Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Maryland

You think about moving to Maryland but want to get additional information about living costs, housing, climate, job market, safety, overall quality of life and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Maryland in the following chapters.

Living in Maryland – Overview

Advantages of Living in Maryland

1. Maryland has a coastline
2. Many nice rivers, lakes and forests in Maryland
3. You can spend lots of time on nature activities
4. People in Maryland can spend lots of time outdoors
5. You may be able to exercise in a completely natural manner
6. Pretty decent air quality in most parts of Maryland
7. Many recreational spaces in Maryland
8. Many parks and other green spaces in the big cities of Maryland
9. Maryland is a rather relaxed place
10. Maryland is a tolerant state
11. You can meet many friendly people in Maryland
12. People are usually helpful in Maryland
13. Easy to socialize in the big cities of Maryland
14. Many nice places to meet other people in Maryland
15. You can have many interesting conversations in Maryland
16. Rents are still affordable in most parts of Maryland
17. Property prices in Maryland are rather low
18. You will usually find a decent place to stay rather quickly
19. Overall competition in the Maryland housing market is rather limited
20. Decent income level in Maryland
21. Many people in Maryland can still afford living the American dream
22. Highly-qualified people have a rather easy time finding good jobs in Maryland
23. Distances in Maryland are often rather short
24. Maryland may be an interesting place for pensioners
25. Maryland is a culturally diverse place
26. You can try many delicious foods in Maryland
27. Many free things to do in Maryland
28. You can enjoy hot and sunny summers in Maryland
29. Cold winters allow you to do winter sports
30. Real seasons make your life in Maryland interesting
31. Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of Maryland
32. Finding a parking lot is pretty easy outside of the big cities of Maryland
33. You find more than enough quiet spaces in Maryland
34. Maryland is not flooded by tourists yet
35. Many people in Maryland live a pretty original lifestyle
36. Moving to Maryland makes sense if you don’t like big city life much
37. Maryland can be a romantic place
38. Maryland may be a great place to raise your kids
39. Maryland becomes increasingly popular by many people in the US
40. Most people in Maryland enjoy decent internet connections
41. Easy to get to and from Maryland
42. You can find many decent schools and colleges in the big cities of Maryland
43. Maryland may be an interesting place for students
44. You can make many nice day trips from Maryland

Maryland has a coastline

One upside of moving to Maryland is that the state has a coastline where you can go swimming, surfing or just relax at the beach while many people living in Alabama or other regions don’t have this opportunity and may not have the same high quality of life as you do in Maryland if you live close to the coast.

Many nice rivers, lakes and forests in Maryland

Not only can you enjoy many beaches in Maryland, but you will also find many nice lakes, rivers, forests and nature reserves in general where you can relax and have a great time with your loved ones on a regular basis.

You can spend lots of time on nature activities

Since there are so many great places to visit in nature, you can also do many nice leisure activities in those natural environments.

For instance, you can go fishing, hunting, camping and do many other nice things in nature and this will not only make your life much more interesting but also connects you with nature and you may therefore be more tempted to protect our planet as best as possible.

People in Maryland can spend lots of time outdoors

Since there are so many nice things to do in nature, you can also spend lots of time outdoors and this may get you into a pretty good mood compared to people who don’t live in places with beautiful nature who often just sit indoors all day long in front of their computers or TVs.

You may be able to exercise in a completely natural manner

Another advantage of moving to Maryland is that you will also get many opportunities to exercise during your visits in nature in a natural manner and you can therefore stay fit in a playful way while many other people have to go to the gym to achieve the same result and may get exhausted with it in the long run.

Pretty decent air quality in most parts of Maryland

You should also know that air quality is pretty good in many parts of Maryland and while you may not think this is really important, keep in mind that air quality often correlates with overall health quite a lot in the long run and the better air quality, the less likely it may be that you may suffer from serious health conditions sooner or later.

Many recreational spaces in Maryland

Since there are so many interesting things to do in nature, you will also find more than enough recreational spaces near your home and this enables you to reload your batteries and to escape from your stressful life for a while so you can get prepared for the exhausting things yet to come in the future.

Many parks and other green spaces in the big cities of Maryland

Not only will you find many recreational spaces in nature but there are also many great parks and other green spaces within the big cities where you can hang out during lunch break and can get a break so you can perform back at work in a decent manner and may stay mentally fit in the long run.

