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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 — not a number you see very often, by the way — . Leading the pack: Baltimore at index 96, where median rent of $1,708/month saves renters $2,244/year versus the national median (which, to…
#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 — not a number you see very often, by the way — . Leading the pack: Baltimore at index 96, where median rent of $1,708/month saves renters $2,244/year versus the national median (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities).
Baltimore earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. And on balance, the 96 cost index sits 16 points below the national baseline, and the $59,623 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $187,545 — $279,825 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 88, while Healthcare trails at 99 (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
That number hits differently when you pair it with income. The 1 cities we track in Maryland paint a clearly affordable picture. Average cost index: 96. Median rent: $1,708/month. Household income: $59,623. Maryland is known for DC-adjacent salaries with suburban costs — and the data backs that reputation convincingly.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours (your mileage may vary — literally).
565,239 residents · Maryland
Why Baltimore ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 96 on the cost index, residents save roughly 16% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,708/month while the median household pulls in $59,623/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 88, though Healthcare (99) lags behind. Home prices average $187,545 — $279,825 below the national median.
Cities are ranked by median 1-bedroom rent from Zillow's Observed Rent Index (ZORI). ZORI reflects the median rent across all listed units, not just new leases, providing a more stable and representative figure. 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.