Major Cities and Their Unique Characteristics

Baltimore grabs headlines first. According to the United States Census Bureau and population data, the city’s population stabilized at about 568,000 in 2024 after a decade of slow decline, a point Mayor Brandon Scott touts as proof that new harbor-side biotech labs and Port Covington redevelopment are working.

Annapolis, the colonial-era capital, feels like a maritime stage set of brick rowhouses and midshipmen in dress whites; its 40,812 residents enjoy a six-figure median household income that rivals many D.C. suburbs.

Frederick offers craft-beer warehouses, mountain vistas, and a commuter MARC line back into the capital, while towns and cities like Silver Spring, Bethesda, and Rockville (some of the best places to live in Maryland) operate as quasi-urban satellites—dense downtowns wrapped by leafy cul-de-sacs, their nightlife powered by Red Line trains.

Exploring the Appalachian Mountains

If you value spending time outdoors, Western Maryland is another planet altogether. Hoye Crest rises 3,360 feet atop Backbone Mountain—Maryland’s roof and the trailhead for endless biker selfies. 

Just north sits Deep Creek Lake, a four-season resort where skiers trade stories with wakeboarders at Wisp’s mountaintop bar; the tourism bureau bills it as a “unique four-season destination,” and that’s not marketing fluff when powder days and 75 °F boat rides happen six weeks apart.

Hikers knock out the entire Maryland stretch of the scenic Appalachian Trail—about 40 miles—in a long weekend, thanks to gentle ridgelines and B&Bs.

Pros of Living in Maryland

Access to Major Urban Areas

Marylanders boast the easiest weekend-trip flex on the East Coast. It's in close proximity to Washington D.C. (approximately 40 minutes), Philadelphia lies 90 minutes up I-95, and New York is a $49 Amtrak fare if you book early. 

BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport’s low-cost Southwest hub puts 90 percent of the U.S. population within a three-hour flight.

Commuters ride MARC into Union Station in about 55 minutes from Baltimore’s Penn Station—cheaper than parking a car downtown every day.

Thriving Economy

Biotech, cybersecurity, and federal contracting bankroll the state’s paychecks. 2024 gross state product crossed $542 billion for the first time, according to the Federal Reserve’s MDNGSP series—up 5 percent from 2023 despite inflation jitters.

Unemployment sat at 3.1 percent in April 2025, tying Maryland for the 7th-lowest rate nationwide and beating the national 4.2 percent average.

Median household income hovers above $101,000, fourth-highest in the nation.

Translation: good job opportunities in STEM and government adjacent, plus a deep bench of nonprofit posts for do-gooders.

Top Schools

Maryland is home to some of the country's top schools that consistently rank among the best. Parents obsess over school boundaries here—and for good reason. Montgomery County Public Schools lands on Niche’s “Best School Districts in Maryland” top-five list every year, with 25+ magnet programs feeding elite STEM competitions.

Statewide, seven districts crack Niche’s top-100 national list, and the University of Maryland ranks 17th among public universities in U.S. News’ 2025 tables.

Toss in Johns Hopkins University for med-tech prestige and you’ve got brainpower from kindergarten through Ph.D.

Rich Historical and Cultural Attractions

History buffs trip over artifacts at every turn. Fort McHenry—the birthplace of “The Star-Spangled Banner”—logs more than 600,000 visitors annually, rivaling some national parks.

Annapolis still hosts colonial candlelight tours, while Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad sites dot the Eastern Shore.

Modern culture thrives too: Baltimore’s Artscape festival draws 350,000 music fans, and D.C. spillover gives Montgomery County a year-round calendar of Michelin-star dinners and Ethiopian jazz nights.

Proximity to Beaches for Summer Getaways

When July humidity strikes, locals gun the Chesapeake Bay Bridge toward Ocean City. That slender barrier island swells to as many as eight million visitors each summer, effectively making it Maryland’s second-largest “city” on holiday weekends.

Want more elbow room? Drive 10 minutes south to Assateague Island, where wild ponies graze dunes at sunrise.

Eastern Shore bayside towns like St. Michaels offer crab-house decks and sailing charters without the boardwalk chaos.

