Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Maryland's value. And depending on your situation, 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Baltimore at index 96, where median rent of $1,708/month saves renters $2,244/year versus the national median (not adjusted for inflatio…
Dollar for dollar, few states match Maryland's value. And depending on your situation, 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Baltimore at index 96, where median rent of $1,708/month saves renters $2,244/year versus the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Here's Baltimore by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 96. Rent: $1,708/month. Income: $59,623/year. Home price: $187,545. Population: 565,239. The strongest category is Utilities at 88; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,244 per year vs. the national median. Over thirty years of homeownership, the property tax savings alone are staggering.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Baltimore (index 96, rent $1,708). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
And here's what ties it all together: Maryland — DC-adjacent salaries with suburban costs. And depending on your situation, the 1 cities we track here average a cost index of 96 and median income of $59,623. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,708/month, which is $187 less than the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling). That's not nothing.
Bottom line: Baltimore leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1 Ranked: Baltimore — cost index 96, rent $1,708/mo, income $59,623
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
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: 96. Rent: $1,708/month. Income: $59,623/year. Home price: $187,545. Population: 565,239. The strongest category is Utilities at 88; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,244 per year vs. the national median. When healthcare costs are this low, the savings ripple across every other category.
Cities are ranked by overall cost of living index in ascending order. This index weights housing (Zillow ZORI rent data) most heavily, with food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare sub-indices providing a composite picture. A score of 80 means overall costs are 20% below the national median. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Baltimore ranks #1 in Maryland for this analysis with a cost index of 96 and 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.