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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Maryland's value. 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.
#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
Dollar for dollar, few states match Maryland's value. 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.
Look, the numbers for Baltimore are straightforward: 96 on the cost index, $1,708/month rent, $59,623 income. And most of the time, not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. Nothing too surprising there.
The housing sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 90 (the top-10 average here) means housing costs are about 10% below the national median. Baltimore leads at 90. Note: a low housing index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below. There's an argument to be made — and I think the data supports it — that the cities getting all the attention right now are exactly the wrong places to move. The spotlight drives migration, migration drives demand, demand drives costs, and eventually the value proposition disappears. Meanwhile, cities like this one keep quietly being affordable, and the people who find them early are the ones who benefit most.
Still, the overall picture holds: Maryland — DC-adjacent salaries with suburban costs. 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).
Here's the thing: What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And depending on your situation, 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.
565,239 residents · Maryland
So, Baltimore. Cost index of 96, rent at $1,708/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $59,623, which is below the national median. Nothing too surprising there. No gimmicks — just good numbers.
Cities are ranked by their housing cost sub-index within Maryland. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. 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.
Baltimore, MD has the lowest housing index at 90, compared to the national average of 100.
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.