Cost of Living in Maryland
What it costs to live in Maryland, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 6,263,220
- Median household income
- $102,905
- State income tax
- Up to 6.5%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 105.0
What a typical paycheck keeps in Maryland
The typical Maryland worker earns $59,510 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $7,291 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $59,510
- Federal income tax
- −$4,961
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,553
- State income tax
- −$2,463
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$21,612
- Everyday costs
- −$18,630
a year, or $608 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Maryland.
Cost of living in Maryland
Prices across Maryland run 5% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing21% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)3% above the US average
- Utilities11% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)2% above the US average
- All items5% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,801 | $21,612 |
| Food | $506 | $6,072 |
| Transportation | $400 | $4,800 |
| Healthcare | $358 | $4,296 |
| Utilities | $289 | $3,468 |
| Total before taxes | $3,354 | $40,248 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Maryland taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 2% |
| $1,000 | 3% |
| $2,000 | 4% |
| $3,000 | 4.8% |
| $100,000 | 5% |
| $125,000 | 5.3% |
| $150,000 | 5.5% |
| $250,000 | 5.8% |
| $500,000 | 6.3% |
| $1,000,000 | 6.5% |
County and Baltimore City income taxes are in the local tax table.
Taxes on the median household income
$102,905 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$13,809 |
| Payroll taxes | −$7,872 |
| State income tax | −$4,600 |
| Effective tax rate | 25.5% |
Cities in Maryland
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Maryland city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Maryland
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $168,500 | $78,101 |
| Veterinarian | $163,170 | $74,750 |
| Lawyer | $139,110 | $59,636 |
| Pharmacist | $138,990 | $59,559 |
| Software engineer | $138,680 | $59,364 |
| Physician assistant | $137,560 | $58,658 |
| Data scientist | $136,370 | $57,906 |
| Nurse practitioner | $131,110 | $54,588 |
| Mechanical engineer | $122,870 | $49,411 |
| Dental hygienist | $107,830 | $39,604 |
| Occupational therapist | $106,980 | $39,049 |
| Physical therapist | $106,890 | $38,990 |
| Lineman | $106,090 | $38,467 |
| Project manager | $104,040 | $37,126 |
| Civil engineer | $100,680 | $34,921 |
Salary pages in Maryland, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Maryland
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $285,730 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $260,410 |
| Chief Executives | $248,660 |
| Physicians, All Other | $212,080 |
| Physicists | $174,390 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $172,670 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $171,490 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $168,620 |
| Dentists, General | $168,500 |
| Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other | $164,670 |
| Veterinarians | $163,170 |
| Purchasing Managers | $161,470 |
| Computer Network Architects | $159,460 |
| Managers, All Other | $159,040 |
| Financial Managers | $158,750 |
Living in Maryland
Maryland against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Maryland | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $436,300 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,721 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 9.1% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 44.7% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 32.3 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 15.6% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Maryland with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Maryland?
Prices in Maryland are 5% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,801 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,553 a month.
Does Maryland have a state income tax?
Yes. Maryland's income tax rate is up to 6.5%. On a typical wage of $59,510, a single filer pays about $2,463 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Maryland?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $49,900 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Maryland earns $59,510 and keeps $7,291 after those costs.
Where in Maryland does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Maryland cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Baltimore ($8,848 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Annapolis ($2,817).
What jobs pay the most in Maryland?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Maryland goes to Family Medicine Physicians ($285,730); General Internal Medicine Physicians ($260,410); Chief Executives ($248,660) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate