Maryland vs Pennsylvania
A $100,000 income in Maryland is worth
$95,238
at national prices · RPP 105.0BEA RPP SARPP. Source: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 19, 2026 · Official API
In Pennsylvania, the same income is worth
$102,459
at national prices · RPP 97.6BEA RPP SARPP. Source: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 19, 2026 · Official API
$100,000 has $7,221 more purchasing power in Pennsylvania.
Decision shortcut
To match $100,000 in Maryland, you would need about $92,952in Pennsylvania.
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Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. Higher means more expensive.
| Component | Maryland | Pennsylvania | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 105.0 | 97.6 | −7.0% |
| Housing rents | 121.1 | 85.1 | −29.7% |
| Goods | 102.5 | 99.4 | −3.0% |
| Utilities | 110.9 | 109.3 | −1.4% |
| Other services | 101.6 | 99.8 | −1.8% |
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 19, 2026 · Official API
Housing reality check
ACS median gross rent, home value, and real estate taxes paid — statewide 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
Top marginal and average combined rates do not estimate a household's total tax liability.
| Tax | Maryland | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax (top rate) | 6.50% | 3.07% |
| Sales tax (combined avg) | 6.00% | 6.34% |
Tax Foundation (income & sales) · Tax · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
Maryland vs Pennsylvania: the read
The bottom line
Compare a $100,000 income in Maryland and Pennsylvania: its purchasing power is $95,238 and $102,459, respectively, in national-average terms — a gain of $7,221. Pennsylvania is the cheaper of the two, running at 97.6 on the price index versus 105.
Where the difference comes from
The widest gap is housing rents: Maryland sits at 121.1 and Pennsylvania at 85.1 (100 = national). Pennsylvania has the edge there, and it's the main reason the two states diverge.
Housing
Median rent runs $1,705 in Maryland against $1,209 in Pennsylvania, and the typical home $419,900 versus $254,500. Pennsylvania is the more affordable place to buy.
Taxes
On tax, Maryland has 6.50% top income tax and a combined sales tax of 6.00%; Pennsylvania has 3.07% top income tax and 6.34%. Those headline rates are useful screening facts, but they do not calculate either household's total liability.
Full profiles: Maryland ·Pennsylvania. Every figure here is sourced on the pages linked above.
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