Maryland is a rather relaxed place

You should also know that Maryland is a pretty relaxed place where people are often less career-focused than in many other regions and will take more time to get in touch with you.

Maryland is a tolerant state

Another benefit of moving to Maryland is that it is also a rather tolerant state where you will be welcome no matter where you come from and what your background is since there are many people living rather exotic lifestyles and as long as you are tolerant and friendly, chances are that you will have a great time in this region.

You can meet many friendly people in Maryland

Not only are most people in Maryland pretty tolerant, but many of them are also really friendly and welcoming and you will therefore be able to become a valid member of society rather quickly and don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated.

People are usually helpful in Maryland

During your first weeks in Maryland, you may also feel pretty lost since everything is new to you.

However, this will likely not be a problem since in case you need assistance and advice on various occasions of daily life, you can be pretty sure to find someone who is willing to help you out.

Easy to socialize in the big cities of Maryland

Since people in Maryland are often pretty tolerant, helpful and friendly, you will also have a pretty easy time socializing with these people and some of your social connections will turn into really good friends in the long run.

Many nice places to meet other people in Maryland

In general, as long as you move to the big cities of Maryland, you will also find more than enough bars and other places where you can meet many new people rather quickly and can just have a great time since you will find many like-minded people to share your passions with.

You can have many interesting conversations in Maryland

Since there are so many interesting and exciting people in Maryland, you can also have really great conversations on a daily basis and can get a more profound picture of reality since people will bring up different arguments you may have never thought about before and this may also help you become more tolerant and to grow in character in general.

Rents are still affordable in most parts of Maryland

Another advantage of living in Maryland is that rents are rather low compared to many other states in the US and this means that the average person doesn’t have to spend lots of money on housing yet and will have more money to spend on other nice and important things of life.

Property prices in Maryland are rather low

You should also know that property prices in Maryland are still reasonably low and this means that the average person is still able to afford to buy a decent home while people living in California and other more expensive regions often have a harder time doing so.

You will usually find a decent place to stay rather quickly

Since housing shortage is not a big problem in most regions of Maryland, you will also have a rather easy time finding a decent place to stay fairly quickly while people moving to San Francisco or other much more popular regions may have to search for many months to find a decent place to stay at an affordable rate.

Overall competition in the Maryland housing market is rather limited

If you search for a place to rent or buy in Maryland, you will also realize pretty soon that overall competition in the Maryland housing market may be lower than in many other more popular regions and this may also enable you to buy a home at a fairly low price and if you are really lucky, you may even be able to buy it below market value outside of the big cities of Maryland where there might not be many bidders for homes than in most other regions.

Decent income level in Maryland

Another upside to living in Maryland is that median household income is pretty high and many people in Maryland can make a decent living from what they are doing and may also be able to save and invest enough for retirement age so they may not be at great risk of suffering from old-age poverty.

Many people in Maryland can still afford living the American dream

Since housing is still affordable in many parts of Maryland and income levels are decent, many people are still able to afford a decent home in this region and living the American dream in general while this might be almost impossible for people living in Washington D.C. or other places where home prices are far higher and no longer affordable for the average person.

Highly-qualified people have a rather easy time finding good jobs in Maryland

As long as you have decent education and a solid professional background, chances are that you will find many decent jobs in the big cities of Maryland and don’t have to worry about getting laid off as much as people living in Detroit or other regions where unemployment rates are often much higher.

Distances in Maryland are often rather short

Another benefit of living in Maryland is that it is a rather small state and distances between the big cities are rather short so you will have a rather easy time getting from A to B in an efficient manner and you may therefore also be better able to visit people in different parts of the state compared to people living in Arizona or other regions where distances are often far longer.

Maryland may be an interesting place for pensioners

Since property prices and rents are still affordable for the average person and there are many nice things to do in nature, Maryland may also be a great place for retirees who search for a place to live where they don’t have to spend lots of money on housing and still find many nice things to do with their time.

Maryland is a culturally diverse place

As long as you move to the big cities of Maryland, you will also find many different cultural influences and can meet many interesting people so you can experience many new things and may be able to grow in character in the long run.

