by 3.6
13	Massachusetts#13 overall	36–8–5	38%	Education	Affordability	Vermont by 4
14	Iowa#14 overall	35–9–5	48%	Affordability	Livability	Maine by 2.4
15	Virginia#15 overall	34–13–2	44%	Economy	Livability	Massachusetts by 2.3
16	Connecticut#16 overall	34–14–1	37%	Safety	Fiscal Health	Iowa by 2.3
17	Colorado#18 overall	32–16–1	40%	Transportation	Safety	Connecticut by 2.2
18	Hawaii#17 overall	32–16–1	29%	Economy	Affordability	Connecticut by 2.1
19	Rhode Island#19 overall	30–18–1	32%	Safety	Fiscal Health	Colorado by 2.7
20	Washington#20 overall	29–18–2	41%	Environment	Affordability	Colorado by 2.9
21	North Carolina#23 overall	27–20–2	47%	Growth	Outdoor Access	Washington by 2.7
22	Florida#21 overall	27–19–3	46%	Fiscal Health	Environment	Rhode Island by 2.1
23	Indiana#22 overall	27–20–2	43%	Education	Outdoor Access	Washington by 2.6
24	Tennessee#24 overall	24–23–2	46%	Fiscal Health	Health	North Carolina by 2
25	Pennsylvania#25 overall	22–23–4	35%	Transportation	Fiscal Health	North Carolina by 2.2
26	Georgia#26 overall	19–23–7	44%	Fiscal Health	Transportation	North Carolina by 3.7
27	Kansas#27 overall	19–24–6	38%	Affordability	Safety	Tennessee by 2
28	New Jersey#28 overall	19–24–6	33%	Education	Fiscal Health	Tennessee by 2.1
29	New York#29 overall	19–25–5	32%	Health	Growth	Pennsylvania by 2
30	Delaware#30 overall	17–25–7	42%	Livability	Education	Pennsylvania by 3.3
31	Maryland#31 overall	17–25–7	34%	Economy	Livability	Pennsylvania by 3.3
32	Texas#32 overall	15–29–5	48%	Fiscal Health	Outdoor Access	New York by 2.7
33	Missouri#34 overall	15–31–3	42%	Affordability	Environment	Delaware by 2.6
34	Ohio#33 overall	15–29–5	39%	Education	Economy	New York by 2.8
35	Oregon#35 overall	14–31–4	34%	Transportation	Education	Delaware by 2.7
36	South Carolina#36 overall	11–34–4	41%	Growth	Environment	Missouri by 2
37	Alabama#37 overall	11–35–3	41%	Growth	Transportation	Oregon by 2.4
38	Arizona#38 overall	11–35–3	39%	Growth	Education	Oregon by 3.1
39	Illinois#39 overall	10–35–4	32%	Education	Fiscal Health	Oregon by 3.3
40	Nevada#40 overall	8–38–3	40%	Livability	Education	Arizona by 2
41	Kentucky#41 overall	7–39–3	38%	Affordability	Economy	Illinois by 2.8
42	Alaska#42 overall	5–39–5	37%	Outdoor Access	Safety	Illinois by 3.3
43	West Virginia#44 overall	4–41–4	43%	Affordability	Health	Kentucky by 2
44	Oklahoma#43 overall	4–40–5	41%	Affordability	Education	Nevada by 2.8
45	Michigan#45 overall	4–41–4	39%	Affordability	Economy	Kentucky by 2.1
46	Arkansas#48 overall	2–45–2	42%	Affordability	Safety	Michigan by 2.6
47	Mississippi#46 overall	2–42–5	36%	Affordability	Health	Alaska by 2.4
48	California#47 overall	2–45–2	27%	Health	Growth	Michigan by 2.5
49	New Mexico#49 overall	0–48–1	35%	Outdoor Access	Education	Arkansas by 9.5
50	Louisiana#50 overall	0–48–1	30%	Affordability	Environment	Arkansas by 10.1

Read how records differ from ranks

New Hampshire has the best head-to-head record in the country: ahead of 49 of its 49 opponents on the composite score, behind 0 and even with 0, winning 48% of every individual measure it is compared on. Idaho (46–1–2) and Wyoming (46–1–2) round out the top three. New Hampshire is the only undefeated state; New Mexico and Louisiana have no wins. At the bottom, Louisiana (0–48–1), New Mexico (0–48–1), and California (2–45–2) lose almost everything they are compared on.

A record is not the same as a rank. The 50-state ranking sorts by composite score, so a state one point ahead of another is listed above it; the record counts a matchup only when the gap clears 2 points, and calls the rest even. That is why Idaho sits #4 in the ranking but 2nd by record, with 2 even matchups. Georgia is the hardest state to separate from the pack, even with 7 others; its closest matchup is Kansas, 0.3 points apart. Wins tell you a state beats most of the field; the columns for best and worst category tell you where, and the pair pages tell you by how much.

