Maryland vs Pennsylvania
In $100,000 in Maryland
$95,238
The same income in Pennsylvania
$102,459
$100,000 has $7,221 more purchasing power in Pennsylvania.
Figures are in national-average dollars: what the income buys once each state's prices are accounted for (US = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, released February 19, 2026. How it's calculated
Salary needed in Pennsylvania
$92,952
to match $100,000 in Maryland, before tax.
We compare it with your current income after local prices.
Enter an offer greater than zero, or leave this field blank.
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Where the difference comes fromPrice components
Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. The Difference column compares the destination price level with the origin; higher means the destination is 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 data
Housing reality checkRent, homes & property tax
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 data
Tax at a glanceIncome & sales tax
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
Who comes out ahead in Pennsylvania?
The answer depends on your situation. Each card compares statewide medians for one situation; the state named is the one the numbers favor.
An unchanged income buys about 7.6% more in Pennsylvania than in Maryland. On $100,000 that is $7,221 of national-average purchasing power a year.
Median gross rent is $1,705 in Maryland and $1,209 in Pennsylvania, $496 a month ($5,952 a year) less in Pennsylvania. Renters spend a median 30.8% and 29.2% of income on rent.
The median home is worth $419,900 in Maryland (4.1× median household income) and $254,500 in Pennsylvania (3.3×). Median property taxes equal 0.97% and 1.30% of the median home value.
Median household income is $103,678 in Maryland and $77,971 in Pennsylvania. After adjusting for prices, that is $98,741 and $79,888: local pay goes further in Maryland.
Unemployment is 4.2% in Maryland and 3.9% in Pennsylvania (July 2026). Pennsylvania has the tighter labor market by 0.3 points. Pay for specific jobs is compared below.
Maryland and Pennsylvania head to head
Statewide figures the calculator above does not show. “Edge” (bold on small screens) marks the state with the lower cost or higher income on that row; rows without a clear better direction are left blank.
| Measure | Maryland | Pennsylvania | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | |||
| Median household income | $103,678 | $77,971 | Maryland |
| Adjusted for local prices | $98,741 | $79,888 | Maryland |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownership rate | 67.6% | 69.3% | |
| Rent as % of renter income | 30.8% | 29.2% | Pennsylvania |
| Owner costs as % of income | 18.1% | 16.6% | Pennsylvania |
| Home value ÷ household income | 4.1× | 3.3× | Pennsylvania |
| Home price change, 2020–2025 · FHFA index | +39.7% | +49.8% | |
| Taxes | |||
| Top income tax rate | 6.50% (graduated) | 3.07% (flat) | Pennsylvania |
| Combined sales tax (avg) | 6.00% | 6.34% | Maryland |
| Median property tax paid | $4,093 | $3,311 | Pennsylvania |
| Property tax ÷ home value | 0.97% | 1.30% | Maryland |
| Jobs | |||
| Unemployment (July 2026) | 4.2% | 3.9% | Pennsylvania |
| Minimum wage | $15.00/hr | $7.25/hr | |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Median rent, 2 bedrooms | $1,740/mo | $1,245/mo | Pennsylvania |
| Average electric bill (2024) | $166/mo | $145/mo | Pennsylvania |
| Electricity price | 17.9¢/kWh | 17.8¢/kWh | Pennsylvania |
| Health care spending per person (2025) | $10,109 | $10,919 | |
| All consumer spending per person (2025) | $60,794 | $62,438 | |
| People | |||
| Population change since July 2020 | +1.4% | +0.5% | |
| Net moves from other states | −129,734 | −50,746 | |
| Median age | 39.4 | 40.9 | |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 43.4% | 35.2% | |
| No health insurance | 6.3% | 5.6% | Pennsylvania |
| Average commute | 31.1 min | 26.3 min | Pennsylvania |
| Crime (2025, per 100,000 residents) | |||
| Violent crime | 358.0 | 226.8 | Pennsylvania |
| Property crime | 1,819.7 | 1,323.8 | Pennsylvania |
| Murder | 5.3 | 4.2 | Pennsylvania |
| Climate (1991–2020 averages) | |||
| Average temperature | 55.4°F | 49.5°F | |
| July average high | 86.8°F | 82.3°F | |
| January average low | 25.3°F | 18.5°F | |
| Precipitation | 45.2 in | 45.0 in | |
Sources: Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates, FHFA house price index via FRED, BLS LAUS, Tax Foundation 2026, US DOL minimum wage, EIA, BEA consumer spending, Census population estimates, FBI crime estimates, and NOAA statewide climate. Median property tax covers owner-occupied homes. Spending is in current dollars and reflects both prices and incomes.
