State comparison
California vs Maryland: which state is better to live in?
Maryland costs a median household about $2,100 a year less in state and local taxes than California, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $4,074 a year against $5,609 in California.
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 3 categories
Maryland
High tax burden · COL index 116
Wins 12 categories
Taxes: California vs Maryland
California has a graduated income tax topping out at 13.3%, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,375 a year. Maryland has a graduated income tax topping out at 5.75%, which works out to 4.7% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,490 a year. California wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.71% of home value a year in California and 0.97% in Maryland (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $5,609 against $4,074, so California has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.82% in California and 6.00% in Maryland; Maryland is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $10,957 a year in California, $8,906 in Maryland. Maryland is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
California's cost of living index is 142 and Maryland's is 116, where 100 is the national average; Maryland is about 22% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $790K in California and $420K in Maryland (Zillow, 2024), a $370K gap in Maryland's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,300 a month in California and $1,950 in Maryland.
Home insurance averages $2,100 a year in California and $1,600 in Maryland, so Maryland is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 499 incidents per 100,000 residents in California and 468 in Maryland (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Maryland is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 7% lower. Property crime is 2,027 per 100,000 in California against 1,734 in Maryland, again favoring Maryland.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.2 years in California and 77.4 in Maryland (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.8-year edge for California. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks California's health system 13th of 50 and Maryland's 12th, so Maryland scores better on care.
6.8% of California residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Maryland, which favors Maryland. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California's K-12 schools 20th in the country and Maryland's 4th, 16 places apart in Maryland's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election California went to Harris by 20 points and Maryland went to Harris by 24 points.
California has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Maryland has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $16.00 an hour in California and $15.00 in Maryland.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in California (wildfire, earthquake, drought) and moderate in Maryland (hurricane, flood), so Maryland is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 62 in California and 40 in Maryland (under 50 is good), favoring Maryland.
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
3
California
12
Maryland
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is California or Maryland better to live in?
Maryland wins more of the measures that decide a move. Maryland on taxes ($8,906 a year for a median household against $10,957); Maryland on everyday costs (index 116 against 142); Maryland on safety (468 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); Maryland on schools (ranked 4th against 20th).
Which is cheaper, California or Maryland?
Maryland is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 116 against 142. The median home is $790K in California and $420K in Maryland (2024). On state and local taxes Maryland saves a median household about $2,100 a year.
Does California or Maryland have lower taxes?
Maryland. A household earning $74,580 pays about $10,957 a year in California ($3,375 income tax, $5,609 property tax on the median home and $1,973 in sales tax) and $8,906 in Maryland ($3,490 income tax, $4,074 property tax on the median home and $1,342 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, California or Maryland?
Maryland, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 499 per 100,000 residents in California and 468 in Maryland; property crime is 2,027 against 1,734.
Which has better schools, California or Maryland?
Maryland. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California 20th of 50 for K-12 and Maryland 4th.
Is California or Maryland better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. California does not tax Social Security, taxes pensions as income and has no estate or inheritance tax; Maryland does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $5,609 a year in California and $4,074 in Maryland.