The 50-state ranking by composite score →

Which states are the closest calls?

Maryland vs Delaware is the closest of all matchups, with identical composite scores; Georgia is even with 7 other states, more than any other.

States even with the most opponents: number of matchups within 2 composite points, and the states they are even with.
State	Even	Even with
Georgia#26	7	Tennessee PennsylvaniaKansasNew Jersey New YorkDelawareMaryland
Delaware#30	7	GeorgiaKansasNew JerseyNew YorkMarylandTexasOhio
Maryland#31	7	GeorgiaKansasNew Jersey New York Delaware TexasOhio
Kansas#27	6	PennsylvaniaGeorgiaNew JerseyNew YorkDelawareMaryland
New Jersey#28	6	Pennsylvania GeorgiaKansasNew York Delaware Maryland
Nebraska#10	5	MaineWisconsinMinnesotaMassachusettsIowa
Wisconsin#11	5	MaineNebraskaMinnesotaMassachusettsIowa
Minnesota#12	5	MaineNebraskaWisconsinMassachusettsIowa

Composite scores of the ten closest and six widest bordering-state matchups, out of 100, latest release. The note is the category that separates the pair most.

Closest borders

First-named stateSecond-named state

Maryland vs DelawareEconomy: MD +24.753.6 · 53.6 New York vs New JerseyLivability: NY +23.754.9 · 55 Wisconsin vs MinnesotaHealth: MN +1470.6 · 70.4 Montana vs North DakotaOutdoor Access: MT +32.675 · 75.5 South Dakota vs WyomingOutdoor Access: WY +49.979.3 · 79.9 Minnesota vs IowaAffordability: IA +23.270.4 · 69.2 New Jersey vs DelawareFiscal Health: DE +3455 · 53.6 Wisconsin vs IowaAffordability: IA +16.570.6 · 69.2 Idaho vs WyomingOutdoor Access: WY +45.578.4 · 79.9 Georgia vs TennesseeSafety: GA +1955.4 · 57.1

Widest borders

First-named stateSecond-named state

Colorado vs New MexicoEducation: CO +58.764.7 · 30.6 Nevada vs IdahoSafety: ID +30.745.8 · 78.4 Utah vs NevadaEconomy: UT +37.675.4 · 45.8 Michigan vs WisconsinEducation: WI +34.342.7 · 70.6 Arizona vs UtahEducation: UT +44.247.8 · 75.4 Oregon vs IdahoGrowth: ID +49.450.9 · 78.4

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Split decisions: featured matchups that are even overall but where the six lifestyle indexes point different ways.
Matchup	Better for…
Texas vs Ohio0.1 pts apart	Texas: remote workers, young professionals, small business Ohio: families, retirees, outdoor enthusiasts
New York vs Maryland1.3 pts apart	New York: families, retirees, outdoor enthusiasts Maryland: remote workers, young professionals, small business
Pennsylvania vs Tennessee0.2 pts apart	Pennsylvania: families, outdoor enthusiasts Tennessee: remote workers, young professionals, small business
Georgia vs New Jersey0.4 pts apart	Georgia: retirees, remote workers, young professionals, small business New Jersey: families, outdoor enthusiasts
New York vs Georgia0.5 pts apart	New York: families, outdoor enthusiasts Georgia: remote workers, young professionals, small business
South Dakota vs Wyoming0.6 pts apart	South Dakota: young professionals, small business Wyoming: families, outdoor enthusiasts

Read about the closest calls

86 of the 1,225 matchups (7%) are even overall, and they cluster in the middle of the table where composite scores bunch together. Georgia (7), Delaware (7), and Maryland (7) are even with the most opponents. The closest matchup anywhere is Maryland vs Delaware, with identical composite scores; Maryland leads 4 categories, Delaware leads 7, and 0 are within 3 points.

Across a state line, the closest call is Maryland vs Delaware (53.6 vs 53.6). Maryland leads economy by 24.7 points, the widest category gap between the two. New York vs New Jersey (0.1) and Wisconsin vs Minnesota (0.2) are the next closest borders. At the other extreme, Colorado vs New Mexico (34.1 points) and Nevada vs Idaho (32.6 points) are the widest gaps between states that share a border, so a move across those lines changes far more than the address. When two states are even overall, the split decisions below, where the lifestyle indexes disagree, are usually what decides it.

Where are people actually choosing between two states?

