Maryland vs Texas
Your $100,000 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
The same income in Texas is worth
$102,987
at national prices · RPP 97.1BEA RPP SARPPSource: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 2026 · Official API
Your income goes +$7,749 further in Texas (+8.1% purchasing power).
Show the math
Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. Higher means more expensive.
| Component | Maryland | Texas | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 105.0 | 97.1 | −7.5% |
| Housing rents | 121.1 | 96.5 | −20.3% |
| Goods | 102.5 | 98.1 | −4.3% |
| Utilities | 110.9 | 87.5 | −21.1% |
| Other services | 101.6 | 97.1 | −4.4% |
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 | Maryland | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax (top rate) | 6.50% | None |
| Sales tax (combined avg) | 6.00% | 8.20% |
Tax Foundation (income & sales) · Tax · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
Maryland vs Texas: the read
The bottom line
Move a $100,000 income from Maryland to Texas and its purchasing power changes from $95,238 to $102,987 in national-average terms — a gain of $7,749. Texas is the cheaper of the two, running at 97.1 on the price index versus 105.
Where the difference comes from
The widest gap is housing rents: Maryland sits at 121.1 and Texas at 96.5 (100 = national). Texas has the edge there, and it's the main reason the two states diverge.
Housing
Median rent runs $1,705 in Maryland against $1,403 in Texas, and the typical home $419,900 versus $283,800. Texas 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%; Texas has no wage income tax and 8.20%. That income-tax difference can outweigh a chunk of the cost-of-living gap for higher earners.
Full profiles: Maryland ·Texas. Every figure here is sourced on the pages linked above.
Comparing a different pair?Use the full tool →