State comparison
Maryland vs New Hampshire: which state is better to live in?
New Hampshire costs a median household about $720 a year less in state and local taxes than Maryland, mostly because it has no income tax.
Maryland
High tax burden · COL index 116
Wins 4 categories
New Hampshire
Low tax burden · COL index 114
Wins 12 categories
Taxes: Maryland vs New Hampshire
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. New Hampshire has no state income tax. New Hampshire wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.97% of home value a year in Maryland and 1.86% in New Hampshire (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $4,074 against $8,184, so Maryland has the lower rate.
New Hampshire has no sales tax; combined state and local sales tax averages 6.00% in Maryland.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $8,906 a year in Maryland, $8,184 in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Maryland's cost of living index is 116 and New Hampshire's is 114, where 100 is the national average; New Hampshire is about 2% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $420K in Maryland and $440K in New Hampshire (Zillow, 2024), a $20K gap in Maryland's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,950 a month in Maryland and $1,750 in New Hampshire.
Home insurance averages $1,600 a year in Maryland and $950 in New Hampshire, so New Hampshire is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 468 incidents per 100,000 residents in Maryland and 167 in New Hampshire (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New Hampshire is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 180% lower. Property crime is 1,734 per 100,000 in Maryland against 1,150 in New Hampshire, again favoring New Hampshire.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.4 years in Maryland and 79.7 in New Hampshire (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 2.3-year edge for New Hampshire. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Maryland's health system 12th of 50 and New Hampshire's 6th, so New Hampshire scores better on care.
6.5% of Maryland residents have no health insurance against 6.3% in New Hampshire, which favors New Hampshire. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Maryland's K-12 schools 4th in the country and New Hampshire's 5th, 1 places apart in Maryland's favor. New Hampshire runs a school-choice voucher program; Maryland does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Maryland went to Harris by 24 points and New Hampshire was a swing state decided by 2 points.
Maryland has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; New Hampshire has permitless carry and a grade of F, so Maryland regulates guns more tightly and New Hampshire is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in Maryland and legal with limits in New Hampshire, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $15.00 an hour in Maryland and $7.25 in New Hampshire.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Maryland (hurricane, flood) and low in New Hampshire (blizzard, flood), so New Hampshire is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 40 in Maryland and 27 in New Hampshire (under 50 is good), favoring New Hampshire.
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
4
Maryland
12
New Hampshire
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Maryland or New Hampshire better to live in?
New Hampshire wins more of the measures that decide a move. New Hampshire on taxes ($8,184 a year for a median household against $8,906); New Hampshire on everyday costs (index 114 against 116); New Hampshire on safety (167 violent crimes per 100,000 against 468); Maryland on schools (ranked 4th against 5th).
Which is cheaper, Maryland or New Hampshire?
New Hampshire is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 114 against 116. The median home is $420K in Maryland and $440K in New Hampshire (2024). On state and local taxes New Hampshire saves a median household about $720 a year.
Does Maryland or New Hampshire have lower taxes?
New Hampshire. A household earning $74,580 pays about $8,906 a year in Maryland ($3,490 income tax, $4,074 property tax on the median home and $1,342 in sales tax) and $8,184 in New Hampshire ($0 income tax, $8,184 property tax on the median home and $0 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Maryland or New Hampshire?
New Hampshire, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 468 per 100,000 residents in Maryland and 167 in New Hampshire; property crime is 1,734 against 1,150.
Which has better schools, Maryland or New Hampshire?
Maryland. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Maryland 4th of 50 for K-12 and New Hampshire 5th. New Hampshire also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Maryland or New Hampshire better for retirees?
New Hampshire is friendlier to retirees on paper. Maryland does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax; New Hampshire does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $4,074 a year in Maryland and $8,184 in New Hampshire.