New York and New Jersey is the busiest two-way corridor: about 70,492 households moved between them in the latest IRS release. Each pair page shows both directions with the movers' average income.

Busiest two-way moving corridors: IRS households moving in each direction, with the movers' average income under each bar, latest release. Bars scale to the largest single flow.

Households moving to the first-named stateHouseholds moving to the second-named state

New York vs New Jerseynet 16,906 toward NJ · 70,492 both ways26,793 → NY · $110,79643,699 → NJ · $116,966 California vs Texasnet 19,447 toward TX · 69,387 both ways24,970 → CA · $95,48644,417 → TX · $107,273 Florida vs New Yorknet 21,176 toward FL · 65,198 both ways43,187 → FL · $133,21822,011 → NY · $89,835 Florida vs Georgianet 4,788 toward GA · 51,738 both ways23,475 → FL · $91,34528,263 → GA · $65,134 California vs Arizonanet 12,119 toward AZ · 44,685 both ways16,283 → CA · $75,19328,402 → AZ · $87,556 Texas vs Floridanet 4,146 toward TX · 44,246 both ways24,196 → TX · $70,03420,050 → FL · $91,708 California vs Washingtonnet 6,754 toward WA · 42,496 both ways17,871 → CA · $116,23724,625 → WA · $111,507 California vs Nevadanet 11,435 toward NV · 40,985 both ways14,775 → CA · $79,37026,210 → NV · $102,572 California vs New Yorknet 2,155 toward NY · 39,035 both ways18,440 → CA · $153,92720,595 → NY · $137,456 Florida vs North Carolinanet 6,023 toward NC · 35,083 both ways14,530 → FL · $96,27920,553 → NC · $77,338 New York vs Pennsylvanianet 6,231 toward PA · 35,055 both ways14,412 → NY · $75,26220,643 → PA · $70,945 Pennsylvania vs New Jerseynet 2,692 toward PA · 34,842 both ways18,767 → PA · $83,15516,075 → NJ · $86,597 California vs Floridanet 6,128 toward FL · 34,354 both ways14,113 → CA · $94,11320,241 → FL · $130,398 North Carolina vs South Carolinanet 2,721 toward SC · 33,331 both ways15,305 → NC · $65,42618,026 → SC · $84,221

Read about the biggest corridors

New York and New Jersey is the busiest two-way corridor in the country: about 70,492 households moved between them in the latest IRS release, 43,699 from New York to New Jersey and 26,793 the other way, a net 16,906 toward New Jersey. The most lopsided of the big corridors is Florida and New York, where Florida nets 21,176 of the 65,198 households that move between them. Income moves differently from people: on the Florida–New York corridor, households heading to Florida reported an average income of $133,218, against $89,835 for those heading to New York, the widest gap between the two directions of any major corridor. Each pair page shows both directions in households and, from the Census Bureau, in people with the survey's margin of error.

Every state's inbound and outbound flows →

Which bordering states are the biggest jump in cost or taxes?

34 bordering pairs sit on a tax line where one state levies no income tax; the no-income-tax side has the lower total tax burden in 27 of them. The widest cost of living gap across any border is Colorado to Oklahoma, 15%.

Total state and local tax burden as a share of income (WalletHub) for every bordering pair where one state levies no income tax, widest gap first. Hover a row for the top rate, cost of living index and what a family of four earning $75,000 keeps.

No income taxTaxed neighbor

New Hampshire vs Vermontcost 104.2 vs 98 · family ahead: NH5.9% · 11.5%New Hampshire vs Mainecost 104.2 vs 97.1 · family ahead: ME5.9% · 10.6%Wyoming vs Utahcost 92.7 vs 98.9 · family ahead: WY5.8% · 9.5%New Hampshire vs Massachusettscost 104.2 vs 105.8 · family ahead: NH5.9% · 9.6%South Dakota vs Minnesotacost 88.6 vs 98.6 · family ahead: SD6.5% · 9.7%Wyoming vs Nebraskacost 92.7 vs 90.1 · family ahead: WY5.8% · 8.8%Wyoming vs Coloradocost 92.7 vs 103.1 · family ahead: WY5.8% · 8.7%South Dakota vs Iowacost 88.6 vs 87.8 · family ahead: SD6.5% · 9.2%Tennessee vs Mississippicost 91.9 vs 87 · family ahead: MS6.4% · 9.1%Tennessee vs Kentuckycost 91.9 vs 90.2 · family ahead: KY6.4% · 8.9%Tennessee vs Virginiacost 91.9 vs 101.1 · family ahead: TN6.4% · 8.9%Nevada vs Californiacost 100 vs 110.7 · family ahead: NV8.6% · 11%South Dakota vs Nebraskacost 88.6 vs 90.1 · family ahead: SD6.5% · 8.8%Tennessee vs Arkansascost 91.9 vs 86.9 · family ahead: AR6.4% · 8.6%Tennessee vs Georgiacost 91.9 vs 96.3 · family ahead: GA6.4% · 8.5%Wyoming vs Montanacost 92.7 vs 94.6 · family ahead: WY5.8% · 7.9%Florida vs Georgiacost 103.4 vs 96.3 · family ahead: GA6.5% · 8.5%

