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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Maryland is a genuine bargain: 1 of the 1 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Pretty standard for this type of city. Baltimore leads at an index of 100 with rent at just $1,708/month — 10% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from …
Maryland is a genuine bargain: 1 of the 1 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. Pretty standard for this type of city. Baltimore leads at an index of 100 with rent at just $1,708/month — 10% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
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. For dual-income households, this multiplies into serious savings (your mileage may vary — literally).
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. And on balance, baltimore (index 100, rent $1,708). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
It's a strong position — but not without footnotes. The 1 cities we track in Maryland paint a clearly affordable picture. Average cost index: 100. 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.
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
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
565,239 residents · Maryland
Baltimore earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. And as far as the data shows, the 100 cost index sits 11 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, Healthcare leads the way at 100, while Healthcare trails at 100. Not flashy. Just effective.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Baltimore | 5.75% | 6% | 0.87% | $43,463 |
Cities are ranked by median household income from Census ACS data. We also show cost-adjusted purchasing power (income ÷ cost index) to reveal which high-income cities actually deliver the most real-world spending power. 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 100 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.