Moving to Maryland from Alabama

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Alabama to Maryland — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Alabama to Maryland, you would find that Maryland is 31.8% more expensive than Alabama. A $75,000 salary in Alabama would need to be roughly $98,410 in Maryland to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Alabama to Maryland.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $98,410

To maintain the same standard of living in Maryland

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 9.7% more

Groceries

pay 27.6% more

Transportation

pay 26.9% more

Housing

pay 33.5% more

Childcare

pay 82.9% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 22.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Alabama to Maryland.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AL
397
MD
420
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

AL
1671
MD
2043

Alabama performs better than Maryland across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

AL
9.0%
MD
6.0%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AL
39.6%
MD
33.4%

Maryland performs significantly better than Alabama across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

AL
$195,100
MD
$397,700
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

AL
$963
MD
$1,662

Alabama performs better than Maryland across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AL
85.9%
MD
91.6%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

AL
25 min
MD
32 min

Alabama generally does better on infrastructure, though Maryland leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AL
2.3%
MD
3.7%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AL
$49,225
MD
$69,127

Maryland generally does better on employment & economy, though Alabama leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

AL
73.2 yrs
MD
76.8 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

AL
18%
MD
29%

Maryland performs significantly better than Alabama across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

MontgomeryRain: 53.1 in/yr (1348 mm)
76°/54°F

Avg. annual high / low

AnnapolisRain: 47.3 in/yr (1201 mm)
68°/50°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsMontgomeryAnnapolis
Jan–Mar63°/40°F (17°/4°C)50°/33°F (10°/0°C)
Apr–Jun84°/60°F (29°/16°C)77°/57°F (25°/14°C)
Jul–Sep90°/69°F (32°/21°C)86°/69°F (30°/20°C)
Oct–Dec69°/45°F (21°/7°C)59°/42°F (15°/6°C)
View all months
MonthMontgomeryAnnapolis
Jan57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C)44°/29°F (6.9°/-1.6°C)
Feb62°/39°F (16.6°/4.0°C)48°/31°F (9.0°/-0.5°C)
Mar70°/45°F (20.9°/7.4°C)57°/38°F (13.7°/3.5°C)
Apr77°/52°F (24.8°/10.9°C)68°/47°F (20.1°/8.6°C)
May84°/61°F (28.9°/15.9°C)77°/57°F (25.0°/13.7°C)
Jun90°/68°F (32.1°/20.1°C)86°/67°F (29.8°/19.2°C)
Jul92°/71°F (33.4°/21.9°C)89°/71°F (31.9°/21.9°C)
Aug92°/71°F (33.3°/21.7°C)87°/71°F (30.8°/21.4°C)
Sep87°/65°F (30.7°/18.4°C)81°/64°F (27.2°/17.6°C)
Oct78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C)69°/52°F (20.7°/10.9°C)
Nov69°/44°F (20.6°/6.6°C)59°/42°F (14.9°/5.3°C)
Dec60°/37°F (15.3°/3.0°C)48°/33°F (9.1°/0.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Maryland than Alabama?

No — Maryland is on average about 31% more expensive than Alabama. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Maryland?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $24,602 in Maryland on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Maryland safe?

Alabama performs better than Maryland across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Maryland compared to Alabama?

Maryland performs significantly better than Alabama across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Maryland compared to Alabama?

The average high temperature in Annapolis is 68°F, compared to 76°F in Montgomery. Annapolis receives around 47.3 in of rainfall per year, while Montgomery gets 53.1 in.

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