Show the other 17 tax-line pairs

No income taxTaxed neighbor

Texas vs New Mexicocost 97.1 vs 92.2 · family ahead: TX7.8% · 9.6%Tennessee vs North Carolinacost 91.9 vs 94.3 · family ahead: TN6.4% · 8.2%Wyoming vs Idahocost 92.7 vs 95.5 · family ahead: WY5.8% · 7.5%Tennessee vs Alabamacost 91.9 vs 88.8 · family ahead: AL6.4% · 8%Florida vs Alabamacost 103.4 vs 88.8 · family ahead: AL6.5% · 8%Tennessee vs Missouricost 91.9 vs 90.8 · family ahead: even6.4% · 7.8%South Dakota vs Montanacost 88.6 vs 94.6 · family ahead: SD6.5% · 7.9%Texas vs Louisianacost 97.1 vs 88.2 · family ahead: LA7.8% · 8.9%Nevada vs Utahcost 100 vs 98.9 · family ahead: NV8.6% · 9.5%Texas vs Arkansascost 97.1 vs 86.9 · family ahead: AR7.8% · 8.6%Washington vs Oregoncost 107 vs 103.4 · family ahead: OR8.6% · 9.1%Nevada vs Oregoncost 100 vs 103.4 · family ahead: NV8.6% · 9.1%South Dakota vs North Dakotacost 88.6 vs 89 · family ahead: SD6.5% · 6.6%Nevada vs Arizonacost 100 vs 100.7 · family ahead: even8.6% · 8.2%Texas vs Oklahomacost 97.1 vs 87.8 · family ahead: OK7.8% · 7%Washington vs Idahocost 107 vs 95.5 · family ahead: ID8.6% · 7.5%Nevada vs Idahocost 100 vs 95.5 · family ahead: ID8.6% · 7.5%

5912

Cheapest-to-priciest borders: how far the cost of living index (BEA, US = 100) and the Zillow typical home value drop when you cross from the pricier state to the cheaper one, latest releases.

Cost of living indexTypical home value

Colorado → Oklahoma−15%−58%family keeps $40,527 more in OK Maryland → West Virginia−15%−58%family keeps $41,668 more in WV Florida → Alabama−14%−36%family keeps $19,331 more in AL · movers favor AL Colorado → Kansas−13%−53%family keeps $33,838 more in KS · movers favor KS Colorado → Nebraska−13%−47%family keeps $26,945 more in NE Illinois → Iowa−12%−19%family keeps $21,517 more in IA · movers favor IA Virginia → West Virginia−11%−57%family keeps $32,934 more in WV Virginia → Kentucky−11%−44%family keeps $21,606 more in KY Colorado → New Mexico−11%−40%family keeps $30,870 more in NM Minnesota → Iowa−11%−32%family keeps $22,219 more in IA Texas → Arkansas−11%−24%family keeps $8,507 more in AR Washington → Idaho−11%−19%family keeps $36,002 more in ID · movers favor ID

Read about tax lines and cost jumps

34 pairs of bordering states sit on a tax line: one side levies no state income tax, the other does. Counting property and sales taxes as well, the no-income-tax state has the lower total state and local tax burden in 27 of them, with the widest gap between New Hampshire (5.9% of income) and Vermont (11.5%). It is the cheaper state to live in, on the cost of living index, in only 10 of the 34, and it leaves a family of four earning $75,000 more money after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transportation and taxes in 18. No income tax is a tax advantage, not a cost-of-living guarantee.

The biggest cost jump across any state line is Colorado to Oklahoma: the cost of living index drops from 103.1 to 87.8 (US = 100), 15%, and the typical home costs 58% less; a family of four earning $75,000 keeps $40,527 more a year on the Oklahoma side. Maryland to West Virginia (15%), Florida to Alabama (14%), and Colorado to Kansas (13%) follow. The Census Bureau's survey shows a net flow beyond its margin of error in 23 of the 105 bordering pairs, toward the cheaper state in 20 and toward the pricier one in 3. Movers carry income with them: households arriving in Florida from Illinois reported an average income of $223,120 in the latest IRS release, against a Florida median household income of $77,735 (an average against a median, so the gap overstates the typical mover).