You can try many delicious foods in Maryland

Thanks to many different cultural influences, you can also find many delicious foods from all over the world and not only will this improve your overall quality of life but it may also give you some inspiration regarding what you want to cook at home and you may therefore be able to expand your culinary skillset in the long run.

Many free things to do in Maryland

Since you can spend lots of time in beautiful nature, you will also find many free things to do in the Maryland region and this can be great since even people who don’t make great money from what they are doing will be able to enjoy their leisure quite a lot.

You can enjoy hot and sunny summers in Maryland

People in Maryland can also enjoy warm and sunny summers and you can therefore go surfing or spend quite a lot of time at the beach in general so you can really relax and live a laid-back lifestyle in the long run.

Cold winters allow you to do winter sports

While you can do nice water sports in summer, you can also enjoy pretty cold winters which enable you to go skiing or do other winter sports so you can try many different things in line with climatic conditions and will have nice things to do in almost every month of the year.

Real seasons make your life in Maryland interesting

While people living in El Paso or other regions where it is warm all year long may get fed up with the heat sooner or later, you may just have a much more interesting time in Maryland since you can experience real seasons and may just have a better time in the long run.

Traffic is not a big problem in most parts of Maryland

In most parts of Maryland, you also don’t have to worry about getting stuck in traffic jams since there will be more than enough space on the streets to operate a car in an efficient manner.

Finding a parking lot is pretty easy outside of the big cities of Maryland

Apart from the big cities, finding a parking lot in Maryland is also not a big challenge and you will usually have more than enough opportunities to park your car close to your home.

You find more than enough quiet spaces in Maryland

Since Maryland is not the most hectic state, you will also find more than enough quiet spaces where you can hang out on your own without getting distracted by loud noises or annoying people so you can really think about your life and what you want to make out of it in the future.

Maryland is not flooded by tourists yet

While there are some tourists in Maryland, this region is still not flooded by as many tourists as many other more popular places and this means that you will be able to live your life in a much more relaxed manner since the streets will be less crowded and you will also not run into huge groups of tourists on a regular basis.

Many people in Maryland live a pretty original lifestyle

Since there are many nice natural places in Maryland and property prices are fairly low, you may also be able to buy a decent piece of land and live a pretty original life and if you are really serious about it, you may even be able to live fully self-sufficient in the long run.

Moving to Maryland makes sense if you don’t like big city life much

Apart from Baltimore, there are just not many big cities in Maryland and while some people need those big cities to feel happy in the long run, others are perfectly fine with village life and if you belong to the second category of people, chances are you will get really satisfied with your lifestyle in most parts of Maryland.

Maryland can be a romantic place

Since there are many beautiful places in nature, Maryland can also be a pretty romantic place since you can hang out on lakes or the beach and enjoy astonishing sunsets with your spouse.

Maryland may be a great place to raise your kids

You should also know that Maryland may also be a solid place to raise your kids since you will find many nice things to do in nature and this can not only be great and interesting for your kids but you can also teach your kids quite a lot about nature and why it is so important to protect our planet so they can become responsible grownups in the long run.

Maryland becomes increasingly popular by many people in the US

Over time, Maryland has also become increasingly popular and many people from different parts of the US and even the world consider moving to Maryland and once this happens, the Maryland region will become even more culturally diverse and interesting.

Most people in Maryland enjoy decent internet connections

You also don’t have to worry about your internet connection in most parts of Maryland since it is usually pretty good and you may therefore be able to work from home and can also stay connected to the world in general since you will know what’s going on in the world in almost real-time.

Easy to get to and from Maryland

Since you will have some big airports in and around Maryland, you will also be able to get from and to Maryland in an efficient manner and may also have a rather easy time traveling the world.

You can find many decent schools and colleges in the big cities of Maryland

There are also many solid schools and colleges in the urban parts of Maryland and you can therefore make sure that your kids get proper education and can increase their chances of starting a fancy career once they get older.

Maryland may be an interesting place for students

Since there are many solid colleges in the Maryland region and student life can be pretty interesting in Baltimore and other big cities while housing costs are still rather low, Maryland may also be a great place to study while people studying in Los Angeles or other more expensive places may get into serious financial problems sooner or later.

You can make many nice day trips from Maryland

Since Maryland is relatively close to other big cities, you can also make many nice day trips to Washington D.C. or other nice places and will have many different places to visit and experiences so you can make many nice memories in the long run.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Maryland.

However, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of living in Maryland so you can better decide whether you still want to move to Maryland or rather want to live in Maine or other interesting places instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Maryland

1. Living costs in Maryland are above national average
2. You may need a high income to enjoy a decent lifestyle
3. High financial pressure for people living in Maryland
4. Unemployment rate in Maryland is above national average
5. Many low-qualified people have a rather hard time finding decent jobs
6. Crime rates are pretty high in the big cities of Maryland
7. Maryland becomes increasingly crowded
8. Traffic is about to get worse in the big cities of Maryland
9. Public transport is not great in most parts of Maryland
10. You may need a car to get around in Maryland in an efficient manner
11. Hard to find good education in the rural parts of Maryland
12. Overall public infrastructure gets worse outside the big cities
13. Nightlife is not great in the rural regions of Maryland
14. You may not meet as many international tourists as you may have wished
15. Cold winters may be annoying for many people in Maryland
16. Beaches around Maryland become increasingly polluted
17. Housing shortage may become a problem in Maryland in the future
18. Property prices and rents may increase significantly in the long run
19. Maryland is a rather small state
20. Not many big cities in Maryland
21. Limited number of fancy shopping opportunities in the rural parts of Maryland
22. Hard to build a strong business network in many rural regions of Maryland
23. You may get bored with your life in Maryland sooner or later
24. Floods and other natural disasters may hit Maryland sooner or later
25. Climate change may increase costs for homeowners insurance
26. Cultural diversity may be rather limited in the rural parts of Maryland
27. You may miss great museums outside the big cities of Maryland
28. You may have trouble finding a decent art scene outside the big cities

Living costs in Maryland are above national average

One problem with living in Maryland is that living costs can be pretty high in the big cities and you may therefore have to spend lots of money on drinks and many other things of life so you may have less money left to spend on other important things of life.

You may need a high income to enjoy a decent lifestyle

If you want to live a fancy lifestyle in Maryland, you also have to make pretty good money due to high living costs while people moving to St. Louis or other cheaper places often don’t have to make as much money to afford a decent lifestyle.

High financial pressure for people living in Maryland

Due to high living costs, many people in Maryland also complain about significant financial pressure they have to deal with and often also have to worry about financial problems in the long run.

Unemployment rate in Maryland is above national average

Another downside to living in Maryland is that unemployment rate is above national average and you may therefore have a rather hard time in the job market and may also have to worry about getting laid off quite often.

Many low-qualified people have a rather hard time finding decent jobs

Especially in case you don’t have solid education, you may get into serious trouble by moving to Maryland since you may have a really hard time succeeding in the corporate world and may have to work multiple jobs just to survive.

Crime rates are pretty high in the big cities of Maryland

You should also not forget that crime rates are pretty high in the big cities of Maryland and if you are not careful, you may just end up in the wrong neighborhoods and may get into serious trouble if you meet the wrong people at the wrong time.

Maryland becomes increasingly crowded

While Maryland becomes increasingly popular which might actually be a good thing, it also means that this region becomes increasingly crowded and you may therefore no longer have enough space to hang out in public on your own and may rather feel like a fish in a can in the big cities.

Traffic is about to get worse in the big cities of Maryland

Another disadvantage of living in Maryland is that traffic is also about to get worse in the big cities of Maryland and in case this trend continues, traffic jams may become more common and you may no longer be able to get around from A to B by car in an efficient manner.

Public transport is not great in most parts of Maryland

You should also know that public transportation is not really great in most regions of Maryland and you may therefore not be able to get around by bus or train in a reasonable manner and you may therefore have to rely on other means of transport.

You may need a car to get around in Maryland in an efficient manner

Since public transport infrastructure is rather poor in many parts of Maryland, you may also urgently need a car to get around and people who are not or no longer able to drive a car may get into serious trouble since they may just not be mobile enough to live their lives in an efficient manner.

Hard to find good education in the rural parts of Maryland

Another problem with moving to Maryland is that while you will find decent schools and colleges in the major cities, you may still have a hard time finding good education in the rural regions of Maryland and may therefore also have to drive long hours to bring your kids to and pick your kids up from school.

