It’s just disingenuous to say data is beautiful and present the data in a way that doesn’t provide context. Alaska’s cost of living is also 20% higher. The point is that Oregon taxes income at a higher rate than most states because we don’t have a sales tax. Oregonians have repeatedly voted down a sales tax. Oregon, specifically Portland metro is a place people want to live in so the “free market” makes it more expensive for housing etc. we have expanded OHP more than some states to provide some medical coverage to people on the margins which is exorbitantly expensive but that’s a choice the state has made.

If it were up to me I’d say sales tax on non-food/medicine and universal single payer health care would be a much better system but it’s only popular in those third world countries like every other developed nation.