State relocation profile · Federal data
Maryland
Maryland sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 105.0
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,657
- 2BR rent / mo
- $79,476
- Median salary
- 35.3
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Maryland ranks #49 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (35.3/100, F), with its strongest marks in wages and schools.
- #49 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 35.3
- Life Score · F
- 105.0
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $79,476
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: cost of living (14/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Maryland ranks #49 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 105.0 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,657/mo, median salary $79,476; Life Score 35.3/100 (F), strongest in wages and schools.
Signature: Life Score 35.3/100 places Maryland #49 of 51 (bottom third of scored states).
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 105.0 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,657/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $79,476.
Composite Life Score 35.3/100 (F) puts Maryland in the bottom third (#49 of 51).
Metro book is mid-sized (4 MSAs); state averages still hide corridor-level rent and wage gaps.
Life Score plate
Sheet MD · Maryland 35.3/100 · F · #49 of 51
LIFE-F · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-WAGES · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-F Life Score F
- RANK-BOTTOM #49/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±1.3 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 105.0
- LEAD-WAGES Lead · wages
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: New York (+ 1.3 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Maryland
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Maryland on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Maryland childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Maryland (infant $14,631/yr leads the book).
Maryland Life Score breakdown
Maryland composites to 35.3/100 (F) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #49 of 51.
Maryland - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Wages
Wages
84 /100
- Schools
Schools
48 /100
- Environment 26
Environment
26 /100
- Safety 24
Safety
24 /100
- Childcare 23
Childcare
23 /100
- Rent 16
Rent
16 /100
- Cost of living 14
Cost of living
14 /100
What this shows Maryland's strongest dimensions are wages and schools; its weakest among scored dims is cost of living at 14/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Maryland on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Maryland on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Metros in Maryland
Explore detailed relocation data for 4 metropolitan areas in Maryland. Maryland contains 4 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Hagerstown-Martinsburg, Lexington Park and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Maryland cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Maryland wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.