Household affordability calculator →

Bordering states, head to head

All 105 pairs of states that share a border, grouped by region. The tag on each chip is the state that ranks higher overall, or "even" when the composite scores are within 2 points.

Northeast

17 pairs · 13 decided · 4 even

CT vs RICT MD vs DEeven MA vs CTMA MA vs NHNH MA vs RIMA MA vs VTVT NH vs MENH NH vs VTNH NJ vs DEeven NY vs CTCT NY vs MAMA NY vs NJeven NY vs PAPA NY vs VTVT PA vs DEPA PA vs MDPA PA vs NJeven

Midwest

21 pairs · 17 decided · 4 even

South

25 pairs · 23 decided · 2 even

West

20 pairs · 19 decided · 1 even

Cross-region

22 pairs · 20 decided · 2 even

Which big-state matchups do people search most?

Matchups among the most populous states, with the single biggest difference between the two computed from the data.

California vs Texas#47 · #32

Typical home value is 61% lower in Texas ($299,367 vs. $764,158 in California).

California vs Florida#47 · #21

Residential electricity price is 53% lower in Florida (15.24¢/kWh vs. 32.54¢/kWh in California).

California vs New York#47 · #29

Typical home value is 31% lower in New York ($526,714 vs. $764,158 in California).

Texas vs Florida#32 · #21

Typical rent, largest metro is 38% lower in Texas ($1,659 vs. $2,666 in Florida).

California vs Pennsylvania#47 · #25

Typical home value is 62% lower in Pennsylvania ($290,401 vs. $764,158 in California).

California vs Illinois#47 · #39

Typical home value is 61% lower in Illinois ($297,573 vs. $764,158 in California).

Texas vs New York#32 · #29

Typical rent, largest metro is 54% lower in Texas ($1,659 vs. $3,615 in New York).

California vs Ohio#47 · #33

Typical home value is 67% lower in Ohio ($248,803 vs. $764,158 in California).

California vs Georgia#47 · #26

Typical home value is 57% lower in Georgia ($330,817 vs. $764,158 in California).

California vs North Carolina#47 · #23

Residential electricity price is 57% lower in North Carolina (14.02¢/kWh vs. 32.54¢/kWh in California).

California vs Michigan#47 · #45

Typical home value is 65% lower in Michigan ($266,292 vs. $764,158 in California).

California vs New Jersey#47 · #28

Violent crime rate is 55% lower in New Jersey (194 vs. 433 in California).

Compare your state with…

Each state's head-to-head record, its closest matchup and its featured comparisons: bordering states, its busiest moving corridors and the most-searched pairings. Any other pair is one selection away in the picker above.

