District of Columbia vs Maryland
Your $100,000 in District of Columbia is worth
$90,992
at national prices · RPP 109.9BEA RPP SARPPSource: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 2026 · Official API
The same income in Maryland is worth
$95,238
at national prices · RPP 105.0BEA RPP SARPPSource: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 2026 · Official API
Your income goes +$4,246 further in Maryland (+4.7% purchasing power).
Show the math
Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. Higher means more expensive.
| Component | District of Columbia | Maryland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 109.9 | 105.0 | −4.5% |
| Housing rents | 155.0 | 121.1 | −21.9% |
| Goods | 106.5 | 102.5 | −3.8% |
| Utilities | 112.8 | 110.9 | −1.7% |
| Other services | 103.0 | 101.6 | −1.4% |
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 2026 · Official API
Housing reality check
Typical rent and home price in each state — tangible context beyond the index.
US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · ACS5 · 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official API
Tax at a glance
Hand-curated, tax year 2026 · verified 2026-07-20
| Tax | District of Columbia | Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax (top rate) | 10.75% | 6.50% |
| Sales tax (combined avg) | 6.00% | 6.00% |
Tax Foundation (income & sales) · Tax · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
District of Columbia vs Maryland: the read
The bottom line
Move a $100,000 income from District of Columbia to Maryland and its purchasing power changes from $90,992 to $95,238 in national-average terms — a gain of $4,246. Maryland is the cheaper of the two, running at 105 on the price index versus 109.9.
Where the difference comes from
The widest gap is housing rents: District of Columbia sits at 155 and Maryland at 121.1 (100 = national). Maryland has the edge there, and it's the main reason the two states diverge.
Housing
Median rent runs $1,954 in District of Columbia against $1,705 in Maryland, and the typical home $737,100 versus $419,900. Maryland is the more affordable place to buy.
Taxes
On tax, District of Columbia has 10.75% top income tax and a combined sales tax of 6.00%; Maryland has 6.50% top income tax and 6.00%. Weigh both against the purchasing-power figure above.
Full profiles: District of Columbia ·Maryland. Every figure here is sourced on the pages linked above.
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