What salary do you need to live in Baltimore, MD?

The cost side of living in Baltimore

Renters in Baltimore pay a median $1,675 a month for two bedrooms. Size matters: one bedroom is $1,305, three bedrooms $1,887, so going from the smallest to the largest of the three adds $6,984 a year.

Homeowners in Baltimore report a median home value of $391,300. With median household income at $99,470, a typical home costs 3.9× a typical income, close to the middle of the range across US metros.

The Regional Price Parity, BEA's index of local prices with the US at 100, is 104.5 here. Above 100 means a paycheck stretches less: $100,000 in Baltimore has the buying power of roughly $95,706 at national average prices.

Baltimore: the pre-tax income for each grade

The salary lines for a two-bedroom household land at $62,000 for Tight, $125,000 for Okay and $252,000 for Comfortable. The gap between the Okay and Comfortable lines alone is $127,000, which says how much extra income it takes to make housing feel roomy here rather than merely workable.

The Royal grade is within reach at $884,000 a year, where both rent and the median home price look small next to income.

These lines come straight from the calculator's formula: the income is raised until the two-bedroom score crosses each cutoff, then rounded up to the next $1,000.

Scores at $50K, $75K, $100K and $150K in Baltimore

At $75,000 home size barely changes the picture: one, two and three bedrooms all grade Tight, with scores from 29 to 34.

In Baltimore the table's top salary of $150,000 stops at Okay (50) for two bedrooms; Comfortable starts higher, at $252,000.

Baltimore compared with every US metro

Out of 387 metros, Baltimore has the 33rd highest price parity and the 37th highest two-bedroom rent, which puts it in the top 10% on overall prices and in the top 10% on rent.

Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ ($1,684) and Burlington-South Burlington, VT ($1,660) bracket Baltimore on two-bedroom rent.

Baltimore vs. the rest of Maryland

Statewide, Maryland's median two-bedroom rent is $1,740 and its median home value $419,900. Baltimore's rent is −4% against that, and its home value −7%; the price parity is 104.5 versus 105.0 for the state.

The Maryland figure for the Comfortable line, using state medians, is $268,000 against $252,000 for Baltimore.

If Baltimore is on your list, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, Lexington Park, MD, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV are the most similar Maryland metros by two-bedroom rent and price level; the table shows where each turns Comfortable.

The median Baltimore household

The median household in the metro earns $99,470 (ACS 2020-2024). Run through the calculator with two bedrooms, that scores 39, Tight. Reaching Comfortable would take $152,530 more than the median household earns. Statewide, the Maryland median household ($103,678) grades Tight on the state's own medians. A household figure may pool several earners, unlike a single salary.

All figures are pre-tax estimates from public data, not financial advice.