Rank #6 · MD
Maryland
Maryland's high cost is concentrated in DC-suburb counties — Montgomery, Howard, Prince George's — where federal-worker wages and tight housing inventories elevate prices well above the rest of the Mid-Atlantic.
Cost index
124
Housing index
154
Median home
$425K
1BR rent
$1,750
Median income
$98K
Top income tax
5.75%
Sales tax
6%
Avg. gas
$3.42
Cost breakdown by category
All values indexed to 100 = US average.
Housing154
Groceries109.9
Utilities110.7
Transportation105.4
Healthcare90.6
Why Maryland is expensive
- 01DC-area housing demand spilling into Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville.
- 02Local ('piggyback') income taxes on top of state tax (up to 3.2%).
- 03High auto-insurance premiums in Baltimore and PG County.
- 04Premium suburban school districts capitalized into home prices.
Metro snapshots
Bethesda
Median home ~$1.05M; among the wealthiest US zip codes.
Baltimore
Median home ~$215K; lowest in the state.
Frederick
Growing commuter alternative; median home ~$465K.
More affordable alternatives in Maryland
HagerstownSalisburyCumberland
Pro tips
Surviving Maryland on a budget
- →Counties west of Frederick offer DC-commute MARC access at half the housing cost.
- →Maryland 529 contributions deduct up to $2,500 per beneficiary, per account holder.
- →Shop auto insurance every renewal — Baltimore-area rates vary widely by carrier.