Show all 50 states

Every state with its head-to-head record (wins–losses–even across 49 matchups), its closest matchup, and links to its featured comparisons.
State	Record	Closest matchup	Compare with
Alabama#37	11–35–3	South Carolina even	Georgia Florida Tennessee Texas Mississippi California
Alaska#42	5–39–5	Kentucky even	Washington California Texas
Arizona#38	11–35–3	Illinois even	California Texas Washington Colorado Illinois Florida Nevada Oregon New Mexico Utah Minnesota Michigan Wisconsin Georgia New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania Tennessee Virginia
Arkansas#48	2–45–2	California even	Texas Missouri Oklahoma California Tennessee Louisiana Mississippi
California#47	2–45–2	Arkansas even	Texas Arizona Nevada Washington New York Florida Oregon Colorado Illinois Tennessee North Carolina Virginia Georgia Utah Idaho Massachusetts Pennsylvania New Jersey Hawaii Michigan Ohio Maryland Missouri Oklahoma South Carolina Indiana Minnesota New Mexico Wisconsin Montana Arkansas Connecticut Alabama Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Alaska
Colorado#18	32–16–1	Hawaii even	Texas California Florida Arizona Illinois New York Washington North Carolina Virginia Georgia New Mexico Missouri Utah Minnesota Kansas Oregon Wyoming Oklahoma Wisconsin Nebraska
Connecticut#16	34–14–1	Virginia even	New York Florida Massachusetts California North Carolina New Jersey Texas Rhode Island
Delaware#30	17–25–7	Maryland even	Pennsylvania Maryland New Jersey
Florida#21	27–19–3	Indiana even	New York Georgia Texas North Carolina California New Jersey Pennsylvania Illinois Virginia Ohio Tennessee Massachusetts Michigan South Carolina Maryland Colorado Alabama Connecticut Indiana Washington Arizona Wisconsin Missouri Minnesota Kentucky Nevada Louisiana New Hampshire Mississippi Oregon Rhode Island Oklahoma Utah Maine Kansas Iowa
Georgia#26	19–23–7	Kansas even	Florida Texas South Carolina Alabama New York North Carolina California Tennessee Virginia Illinois New Jersey Maryland Colorado Michigan Louisiana Indiana Arizona Ohio Pennsylvania Washington
Hawaii#17	32–16–1	Colorado even	California Washington Texas
Idaho#4	46–1–2	South Dakota even	California Washington Utah Oregon Nevada Montana Wyoming
Illinois#39	10–35–4	Arizona even	Florida Indiana Texas Wisconsin California Missouri Michigan Arizona New York Iowa Tennessee Colorado Georgia Ohio Washington Minnesota Kentucky New Jersey North Carolina Pennsylvania Virginia
Indiana#22	27–20–2	North Carolina even	Illinois Florida Kentucky Ohio Michigan Texas California Tennessee North Carolina Georgia New York
Iowa#14	35–9–5	Massachusetts even	Illinois Nebraska Minnesota Texas Florida Missouri Wisconsin South Dakota
Kansas#27	19–24–6	New Jersey even	Missouri Texas Oklahoma Colorado California Florida Nebraska
Kentucky#41	7–39–3	Alaska even	Ohio Indiana Tennessee Florida Texas California Illinois Virginia West Virginia Missouri
Louisiana#50	0–48–1	New Mexico even	Texas Mississippi Florida Georgia California Arkansas
Maine#9	37–8–4	Nebraska even	Massachusetts New Hampshire Florida
Maryland#31	17–25–7	Delaware even	Virginia Florida Pennsylvania New York North Carolina Texas California Delaware New Jersey Georgia West Virginia
Massachusetts#13	36–8–5	Minnesota even	Florida New York New Hampshire California Rhode Island Connecticut Texas New Jersey North Carolina Pennsylvania Maine Vermont
Michigan#45	4–41–4	West Virginia even	Florida Texas Ohio Illinois California Indiana North Carolina New York Georgia Tennessee Wisconsin Arizona New Jersey Pennsylvania Virginia Washington
Minnesota#12	36–8–5	Wisconsin even	Wisconsin Florida Texas North Dakota California Arizona Iowa Illinois Colorado South Dakota
Mississippi#46	2–42–5	Michigan even	Tennessee Texas Louisiana Alabama Florida Arkansas
Missouri#34	15–31–3	Oregon even	Kansas Illinois Texas Florida California Arkansas Colorado Iowa Oklahoma Tennessee Nebraska Kentucky
Montana#7	42–4–3	Utah even	California Washington Idaho Wyoming North Dakota South Dakota
Nebraska#10	36–8–5	Maine even	Iowa Texas Colorado Kansas Missouri South Dakota Wyoming
Nevada#40	8–38–3	Kentucky even	California Texas Arizona Florida Utah Washington Oregon Idaho
New Hampshire#1	49–0–0	Wyoming +3.5	Massachusetts Florida Maine Vermont
New Jersey#28	19–24–6	Kansas even	New York Florida Pennsylvania California Texas North Carolina Virginia Georgia South Carolina Massachusetts Maryland Delaware Connecticut Arizona Illinois Michigan Ohio Tennessee Washington
New Mexico#49	0–48–1	Louisiana even	Texas Arizona California Colorado Oklahoma
New York#29	19–25–5	New Jersey even	New Jersey Florida Pennsylvania California Connecticut North Carolina Texas Massachusetts Georgia Virginia South Carolina Maryland Illinois Ohio Colorado Washington Michigan Indiana Vermont Arizona Tennessee
North Carolina#23	27–20–2	Indiana even	Florida South Carolina Virginia New York California Georgia Texas Pennsylvania New Jersey Maryland Tennessee Ohio Massachusetts Colorado Michigan Connecticut Indiana Arizona Illinois Washington
North Dakota#5	42–4–3	Utah even	Minnesota South Dakota Montana
Ohio#33	15–29–5	Texas even	Florida Kentucky Texas Pennsylvania Michigan Indiana California North Carolina New York Illinois West Virginia South Carolina Arizona Georgia New Jersey Tennessee Virginia Washington
Oklahoma#43	4–40–5	West Virginia even	Texas California Arkansas Kansas Colorado Florida Missouri New Mexico
Oregon#35	14–31–4	Missouri even	California Washington Texas Arizona Idaho Colorado Florida Nevada
Pennsylvania#25	22–23–4	Tennessee even	New York New Jersey Florida Maryland North Carolina California Virginia Texas Ohio Delaware South Carolina Massachusetts West Virginia Arizona Georgia Illinois Michigan Tennessee Washington
Rhode Island#19	30–18–1	Washington even	Massachusetts Florida Connecticut
South Carolina#36	11–34–4	Alabama even	North Carolina Florida Georgia New York Virginia Pennsylvania California Texas New Jersey Ohio Tennessee
South Dakota#3	46–1–2	Wyoming even	Minnesota Iowa Nebraska North Dakota Wyoming Montana
Tennessee#24	24–23–2	Pennsylvania even	Florida California Georgia Texas Mississippi Kentucky Illinois North Carolina Alabama Virginia Michigan Indiana South Carolina Arkansas Missouri Arizona New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania Washington
Texas#32	15–29–5	Ohio even	California Florida Louisiana Colorado New York Illinois Oklahoma Georgia Arizona Washington Virginia North Carolina New Mexico Arkansas Tennessee Missouri Ohio Pennsylvania Michigan New Jersey Maryland Nevada Mississippi Kansas Indiana Alabama Minnesota Massachusetts Oregon South Carolina Wisconsin Utah Kentucky Iowa Hawaii Connecticut Nebraska Alaska
Utah#6	42–4–3	North Dakota even	California Texas Idaho Arizona Nevada Colorado Washington Florida Wyoming
Vermont#8	42–4–3	Montana even	New York Massachusetts New Hampshire
Virginia#15	34–13–2	Connecticut even	North Carolina Maryland Florida California Texas New York Pennsylvania Georgia South Carolina Tennessee New Jersey West Virginia Colorado Washington Kentucky Arizona Illinois Michigan Ohio
Washington#20	29–18–2	Rhode Island even	California Oregon Texas Arizona Idaho Florida Colorado New York Illinois Virginia Nevada Montana Hawaii Utah Alaska Georgia Michigan New Jersey North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania Tennessee
West Virginia#44	4–41–4	Michigan even	Virginia Ohio Maryland Pennsylvania Kentucky
Wisconsin#11	36–8–5	Minnesota even	Illinois Minnesota Florida Texas California Michigan Arizona Colorado Iowa
Wyoming#2	46–1–2	South Dakota even	Colorado Utah Montana Idaho South Dakota Nebraska

