Cheapest places to live in Maryland

Every Maryland city and town with 20,000 or more people, ranked by median home value, with rent, commute and growth beside it. All Census data.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

HagerstownLowest home values$224,500 median
HagerstownLowest rent$1,114 a month
13Places ranked20,000+ residents

The 3 cheapest in Maryland

#1
Hagerstown
Home value
$224,500
Rent
$1,114
Growth
+1.5%
#2
Salisbury
Home value
$227,300
Rent
$1,318
Growth
+2.6%
#3
Baltimore
Home value
$229,600
Rent
$1,331
Growth
-2.7%

The 15 cheapest places to live in Maryland

#	Place	Median home value	Median rent	Commute	Growth since 2020
1	Hagerstown	$224,500	$1,114	26.1 min	+1.5%
2	Salisbury	$227,300	$1,318	22.2 min	+2.6%
3	Baltimore	$229,600	$1,331	29.1 min	-2.7%
4	Greenbelt	$255,400	$1,848	33.8 min	+0.2%
5	Westminster	$337,600	$1,476	28.5 min	+2.2%
6	Laurel	$385,500	$1,873	30.9 min	+0.6%
7	Frederick	$401,500	$1,764	30.0 min	+17.8%
8	College Park	$437,900	$1,912	26.2 min	+1.9%
9	Bowie	$459,300	$2,330	34.8 min	+0.1%
10	Hyattsville	$481,500	$1,835	33.7 min	-0.1%
11	Gaithersburg	$496,500	$2,058	29.4 min	+2.1%
12	Annapolis	$548,900	$1,860	29.5 min	-0.4%
13	Rockville	$682,300	$2,274	30.7 min	+0.7%

Cheap often comes with a trade-off. Check the growth column: a shrinking population can mean fewer jobs nearby.

All 13, cheapest first

See all 13, cheapest first

#	Place	Median home value	Median rent	Commute	Population 2025
1	Hagerstown	$224,500	$1,114	26.1 min	44,228
2	Salisbury	$227,300	$1,318	22.2 min	33,845
3	Baltimore	$229,600	$1,331	29.1 min	569,997
4	Greenbelt	$255,400	$1,848	33.8 min	24,948
5	Westminster	$337,600	$1,476	28.5 min	20,589
6	Laurel	$385,500	$1,873	30.9 min	30,254
7	Frederick	$401,500	$1,764	30.0 min	92,059
8	College Park	$437,900	$1,912	26.2 min	35,418
9	Bowie	$459,300	$2,330	34.8 min	58,383
10	Hyattsville	$481,500	$1,835	33.7 min	21,158
11	Gaithersburg	$496,500	$2,058	29.4 min	71,113
12	Annapolis	$548,900	$1,860	29.5 min	40,634
13	Rockville	$682,300	$2,274	30.7 min	67,563

Home values are owner estimates averaged over 2020 to 2024 (American Community Survey 5-year), so they run below today's listing prices. Use them to compare places, not to price a home.

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest place to live in Maryland?

Of the 13 Maryland cities and towns with 20,000 or more people, Hagerstown has the lowest median home value at $224,500, followed by Salisbury ($227,300) and Baltimore ($229,600) (American Community Survey 2020-2024).

Where is rent cheapest in Maryland?

Hagerstown, with a median gross rent of $1,114 a month including utilities.

What is the most expensive place to live in Maryland?

Of the places we rank, Rockville, with a median home value of $682,300.

What taxes do you pay in Maryland?

Income tax: 6.50% (top rate, 2026). Property tax: 0.98% of home value, statewide effective rate (Census ACS 2025). Sales tax: 6.00% combined state and average local (Tax Foundation 2026).

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