Buying a Home in Maryland
Buying a home in Maryland in 2026 means confirming your target county's property tax rate AND its income-tax piggyback rate together, budgeting for a real above-national housing-cost premium in DC-suburb and Bay-waterfront markets specifically, and getting a current homeowners-insurance quote that reflects Maryland's real coastal-flooding and storm-surge exposure where relevant.
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Learn moreTwo separate county-level tax rates change your real monthly cost
A Maryland buyer should confirm two genuinely separate, county-determined figures before finalizing a budget: the county's property tax rate (Baltimore City runs markedly higher at $2.248 per $100 assessed value FY2026, while Montgomery and Howard run lower rates offset by higher home values) and the county's income tax piggyback rate (2.25%-3.30% in 2026), which affects your ongoing take-home pay, not the purchase itself, but is a real part of the same relocation decision.
Budget a real premium for DC-suburb and Bay-waterfront targets specifically
Montgomery and Prince George's Counties carry the state's highest home values, tied to federal-employment-and-biotech-era affluence -- alongside real, current exposure to 2025-2026 federal-workforce downsizing worth weighing if your own income depends on federal or federal-contractor employment. Chesapeake Bay-waterfront properties and Ocean City-area Eastern Shore properties carry their own real premium tied to water access and seasonal-tourism demand.
Get a real, current homeowners-insurance quote reflecting Maryland's coastal hazard profile
Maryland's homeowners insurance runs genuinely below the national average on several 2026 sources ($1,918/year versus a $2,543 national average), but rates have risen a real 26.3% since 2023, and Chesapeake Bay/Atlantic coastal and Eastern Shore properties carry additional, real storm-surge and tidal-flooding exposure -- sea levels around Maryland have risen up to 10 inches since 1950 and tidal flooding has increased 178% since 2000. Confirm FEMA flood-zone status directly for any Bay-adjacent or Eastern Shore target property.
A still-competitive market rewards a confirmed, current pre-approval
With 32.8% of Maryland homes selling above list price and median days on market at 44, buyers should enter with a confirmed, current pre-approval and realistic offer strategy for their specific target market -- conditions genuinely differ between a competitive DC-suburb market and a more buyer-favorable Eastern Shore or Western Maryland market.
Key takeaways
- Confirm both your target county's property tax rate and its separate income-tax piggyback rate -- Baltimore City, Montgomery, and Howard Counties each tell a genuinely different story.
- Budget a real premium for DC-suburb and Chesapeake Bay-waterfront/Ocean City-area targets specifically, versus more affordable Baltimore City, Eastern Shore, or Western Maryland options.
- Get a current homeowners-insurance quote and confirm FEMA flood-zone status for any Bay-adjacent or Eastern Shore property -- Maryland's coastal flood risk is real and measurably rising.
- Maryland's market is still competitive (32.8% of homes sell above list) -- come with a confirmed, current pre-approval for your specific target region.
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