Having personally lived in many of the high tax and low tax places in Canada and the US, I have never really understood the focus on taxes when it comes to places to live. Sure at the extremes it could theoretically make a difference, but for most places the difference is not that much. Especially when you factor in actually living there, most of the costs balance out anyways.
For example I currently live in the US, and my federal/state taxes are lower than in Canada. But when I add what I pay for healthcare, property tax, and road/bridge tolls, it is a wash or more expensive for my base life costs here. With paying for private school because the public ones here are so underfunded and horrible, I am actually paying a lot more to live here than I did to live in Canada. Even in the states, moving from Texas to California, the tax differences were an absolute non factor for me.
What really matters to me is the place itself. Are there the climate and amenities right for what me and my family want to do? Does the city have good communities for the hobbies you+family are interested in? Does the city have a large base of the type of employment you are interested in? Different cities have different personalities, find the one that is right for you.
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