State cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Cost of Living in Maryland
Statewide Regional Price Parities for Maryland from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100, across 4 metro areas.
- 105.0
- Statewide RPP
- #8
- of 51 states by cost
- 121.1
- Rents RPP
- 4
- Metro areas
Maryland ranks #8 of 51 states by cost, and its statewide price index has fallen 3.9 points since 2008.
- falling since 2008
- rose +0.4 points in the 2023-2024 release
- similar cost to New Hampshire
The verdict
Maryland is more expensive than 84% of U.S. states, a statewide cost index of 105.0, 5.0% above the national average.
- Rents
- furthest category from 100, at 121.1
- New Hampshire
- closest statewide cost peer, 0.8 points away
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
- highest-cost metro, 104.5
- Hagerstown-Martinsburg
- lowest-cost metro, 94.2
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $95,275 when earned in Maryland.
Reading the Maryland Cost of Living Picture
Maryland clusters near the national line with New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut as its closest statewide peers. In that near-par lane, the component mix matters more than the small headline distance from 100. Its category range is 18.6 points: large enough to separate housing-sensitive and service-heavy budgets, but not a single-component outlier.
Maryland captures 4 metro areas in the BEA dataset, and the range across them is meaningful. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD leads on cost at 104.5, while Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV sits at the opposite end at 94.2 - a gap of 10.3 index points inside a single state. For goods the state indexes at 102.5, for services 110.9, and for rents 121.1. Rents run 16.1 points above the statewide index here, so housing is carrying this state's cost position; the goods and services lines would place it noticeably cheaper on their own.
Over time, Maryland's statewide index has eased by 3.9 points, narrowing the premium versus lower-cost states. Practically, this means a $100,000 national salary delivers the purchasing power of about $95,275 of national buying power when earned inside Maryland, and a household relocating here would need roughly $104,959 to reproduce a $100K lifestyle. With 4 reporting metros inside the state, treat this figure as the midpoint of a range rather than a quote for any one address.
Maryland vs every U.S. state
Where this state sits in the national cost distribution
105 Top 16% higher than 84% of 51 US states
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Maryland's overall RPP rose +0.4 points, from 104.6 in 2023 to 105.0 in 2024. The largest category move was services, changing from 108.7 to 110.9. RPP is a relative price index, so this reports a change against the national benchmark rather than a household's dollar bill.
Metro areas in Maryland, ranked by cost
| # | Metro area | Overall | Goods | Services | Rents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | 104.5 | 102.4 | 110.2 | 118.2 |
| 2 | Lexington Park | 100.8 | 99.7 | 106.4 | 103.8 |
| 3 | Salisbury | 95.6 | 96.6 | 102.8 | 87.2 |
| 4 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg | 94.2 | 96.4 | 95.7 | 75.7 |
The Rents RPP index measures housing costs relative to the national average (100). For the federal 40th-percentile Fair Market Rent by bedroom size and county, see the HUD Fair Market Rents dataset.
Maryland RPP history, 2008–2024
The statewide index has fallen 3.9 points from 2008 to 2024. The line shows every retained BEA release against the national benchmark of 100; the table preserves the component detail.
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 108.8 |
| 2009 | 110.4 |
| 2010 | 108.4 |
| 2011 | 109.3 |
| 2012 | 107.4 |
| 2013 | 108.5 |
| 2014 | 107.9 |
| 2015 | 107.9 |
| 2016 | 107.2 |
| 2017 | 106.8 |
| 2018 | 106.3 |
| 2019 | 105.1 |
| 2020 | 106.4 |
| 2021 | 106.1 |
| 2022 | 104.9 |
| 2023 | 104.6 |
| 2024 | 105.0 |
What this means in Maryland
The statewide index is a starting point, cost varies metro to metro within Maryland.
- Don't rely on the state figure alone: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson (104.5) and Hagerstown-Martinsburg (94.2) sit 10 index points apart inside Maryland. Check your specific metro.
- Rents index at 121.1 (21.1% above average) - the largest swing in the RPP. Review the housing line before any relocation decision. Highest rents
- Weighing Maryland against another state? Convert your salary to local purchasing power first. Salary calculator
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark (national average = 100) for the data year shown, pair it with local wages and current rents before deciding.
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Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive rankings, cost of living vs wages, and how BEA constructs RPP data.
States with Similar Cost of Living
These states have RPP indices closest to Maryland, making them useful peers for relocation or budget comparison.
Nationwide states with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Maryland: nearest states by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are labelled nationwide neighborhoods, distinct from the closest-RPP list above.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest states by overall regional price parity (105.0 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest states by rents regional price parity (121.1 here).
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Maryland sit versus the national cost-of-living line?
Maryland has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 105.0, meaning it is 5.0% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 102.5, services at 110.9, and rents at 121.1.
What salary in Maryland equals $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $104,959 in Maryland. Conversely, $100K earned in Maryland has the purchasing power of $95,275 at the national average.
Is housing what makes Maryland expensive?
Rents in Maryland are indexed at 121.1, which is 21.1% above the national average. Housing costs are significantly higher than typical U.S. levels.
Which is the most expensive metro in Maryland?
The most expensive metro area in Maryland is Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD with an RPP of 104.5. The most affordable is Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV at 94.2. There are 4 metro areas in Maryland with BEA price data.
Has Maryland gotten more affordable over time?
From 2008 to 2024, Maryland's overall cost index changed by -3.9 points (from 108.8 to 105.0). The cost of living has been declining.
What is most expensive in Maryland compared to the U.S. average?
The most expensive category in Maryland is rents at 121.1, which is 21.1% above the national average. All other categories are at or above the national average.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.