Key takeaways

What all 1,225 matchups say when read together.

New Hampshire wins the most head-to-heads
New Hampshire is ahead of 49 of its 49 opponents on the composite and behind 0, winning 48% of every individual measure it is compared on. Idaho (46–1–2) and Wyoming (46–1–2) follow. Louisiana has the weakest record at 0–48–1.
The pricier state ranks higher in 56% of decided matchups
Price tends to buy something: in 544 of the 966 matchups where both the cost gap and the verdict are material, the more expensive state scores higher overall, usually on income, schools and health. The cheaper state still wins 422 of them (44%), so price is not a proxy for quality in either direction; every comparison shows what a household keeps after costs.
Crossing the Oklahoma–Colorado line cuts costs 15%
The widest cost gap between two bordering states is Colorado (index 103.1) and Oklahoma (87.8). The typical home costs 58% less on the Oklahoma side. A family of four earning $75,000 keeps $40,527 more a year in Oklahoma. Maryland to West Virginia (15%) and Florida to Alabama (14%) are the next biggest border savings.
No income tax lowers the total bill on 27 of 34 tax-line borders
34 bordering pairs have income tax on one side only. The no-income-tax state carries the lower total state and local tax burden in 27 of them, led by New Hampshire vs Vermont (5.9% vs 11.5%), New Hampshire vs Maine (5.9% vs 10.6%), and Wyoming vs Utah (5.8% vs 9.5%). In Texas vs Oklahoma, Washington vs Idaho, and Nevada vs Idaho the taxed neighbor still collects a smaller share of income once property and sales taxes are counted.
Movers into Florida from Illinois earn 187% more than the typical Florida household
14,834 households made the move in the latest IRS release with an average income of $223,120, against a Florida median household income of $77,735. Massachusetts to Florida (+169%) and Connecticut to Florida (+103%) show the same pattern: big corridors carry income into the destination, not just people.
Texas vs Ohio is a genuine split decision
The composite scores are 0.1 points apart, but the lifestyle indexes disagree: Texas is the better fit for remote workers, young professionals, and small business, Ohio for families, retirees, and outdoor enthusiasts. New York vs Maryland splits the same way. When two states are even overall, the "best for" section of the comparison is the one to read.

How the comparisons work

Ahead means better for a resident

Every measure is direction-aware. Lower cost, lower crime, lower taxes and shorter commutes count as ahead; higher income, graduation rates and life expectancy count as ahead. The larger number never wins by default.

Small gaps are called even

A state is only ahead when the gap is material: 2 points on the composite, 3 on a category score, 2 points on the cost of living index, half a percentage point on a rate, about 5% on a crime rate and about 3% on a dollar figure. Ties are shown, not hidden.

