State comparison
Maryland vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Washington costs a median household about $2,000 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 6 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 8 categories
Taxes: Maryland vs Washington
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. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.97% of home value a year in Maryland and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $4,074 against $4,788, so Washington has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.00% in Maryland and 9.38% in Washington; Maryland is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $8,906 a year in Maryland, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Maryland's cost of living index is 116 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Maryland is about 1% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $420K in Maryland and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $150K gap in Maryland's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,950 a month in Maryland and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $1,600 a year in Maryland and $900 in Washington, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 468 incidents per 100,000 residents in Maryland and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Washington is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 35% lower. Property crime is 1,734 per 100,000 in Maryland against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring Maryland.
Health
Life expectancy is 77.4 years in Maryland and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.9-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Maryland's health system 12th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
6.5% of Maryland residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Washington. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Maryland's K-12 schools 4th in the country and Washington's 7th, 3 places apart in Maryland's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Maryland went to Harris by 24 points and Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
Maryland has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Washington has shall-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 $15.00 an hour in Maryland and $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Maryland (hurricane, flood) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood), so Maryland is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 40 in Maryland and 40 in Washington (under 50 is good).
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
6
Maryland
8
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Maryland or Washington better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Washington on taxes ($6,887 a year for a median household against $8,906); Maryland on everyday costs (index 116 against 117); Washington on safety (347 violent crimes per 100,000 against 468); Maryland on schools (ranked 4th against 7th).
Which is cheaper, Maryland or Washington?
Maryland is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 116 against 117. The median home is $420K in Maryland and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $2,000 a year.
Does Maryland or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. 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 $6,887 in Washington ($0 income tax, $4,788 property tax on the median home and $2,099 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Maryland or Washington?
Washington, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 468 per 100,000 residents in Maryland and 347 in Washington; property crime is 1,734 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, Maryland or Washington?
Maryland. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Maryland 4th of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th.
Is Maryland or Washington better for retirees?
Washington is friendlier to retirees on paper. Maryland does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax; Washington does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $4,074 a year in Maryland and $4,788 in Washington.