Who is moving between Maryland and Pennsylvania
In 2024, about 18,254 people living in Pennsylvania had lived in Maryland a year earlier, and about 12,638 made the opposite move. On net, Pennsylvania gained about 5,616 residents from Maryland that year.
Census State-to-State Migration Flows (ACS 1-year, 2024). ± values are 90% margins of error. Maryland and Pennsylvania profiles list each state's largest sources and destinations. What the biggest moves trade →
Salary in Pennsylvania that matches your Maryland pay
Pre-tax salary needed in Pennsylvania to keep the same purchasing power, using the all-items price levels (105.0 and 97.6).
| Salary in Maryland | Equivalent in Pennsylvania | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $37,181 | −$2,819 |
| $60,000 | $55,771 | −$4,229 |
| $80,000 | $74,362 | −$5,638 |
| $100,000 | $92,952 | −$7,048 |
| $150,000 | $139,429 | −$10,571 |
| $200,000 | $185,905 | −$14,095 |
What the same job pays in Maryland and Pennsylvania
BLS median annual wages (May 2025), then the same wages adjusted for each state's price level. The last column names the state where the job's median pay buys more.
| Occupation | Maryland | Pennsylvania | MD adjusted | PA adjusted | Goes further in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $99,790 | $96,430 | $95,038 | $98,801 | Pennsylvania |
| Software Developers | $138,680 | $126,550 | $132,076 | $129,662 | Maryland |
| Elementary School Teachers | $77,680 | $77,060 | $73,981 | $78,955 | Pennsylvania |
| Electricians | $73,490 | $67,600 | $69,990 | $69,262 | Maryland |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,360 | $58,580 | $56,533 | $60,020 | Pennsylvania |
| Accountants and Auditors | $89,370 | $79,000 | $85,114 | $80,943 | Maryland |
| Police & Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $77,970 | $85,470 | $74,257 | $87,572 | Pennsylvania |
| Pharmacists | $138,990 | $138,160 | $132,371 | $141,557 | Pennsylvania |
| Dental Hygienists | $107,830 | $80,610 | $102,695 | $82,592 | Maryland |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers & Brazers | $60,310 | $52,900 | $57,438 | $54,201 | Maryland |
Prices inside each state
A statewide price level averages cities and rural areas. The BEA also publishes price levels for metro areas; here is the range in each state.
Maryland
- Lowest Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV 94.2
- Highest Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 108.9
- Metro areas 6
Pennsylvania
- Lowest Johnstown, PA 85.9
- Highest Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 102.6
- Metro areas 16
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 on the index is housing rents: Maryland sits at 121.1 and Pennsylvania at 85.1 (100 = national), and Pennsylvania has the edge there. Rent is also the largest item in most household budgets, so this gap does the most to separate the two states' overall price levels.
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.
Maryland vs Pennsylvania: common questions
Is it cheaper to live in Maryland or Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania is cheaper overall. Its price level is 97.6 against 105.0 in Maryland (US = 100), so the same basket of goods and services costs about 7% less there. The difference is usually largest for rent.
What salary in Pennsylvania matches $100,000 in Maryland?
About $92,952, before tax. That is $100,000 × 97.6 ÷ 105.0. Income tax, your actual rent or mortgage, and commuting costs can all shift the break-even point.
Which state has lower taxes, Maryland or Pennsylvania?
Maryland has a graduated income tax with a top rate of 6.50% and an average combined sales tax of 6.00%. Pennsylvania has a flat income tax with a top rate of 3.07% and 6.34%. Median real estate taxes paid by owners are $4,093 and $3,311 a year. Which state costs a household less depends on its income, spending, and whether it owns a home.
Do people earn more in Maryland or Pennsylvania?
Median household income is $103,678 in Maryland and $77,971 in Pennsylvania. Adjusted for prices, that is $98,741 and $79,888 in national-average dollars, so households in Maryland have more purchasing power at the median.
Are more people moving from Maryland to Pennsylvania or the other way?
In 2024, about 18,254 people moved from Maryland to Pennsylvania and about 12,638 moved from Pennsylvania to Maryland, according to Census state-to-state migration estimates. That is a net gain of about 5,616 for Pennsylvania.
Comparing a different pair? Use the full tool →