State rental market reference · Data updated October 18, 2026
Maryland rental market for DSCR investors: rent, taxes and insurance by county
What a rental in Maryland rents for, what it costs to carry, and whether it stays rented, from official data for all 24 counties. Read it before you price a deal here.
Maryland at a glance
What does a rental rent for?
$2,006 a month
HUD's FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent where most of Maryland's renters live, from $1,014 (Allegany County) to $2,438 (Charles County). It is the government figure for a modest 2-bedroom unit, utilities included, not the rent for a house.
What will property taxes cost?
0.97% of value a year
Homeowners in Maryland pay a median $4,093 a year on a median home value of $419,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024). A rental can be taxed at a different rate than an owner's home; the local tax bill is the real number.
What will insurance cost?
$1,260 a year
The median that homeowners with a mortgage in Maryland report paying for homeowners insurance (Census ACS 2020–2024). It is not a landlord quote: a rental policy usually costs more, and flood cover is extra.
Will it stay rented?
4.7% rental vacancy
Share of Maryland's rental homes vacant and for rent (Census ACS 2020–2024), across 765,363 renter households. Lower means rentals fill faster.
Are jobs growing?
Employment down 0.2% in a year
Employed residents in August 2026 against a year earlier; unemployment 3.9% (BLS, not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month a year apart).
Is new supply coming?
13,358 homes permitted in 2025
About 5.7 new homes per 1,000 households; 70% single-family (Census Building Permits Survey). More new homes means more competition for tenants and buyers.
How often does it flood?
7,500 flood claims since 2005
National Flood Insurance Program claims on properties in Maryland since 2005, $114.1 million paid (FEMA). Claims show where water has reached insured buildings; they are not a flood map, so check the FEMA flood zone for the address.
What it means for a DSCR rental in Maryland
A lender's DSCR is the monthly rent divided by the full monthly payment: principal, interest, property taxes, insurance and any HOA dues. Many lenders accept 1.00x; 1.20x leaves a cushion.
Take a home at Maryland's median value of $419,900, bought with 25% down on a 7.5% 30-year loan, with the state's typical tax rate and insurance:
- Principal and interest ($314,925 loan)
- $2,202
- Property taxes
- $339
- Insurance
- $105
- Full monthly payment
- $2,646
- Rent for a 1.20x DSCR
- $3,180 a month
The government 2-bedroom figure where most of Maryland's renters live is $2,006 a month, below the $3,180 that home needs. A house usually rents for more than a 2-bedroom unit, so price the house you are looking at with its own rent. The last column of the table below gives the same figure for each county.
Rules and costs a landlord faces in Maryland
Each line quotes the official source it comes from and the date it was last checked. These are general rules, not legal advice; local rules can add to them.
- How long before you can file to evict for unpaid rent?
10 calendar days' notice for unpaid rent before an eviction can be filed.
Before a landlord may file a complaint under this section, the landlord shall provide to the tenant a written notice ... if the tenant does not cure within 10 days after the written notice is provided to the tenant.
General Assembly of Maryland, checked October 18, 2026
- How large a security deposit can you take?
Up to one month's rent.
Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a landlord may not impose a security deposit in excess of the equivalent of 1 month’s rent per dwelling unit, regardless of the number of tenants.
General Assembly of Maryland, checked October 18, 2026
- How fast must the deposit come back?
Within 45 days after the tenancy ends.
Within 45 days after the end of the tenancy, the landlord shall return the security deposit to the tenant together with simple interest ... less any damages rightfully withheld.
General Assembly of Maryland, checked October 18, 2026
- Can rents be capped?
No statewide cap; cities and counties may regulate rents.
This section applies to a local jurisdiction that adopts a local law to limit the rent increase that a landlord may charge a current tenant for a subsequent term without a gap in tenancy.
General Assembly of Maryland, checked October 18, 2026
- What does the state charge to record a purchase?
State tax: 0.5% of the consideration payable for the instrument of writing.
Except as provided in subsections (a–1) and (b) of this section, the rate of the transfer tax is 0.5% of the consideration payable for the instrument of writing.
General Assembly of Maryland, checked October 18, 2026
Market hubs in Maryland
DSCRInfo does not publish a monthly market hub in Maryland yet. The figures above and the table below cover every county; the market hubs cover other states.