Overall public infrastructure gets worse outside the big cities

You should also know that overall public infrastructure is not great outside of the big cities and also in case you urgently need medical assistance, it may take quite a while until you get medical support and if you are really unlucky, it may already be too late.

Nightlife is not great in the rural regions of Maryland

You should also not expect to find really great nightlife outside the big cities of Maryland and in case you are a party person, you may rather want to move to Las Vegas or other more vibrant places.

You may not meet as many international tourists as you may have wished

While Maryland is pretty popular all over the US, it is still not on the radar of many international tourists and you may therefore have a harder time meeting many people from all over the world compared to people living in San Diego or other more popular places on a global scale.

Cold winters may be annoying for many people in Maryland

Another downside to moving to Maryland is that winters can be pretty cold and in case you are the type of person who really loves warm weather all year long, you may be better off moving to Austin or other hotter places instead of moving to Maryland.

Beaches around Maryland become increasingly polluted

You should also know that many beaches and other natural environments in Maryland become increasingly polluted since people just care less about protecting our environment and many nice natural habitats may therefore be lost in the future.

Housing shortage may become a problem in Maryland in the future

While housing shortage is not a big problem in many regions of Maryland yet, it may become a serious issue in the future since Maryland becomes increasingly popular and the more people move to Maryland, the harder it will be for people to find an affordable place to stay in the long run.

Property prices and rents may increase significantly in the long run

Due to increasing demand for homes, property prices and rents may also increase quite a lot in many regions in Maryland in the long run and combined with high living costs, many people may just no longer be able to afford a decent lifestyle in this region.

Maryland is a rather small state

You should also not forget that Maryland is a pretty small state and you may therefore not have the same options to explore different regions compared to people moving to Alaska or other bigger states where there is often more to see and experience.

Not many big cities in Maryland

Another disadvantage of moving to Maryland is that there are also not many big cities and if you love big city life, you may be better off moving to New York City or other bigger metropolitan regions.

Limited number of fancy shopping opportunities in the rural parts of Maryland

Moving to Maryland may also not be the best idea for you in case you are a shopping queen and want to stay up-to-date with latest fashion trends in real-time since you will just not find as many fancy boutiques or shopping malls as in other regions in most rural parts of Maryland.

Hard to build a strong business network in many rural regions of Maryland

Outside of the big cities, it is also rather hard to build a strong business network in Maryland since you will just not meet as many important and influential people as in many other regions and your career progress may therefore also be much slower.

You may get bored with your life in Maryland sooner or later

If you don’t like spending lots of time in natural environments but rather want to have action all day and night long, you may also not get happy with your life in Maryland in the long run and may rather want to move to Chicago or other more vibrant regions.

Floods and other natural disasters may hit Maryland sooner or later

You should also be aware of the fact that floods, storms or other natural disasters may hit your home in Maryland sooner or later and you may therefore lose everything you have and even your life if you are unlucky.

Climate change may increase costs for homeowners insurance

Since climate change will increase the risk of natural disasters in Maryland, also the cost of homeowners insurance is about to increase quite a lot which will make living in Maryland more expensive in the long run.

Cultural diversity may be rather limited in the rural parts of Maryland

While you will find many interesting cultural influences in the big cities of Maryland, cultural diversity may still be rather limited in the rural regions of Maryland and you may therefore not be able to meet many people living alternative lifestyles in those regions.

You may miss great museums outside the big cities of Maryland

Also the number of great museums will be rather limited outside of the biggest cities of Maryland and in case you are interested in those things, chances are you will not find what you are looking for in many parts of Maryland in the long run.

You may have trouble finding a decent art scene outside the big cities

In general, apart from Baltimore, it is pretty hard to find a decent art scene in most regions of Maryland and in case you are an artist or just want to hang out with other like-minded people who are also interested in art, you may have a hard time finding a great art community in this state.

Top 10 Moving To Maryland Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Maryland A Good Place To Live?

While moving to Maryland can make quite a lot of sense since housing costs are still fairly low and you can find decent education in the big cities and good jobs that pay solid money, you should also know that crime rates are pretty high in the big cities of Maryland and public infrastructure also gets worse in the rural regions.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Maryland carefully so you can make the best possible decision in this regard according to your individual circumstances.

Most Popular Cities To Live In Maryland – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to Maryland, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Connecticut

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Kansas

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Kentucky

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/MD

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.