LIVING IN MARYLAND

Maryland is significantly less expensive than comparable tech hubs like Boston and San Francisco. While there are more affordable areas in the U.S., Maryland employers’ compensate well. In fact, Maryland leads the nation in the median household income. Head to our financial security page for more on costs in Maryland, and programs to help you.

With four of the 10 most diverse cities in the Nation right here in the Old Line State, Maryland’s demographics look like America, with thriving communities of people from around the world dotting the state.

Between Washington D.C. and Baltimore, there are endless possibilities for entertainment. In Maryland, enjoy authentic cultural cuisines and experiences, 50 state parks, 23 national parks, beaches, mountains and so much more. Check out our experience section for more information.

How’s the weather here in “The Land of Pleasant Living?” We’ve got all four seasons with mild winters in most of the state, but plenty of the white stuff for snowbirds out west. Summers get steamy in all the right ways, and with our Chesapeake and Atlantic beaches, you can always cool off with a quick dip. Fall colors are resplendent in the northern parts of the state, and spring is gorgeous from top to bottom.

We may be biased, but everywhere in Maryland is pretty cool. With great cities like Baltimore, Silver Spring and National Harbor, cool towns like Berlin, Frederick and Annapolis, and beautiful country from the mountains, around the Chesapeake Bay, and all the way to the ocean, there’s sure to be a perfect place for you to call home. Check out our explore section to learn more.

Education Week graded Maryland’s K-12 public schools as the best in the nation, and with amazing universities and colleges like the University of Maryland, the U.S. Naval Academy and Johns Hopkins University, it’s no wonder Maryland is Wallet Hub’s #2 most educated state. Learn more about Maryland’s education in our upskilling resources section.

Yes? No? Both? Maryland is south of the Mason Dixon Line, which would put us in the South, but we’re so close to the North it’s tough to draw a line (Well, unless you count the Mason Dixon one…). We like to think Maryland combines the best of both worlds with Southern charm and hospitality mixed with Northern sophistication and style.

Crabs, of course, and the best darn seafood on the planet! But we’ve also got local summertime treats like snowballs and Western Maryland icy lollipops, our own amazing local BBQ style, pit-beef, and our State Dessert, the decadent, chocolate layered Smith Island Cake. But yeah. Crabs. Check out our dining and more section for some great recommendations.

So many hit movies and shows have been shot in Maryland we’d need another website to list them all, but some of the big ones include “The Blair Witch Project,” “Wedding Crashers,” and even “Top Gun: Maverick.” And of course we’ve got to give a shout out to local icon John Waters who shot all of his films in Charm City including “Cry-Baby” which gave Johnny Depp his big movie break, and “Hairspray” which gave us the amazing tune, “Good Morning Baltimore.”

Good question! The Maryland Flag combines the black and yellow checker pattern of the state’s founding Calvert family crest in the top left and bottom right quarters, and the red and white cross of the colonial Crossland family in the other two. The flag should be flown with a black “square in the air” at top left with the flagpole topped with a gold Calvert Cross. But the real story is that it’s just super cool and has become shorthand for Marylanders’ immense local pride.

In summer, we bleed black and orange for MLB’s Baltimore Orioles, in the colder months, the outlook turns purple as Marylanders cheer on the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. In the college ranks, locals pull for the Maryland Terrapins, a Big 10 powerhouse.

That big Maryland “O” is for “Orioles!” Local legend has it that the tradition started with Baltimore Orioles superfan Wild Bill Hagey way back in the 1970s.