Maryland by county
All 24 counties, most renter households first. "Rent for 1.20x" is the monthly rent a home at that county's median value needs on the example loan above. A dash means the source publishes no reliable figure there.
| County | 2-bed FMR | Property tax | Insurance / yr | Rental vacancy | Jobs, 1 yr | Permits | Flood claims | Rent for 1.20x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | $2,438 | 0.87% | $1,290 | 3.7% | -0.8% | 1,411 | 475 | $4,720 |
| Baltimore city | $2,006 | 1.46% | $1,250 | 4.8% | +0.5% | 543 | 411 | $1,910 |
| Prince George's County | $2,438 | 1.12% | $1,350 | 4.7% | -1.9% | 2,090 | 934 | $3,290 |
| Baltimore County | $2,006 | 1.07% | $1,190 | 4.8% | +0.5% | 1,531 | 679 | $2,690 |
| Anne Arundel County | $2,006 | 0.85% | $1,270 | 5.0% | +0.5% | 1,844 | 689 | $3,470 |
| Howard County | $2,006 | 1.17% | $1,300 | 5.3% | +0.5% | 728 | 321 | $4,590 |
| Frederick County | $2,438 | 0.99% | $1,180 | 3.2% | -0.4% | 1,168 | 112 | $3,500 |
| Harford County | $2,006 | 0.89% | $1,220 | 3.6% | +0.5% | 715 | 117 | $2,900 |
| Washington County | $1,284 | 0.84% | $1,030 | 4.9% | +0.5% | 354 | 54 | $2,220 |
| Wicomico County | $1,428 | 0.85% | $1,140 | 3.5% | +1.3% | 170 | 181 | $1,930 |
| St. Mary's County | $1,787 | 0.84% | $1,360 | 3.3% | -1.1% | 282 | 270 | $3,040 |
| Charles County | $2,438 | 1.01% | $1,320 | 5.2% | -1.9% | 935 | 214 | $3,260 |
| Carroll County | $2,006 | 0.91% | $1,210 | 5.0% | +0.7% | 153 | 49 | $3,250 |
| Cecil County | $1,860 | 0.89% | $1,140 | 6.4% | +1.5% | 142 | 222 | $2,580 |
| Allegany County | $1,014 | 1.06% | $930 | 6.9% | -2.6% | 35 | 76 | $1,230 |
| Worcester County | $1,184 | 0.73% | $1,340 | 10.9% | +3.3% | 242 | 895 | $2,770 |
| Dorchester County | $1,159 | 0.94% | $1,230 | 6.0% | +1.4% | 64 | 302 | $2,020 |
| Calvert County | $1,890 | 0.84% | $1,440 | 4.2% | -1.4% | 157 | 168 | $3,430 |
| Talbot County | $1,421 | 0.65% | $1,320 | 5.7% | +1.6% | 198 | 139 | $2,980 |
| Caroline County | $1,320 | 0.90% | $1,120 | 2.1% | +1.8% | 75 | 48 | $2,200 |
| Queen Anne's County | $2,006 | 0.78% | $1,340 | 3.7% | +0.8% | 285 | 200 | $3,410 |
| Garrett County | $1,014 | 0.78% | $1,080 | 25.6% | +2.7% | 148 | 17 | $1,770 |
| Kent County | $1,241 | 0.91% | $1,200 | 6.7% | +2.9% | 53 | 41 | $2,500 |
| Somerset County | $1,144 | 0.92% | $1,130 | 11.3% | +2.0% | 35 | 884 | $1,360 |
Where these numbers come from
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rents, in effect from October 1, 2026: the rent and utilities of a modest 2-bedroom unit, set for housing vouchers. It is not a house rent. Where HUD publishes by town (New England), the county shows the range. HUD Fair Market Rents
- Property tax, insurance, vacancy and home value
- Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. Property tax is the median tax paid divided by the median home value of owner-occupied homes. Insurance is the median that owners with a mortgage report paying, not a landlord quote. Rental vacancy is homes vacant for rent divided by all rental homes. Figures from too few homes are left blank. American Community Survey
- Jobs
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics: employed residents in August 2026 against the same month a year earlier, not seasonally adjusted. BLS LAUS
- Permits
- Census Building Permits Survey: new housing units authorized in 2025, all building sizes. Building Permits Survey
- Flood claims
- FEMA National Flood Insurance Program claims with a loss in 2005 or later, and the net amount paid. Only insured buildings appear. Check a flood zone
These are screening figures for comparing places, not a quote, an appraisal or a loan offer. Maryland total flood payments since 2005: $114.1 million.