Cons of Living in Maryland

High Property Taxes and Cost of Living

The flip side to high salaries is sticker shock. Maryland’s effective property-tax rate averages 0.90 percent—middle-of-the-pack nationally but painful when median home values break $400K.

The Missouri Economic Research & Information Center pegs the state’s overall cost-of-living index at 114.9, housing at a bruising 133.8 in early 2025. 

Expect to feed the parking meter too: Baltimore now charges $2 an hour downtown, and Montgomery County tacks on extra for electric-car charging spots.

Humidity and Hot Summers: A Disadvantage?

Maryland is know for being hot and humid during the summer months. Weather here earns the nickname “America in Miniature,” but the downside is that July feels like a wet blanket. 

Baltimore’s average July relative humidity hits 84 percent, among the highest for major U.S. cities. Highs hover near 88 °F, and the heat index regularly cracks triple digits east of I-95. 

Challenges with Public Transportation

Metro’s rail network stops at the state line for much of suburban Maryland, forcing commuters onto buses or expensive MARC passes. The long-promised Purple Line light rail is now delayed until 2027 and more than $4 billion over budget, according to state officials seeking another $425 million infusion.

WMATA hopes a $5.6 billion automation revamp will fix service hiccups, but funding wrangling among D.C., Maryland, and Virginia leaves riders skeptical.

In rural counties, your “public transit” might be a commuter van that runs twice daily—plan on a car if you live west of Hagerstown or south of the Bay Bridge.

Is Moving to Maryland Right for You?

Evaluating Your Lifestyle Preferences

Ask yourself three questions. One: Can you stomach humidity—or at least budget for central A/C? Two: Do you value blue-ribbon schools and high-paying jobs enough to offset mortgage and tax bills? Three: Do you need mountains, beaches, and two pro-sports cities all within a three-hour drive?

If the answers tilt yes, you should consider calling Maryland home.

Comparing Maryland to Other States

Versus Virginia, Maryland trades slightly lower real-estate taxes for steeper income levies and less sprawl.

New Jersey beats it on Atlantic-City-style boardwalk buzz but wallops wallets with a property-tax rate above 2 percent, more than double Maryland’s.

Pennsylvania offers cheaper beer and no tax on retirement income, but median household earnings run $17K lower.

Making the Decision: Factors to Consider

Map daily commutes, weigh school rankings against housing costs, and visit on a sticky August weekend—not a mild April Saturday—before you sign a lease. Factor in hurricane-remnant flood insurance on the coast and snow-belt tires west of Cumberland. Maryland rewards residents who lean into its micro-regions: sail in summer, snowboard in January, and download every transit app you can find.

Final Thoughts on Life in Maryland 

Maryland compresses more lifestyle choices than states triple its size. Maryland is a great place to live if you value kayaking alongside wild ponies, catching an Orioles game under Camden Yards lights, and still making an evening Zoom call with colleagues in Europe thanks to East Coast time zones.

The trade-offs—humid summers, traffic that renders I-95 a parking lot, and taxes that sting—are real.

But for many Maryland residents, the proximity to Washington DC and other major cities, upside of six-figure paychecks, A-plus schools, and “weekend in any direction” geography outweighs the headaches. If this sounds like you, consider moving to Maryland!

Maryland FAQs

Is Maryland really that expensive?

Housing and childcare drive the pain. The state’s overall cost-of-living index is 14 percent above the U.S. average with housing 33 percent higher; groceries and utilities sit closer to national medians 

How bad are the taxes in Maryland?

Maryland mixes a flat statewide property-tax whisper with hefty county add-ons. The effective rate averages 0.90 percent, but Montgomery and Prince George’s counties edge over 1.1 percent on $700K colonials.

Do I need flood insurance near the Chesapeake?

If you’re within FEMA’s 100-year zone—common along Anne Arundel’s shoreline—your lender will require it. Premiums vary by elevation, but budget $600-$1,200 annually for peace of mind.

Can I live in Maryland without a car?

In Baltimore’s Inner Harbor or Bethesda’s downtown core, yes—MTA buses, Light Rail, and Metro will handle errands. In most suburban or rural zip codes, a vehicle remains non-negotiable until the Purple Line and county BRT routes finally materialize in 2027 +.