The verdict is the composite

Overall verdicts use the composite score: economy 15%, safety, health and education 12% each, affordability 10%, fiscal health 8%, growth, transportation and livability 7% each, outdoor access 6%, environment 4%. The categories and raw measures are all shown so you can weigh them differently. Methodology →

What a pair page contains

A direct answer and the three biggest differences; a 10-row headline table; 11 category scores; cost of living with four household budgets; taxes; housing with a Zillow market snapshot; pay with 20 occupations; safety; schools and health; migration in both directions; six lifestyle indexes; standout cities; all 54 measures; takeaways; ten questions answered.

Frequently asked questions

How do I compare two US states?

Pick any two of the 50 states in the selector at the top of this page and open the comparison. Every one of the 1,225 possible pairs has a page with the same layout: a direct answer, the 11 category scores, then cost of living, taxes, housing, pay, safety, schools and health, migration between the two states, household budgets and lifestyle fit, each as a side-by-side table showing both values, the gap, the US figure and which state is ahead.

Which state wins the most head-to-head comparisons?

New Hampshire wins 49 of its 49 matchups on the composite score, followed by Idaho (46) and Wyoming (46). Louisiana wins the fewest (0), losing 48. A matchup counts as even when the composite scores are within 2 points; the full record for all 50 states is in the head-to-head table on this page.

Which two states are the most evenly matched?

Maryland and Delaware are the closest of all 1,225 matchups, with composite scores of 53.6 and 53.6, identical to a tenth of a point. Across a state line, the closest call is Maryland and Delaware (53.6 vs 53.6), where economy is the category that separates them most. Georgia is even with more states than any other (7 of 49).

What does it mean when a comparison says two states are even?

A state is only called ahead when the gap is material: at least 2 points on the composite score, 3 points on a category score, 2 points on the cost of living index, half a percentage point on a rate, about 5% on a crime rate and about 3% on a dollar figure. Smaller gaps are labeled even so a rounding difference never reads as a winner. 86 of the 1,225 matchups are even overall.

Is a state with no income tax always cheaper than its neighbors?

Not always. Of the 34 bordering pairs where one state levies no income tax, the no-income-tax state has the lower total state and local tax burden in 27, the lower cost of living index in 10, and leaves a family of four earning $75,000 more money after typical costs in 18. Property and sales taxes, housing and childcare fill part of the gap an income tax would leave, so each comparison shows all four tax measures and the household budgets side by side.

Which bordering states have the biggest cost of living gap?

Colorado and Oklahoma: the cost of living index is 103.1 on the Colorado side and 87.8 on the Oklahoma side (US = 100), a 15% gap. The typical home costs 58% less in Oklahoma. Maryland and West Virginia (15%) and Florida and Alabama (14%) are the next widest gaps across a state line.

Can I see how many people move between two states?

Yes. Each comparison shows households moving in each direction from IRS Statistics of Income, with the average income of the movers, and people moving in each direction from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey with the survey's margin of error. The busiest two-way corridors are New York and New Jersey (about 70,492 households), California and Texas (about 69,387 households), and Florida and New York (about 65,198 households).

How is the overall verdict in a comparison decided?

The overall verdict uses the composite score, which weights 11 categories: economy 15%, safety 12%, health 12%, education 12%, affordability 10%, fiscal health 8%, growth 7%, transportation 7%, livability 7%, outdoor access 6% and environment 4%. Every comparison also shows which state leads each category, each raw measure and each of the six lifestyle indexes (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals, small business, and outdoor enthusiasts), so you can weigh the parts differently from the composite.

Where does the comparison data come from, and how current is it?

Each figure is the latest release of its source, rebuilt when the source updates: household income, commuting and migration in people from the Census Bureau; unemployment and occupation wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; crime from FBI estimates; cost of living from the Bureau of Economic Analysis; typical home values, rents and market signals from Zillow Research; taxes from the Tax Foundation and WalletHub; migration in households from IRS Statistics of Income; life expectancy from the CDC. Florida and North Dakota show the FBI's prior-year estimate because the FBI flags their latest year as based on limited data. Every source is cited at the foot of each page.

Does the comparison tool include Washington, DC?

No. The tool compares the 50 states only, because most of the underlying measures (state taxes, fiscal health, state-level crime and school data) are published for states. Washington, DC does appear as an origin or destination inside the migration flows where the IRS reports it, so a state's top origins can include DC. Cities inside each state have their own pages, and the standout-cities table on every comparison links to them.

301 featured matchups are linked from this page; every other pair is one selection away in the picker.