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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
No second income to fall back on. Our model scored 1 cities in Maryland on solo-living metrics. Baltimore leads at index 100 with rent of $1,708/mo.
No second income to fall back on. Our model scored 1 cities in Maryland on solo-living metrics. Baltimore leads at index 100 with rent of $1,708/mo.
The #1 spot goes to Baltimore, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,708/month — saving renters $2,244 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 100, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 100. The 34% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
#1 Ranked: Baltimore — cost index 100, rent $1,708/mo, income $59,623
Singles scoring: rent $1,708/mo (solo housing), cost index 100, population 565,239 — livability on one income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
565,239 residents · Maryland
Here's Baltimore by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 100. Rent: $1,708/month. Income: $59,623/year. Home price: $187,545. Population: 565,239. The strongest category is Healthcare at 100; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,244 per year vs. the national median. This is the kind of number that should get your attention.
Baltimore ranks #1 in Maryland for this analysis with a cost index of 100 and median income of $59,623.
Baltimore scores highest for singles due to its strong income potential, median rent of $1,708/mo, and competitive median income of $59,623.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Baltimore is $1,708/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $187 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Baltimore is $187,545, which is 3.1× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Maryland has a 5.75% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.87%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.