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Maryland

D+24  ·  High tax burden  ·  COL index 116

C+

5.75%

Income Tax

468

Violent Crime / 100K

77.4

Life Expectancy

$420K

Median Home

$1,850

Childcare / Mo

State Profile

66/100
255075100TAXES52SAFETY47HEALTH78SCHOOLS94AFFORDABLE65LONGEVITY62

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Taxes

Income Tax

5.75% top

Property Tax

~$4,074/yr on median home

0.97% / yr

Sales Tax

6% avg

Social Security

Exempt

Pension / IRA

Partial

Estate Tax

Both estate AND inheritance tax

Yes — $5M exemption

Inheritance Tax

⚠ Your heirs pay this tax on what you leave them — even if you have no estate tax. PA charges 4.5% to children from dollar one.

Yes

Capital Gains

Taxed as income

Housing & Cost of Living

Cost of Living Index

National avg = 100

116

Median Home Price

$420,000

Median Rent (2BR)

$1,950/mo

Home Insurance

Near national avg (~$1,900/yr)

$1,600/yr

Flood Insurance

$800/yr

Homestead Exemption

Home equity protected from creditors

Unlimited

Asset Protection

Strong

Crime & Safety

Violent Crime Rate

Near national avg

468 / 100K

Property Crime Rate

Near national avg

1,734 / 100K

Traffic Fatality Rate

8.2 / 100K

Healthcare

State Healthcare Rank

#12 of 50

Life Expectancy

77.4 yrs

Medicaid Expansion

Expanded

Uninsured Rate

6.5%

Education

K-12 Quality Rank

Top 10 nationally

#4 of 50

School Choice / Vouchers

Not Available

Childcare

Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)

Very expensive (national avg ~$1,200)

$1,850/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

Avg Monthly Energy Bill

$145/mo

Avg Monthly Groceries

2-person household, moderate spending

$580/mo

Road Quality Rank

#33 of 50

Airports & Travel

Nonstop Destinations

From state's primary airport

90+ routes

Major Hub Airport

Top-25 US airport by passengers

Yes

Culture & Lifestyle

Urban Population

Highly urban — big city feel

87% urban

Restaurant Density

490/100K

Religious Congregations

175/100K

Pro Sports Teams

NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS

4 teams

Major Venues

Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)

6 venues

Craft Breweries

2.5/100K residents — Solid scene

155 breweries

Craft Distilleries

40 distilleries

Live Music

Baltimore crab shack culture; Rams Head venues; Heavy Seas and Union craft nationally known

Decent

Transportation

Car Insurance (Avg Annual)

$2,040

Traffic Fatality Rate

8.2 / 100K

Broadband Access

94% of households

Social & Legal

Abortion Access

Legal to viability; state constitution protection

Protected

LGBTQ+ Protections

Comprehensive

Marijuana

Recreational

Minimum Wage

$15/hr

Right to Work

No

Sports Betting

Legal

Casino Gambling

Commercial casinos

Online Gambling

Legal

State Lottery

6 commercial casinos including MGM National Harbor. Online casino gambling launched 2023.

Yes

Age of Consent

16

Sex Education

Sex ed required by state

Comprehensive

Medically Accurate Required

Yes

Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs

Pine Tree Associates (Sandy Spring) · Chesapeake Naturists

Clubs only

Environment & Climate

Air Quality (Annual AQI)

Near national avg

40

Natural Disaster Risk

Moderate

Primary Hazards

hurricaneflood

Politics & Gun Laws

2024 Presidential Vote

D+24

Gun Laws

Gun ControlA
2A LibertyF

Carry Permit

May-issue

Purchase Permit Required

No

Gambling

Legal

Jobs & Economy

Job Market

+1.3% job growth · 2.9% unemployment

Strong

Top Industries

GovernmentHealthcareTechnology

Tech Jobs

Strong tech presence

#7 of 50

Healthcare Jobs

#7 of 50

Remote Work

High remote work culture

32% of workers

Median Household Income

$98,461

Business Climate

Corporate Income Tax

High corporate rate — plan entity structure carefully

8.25%

LLC Formation Fee

$100 one-time

LLC Annual Fee

$300/yr

Business Climate Rank

#42 of 50

Daily Life

Gas Price (Regular)

Near avg (-0.04 vs national avg)

$3.26/gal

Consumer Fireworks

Sparklers only in some counties; other consumer fireworks banned

Restricted

Weather & Natural Risks

Winter Severity

Avg January high: 43°F

Moderate

Summer Heat

Moderate summers

87°F avg July

Annual Rainfall

44" / yr

Tornado Risk

Low

Hurricane Risk

Moderate

Wildfire Risk

Very Low

Flood Risk

Moderate

Natural Hazards

31MODERATE danger
Copperhead presenceEEE and West Nile zoneSea level rise (Chesapeake Bay)

Venomous Snakes

Moderate

Spider Hazard

Moderate

Hurricane Risk

Moderate

Tornado Risk

Low

Wildfire Risk

Low

Earthquake Risk

Low

Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗

Veteran Benefits

Veteran-Friendly Score

7.9% of state population are veterans

58/100

Property Tax Exemption

100% disabled: full property tax exempt

Partial

Military Retirement Pay

Taxed

Active Duty Pay

Tax Exempt

VA Facilities Access

Excellent

Notable Benefits

Military retirement exempt up to $15,000

Explore Maryland counties

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Compare Similar States

MD vs WA

Maryland vs Washington

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MD vs CT

Maryland vs Connecticut

COL 116 vs 114 · 5.75% vs 6.99% income tax

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MD vs NH

Maryland vs New Hampshire

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MD vs RI

Maryland vs Rhode Island

COL 116 vs 114 · 5.75% vs 5.99% income tax

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Trending in Maryland

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Services Celebrate UPLIFT Funding to Westport Development - Maryland.gov

Maryland.gov · Jul 23

State Senator questions $440K affordable housing unit price tag - WMAR 2 News Baltimore

WMAR 2 News Baltimore · Jul 22

Womack joins Maryland governor, others on Baltimore bridge tour - The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · Jul 20

Maryland Governor calls federal education scholarship program a "tax scheme" - WBFF

WBFF · Jul 22

Transit-oriented development planned for Bowie State, but it could take years to complete - Maryland Matters

Maryland Matters · Jul 22

What Residents Say

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Stay Current

Get notified when Maryland tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.

Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.

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Quick Profiles

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable