Buying Into Baltimore: get paid to move to Baltimore City

Baltimore City, Maryland offers Up to $5,000 toward a home. Status: taking applications.

$5,000Home-buying helpToward buying a home$5,000 by lottery (20 awards per lottery round); forgivable after five years

Taking applicationsOpen when we checked on October 30, 2026Apply on the official site

Who it's for: A remote job is not required
What you commit to: Stay 60 months, Buy a home there
Visit before you move: Not mentioned
How we checked: Official page

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays.Checked October 30, 2026.How we check programs

$5,000Total valueCash plus perks
$375,000Typical home for saleMetro

Who qualifies

A remote job is not required
Buying a home in the area
Staying at least 60 months

In the program's words

Attend the Live Baltimore Trolley Tour before making an offer, hold a homeownership counseling certificate, sign a contract on a Baltimore City home in the lottery window, and put at least $1,000 of own funds in.

Perks: Live Baltimore Trolley Tour

Run by: Baltimore City DHCD; Live Baltimore

Read the official rules and apply

Amount and status confirmed on the program's own or a government page, 2025 or 2026. Programs change often: confirm the amount and deadline with the program before you plan a move.

Is it worth it?

The grant is the headline. The bigger number is usually what you stop paying every month.

Buying a home$24,202 a year less
The typical home in the Baltimore metro costs $375,000, against $742,000 in New York. That's about $24,202 a year less on the mortgage^1,2.
Renting instead$1,764 a month
A 2-bedroom runs $1,764 a month in Baltimore, against $1,997 in New York, utilities included³.
Program help toward a home$5,000
The program adds $5,000 in help toward buying a home.
Same lifestyle, smaller salary$139,238
A $150,000 New York salary buys the same as $139,238 in Baltimore⁴.

Full cost of living in Baltimore

Is it worth it?

The grant is the headline. The bigger number is usually what you stop paying every month.

Buying a home$24,202 a year less
The typical home in the Baltimore metro costs $375,000, against $742,000 in New York. That's about $24,202 a year less on the mortgage^1,2.
Renting instead$1,764 a month
A 2-bedroom runs $1,764 a month in Baltimore, against $1,997 in New York, utilities included³.
Program help toward a home$5,000
The program adds $5,000 in help toward buying a home.
Same lifestyle, smaller salary$139,238
A $150,000 New York salary buys the same as $139,238 in Baltimore⁴.

Full cost of living in Baltimore

Living in Baltimore

Home values, rent, local jobs, things to do and remote jobs you can bring: our guide to moving to Baltimore.

Programs in other states

Questions people ask

How much does Buying Into Baltimore pay?

Up to $5,000 toward a home: $5,000 by lottery (20 awards per lottery round); forgivable after five years. Source: https://www.baltimorecity.gov/dhcd/homeownership-incentives (2026-10-19 (funds table); site (C) 2026).

Who can apply to Buying Into Baltimore?

Is Buying Into Baltimore still open?

Open when we checked on October 30, 2026. City funds table as of 2026-10-19: 60 Buying Into Baltimore incentives remaining. Live Baltimore lottery page (modified 2026-10-30): Winter 2027 round, tour 2027-02-06, drawing 2027-02-26. Confirm with the program before you plan a move.

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Notes on the numbers

1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, Realtor.com via FRED, Baltimore metro.
2Mortgage: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Census table
4Everyday prices and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024.

Sources for this page

$5,000 home-buying helpTaking applications · Baltimore City

Apply