2023 Report: Cities in Maryland where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How does living in the Old Line State affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Maryland’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Maryland’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $2,569 per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 88 cities and towns across Maryland, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Maryland and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Maryland’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Maryland residents’ household bills are 25.5% higher than average
The average Maryland household pays $2,569 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Maryland residents high household bill expenses: the state ranks 5th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. There is more than a $523 difference from the national average of $2,046: 25.5% higher than the national average.
Slightly more expensive than Maryland is Massachusetts, where residents pay $2,656 a month on average; slightly more affordable is Connecticut, where residents pay $2,504.
The most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay $3,070 per month. The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where bills average $1,530 per month.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. Maryland households spend 34% of their income on household costs, which is equivalent to the national average, and a lower share than many states where households pay more affordable bills than in Maryland. For example, Mississippi residents, though they pay much less expensive bills than Maryland residents in absolute terms ($1,616 a month on average), spend a much higher percentage of household income on them: 41%.
Annually, Maryland residents pay $66 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Maryland by clicking on the infographic link below.
doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Maryland
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,569 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $66 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 5 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 34%
- Difference from the National Average: 25.5% higher
Mortgage in Maryland is 45% higher than the national average
The average Maryland household pays $2,569 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Housing costs deviate substantially from the national average. The average mortgage is $1,920 per month in Maryland compared to the national average of $1,321: 45% higher than the national average. Rent, at $1,492 in Maryland compared to $1,191 nationally, is also further removed from the US average: 25% higher.
Health Insurance is a category where Maryland residents save compared to the national average. The average Maryland household spends $112 on their health insurance bill, compared to the national average of $120.
Auto insurance, however, is an area in which Maryland residents pay substantially more than the national average. The average household in the Hawkeye state pays $249 a month for auto insurance bills, compared to the national average of $207, making the costs 20% higher than the national average.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Maryland Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Maryland Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Maryland Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,920 | $1,321 | 45% higher |
| Rent | $1,492 | $1,191 | 25% higher |
| Auto Loan | $458 | $467 | 2% lower |
| Utilities | $394 | $351 | 12% higher |
| Auto Insurance | $249 | $207 | 20% higher |
| Cable & Internet | $131 | $118 | 11% higher |
| Health Insurance | $112 | $120 | 7% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $125 | $119 | 5% higher |
| Alarm & Security | $89 | $84 | 6% higher |
| Life Insurance | $83 | $89 | 7% lower |
| Total | $2,569 | $2,046 | 25.5% higher |
Potomac is the most expensive area for Maryland household bills
Residents of Potomac pay the highest household bills in the state of Maryland, at an average of $3,926 per month. Bethesda comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $3,700 on household expenses.
Residents of the top two areas, plus the third–Chevy Chase–though they pay the most expensive bills in the state, spend a low share of household income on bills compared to the state average: 22%, 25%, and 25%, compared to the state average of 34%.
Also on the list of the most expensive areas to pay household bills in Maryland are Suitland ($3,267 per month), Frederick ($3,214 per month), and Kensington ($3,196 per month).
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Maryland Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 38) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Potomac | $3,926 | 22% |
| 2 | Bethesda | $3,700 | 25% |
| 3 | Chevy Chase | $3,452 | 25% |
| 4 | Suitland | $3,267 | 57% |
| 5 | Frederick | $3,214 | 41% |
| 6 | Kensington | $3,196 | 26% |
| 7 | Ellicott City | $3,191 | 27% |
| 8 | Pikesville | $3,107 | 45% |
| 9 | Clinton | $3,086 | 33% |
| 10 | Upper Marlboro | $3,048 | 32% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Frostburg is the most affordable place in Maryland for household bills
Out of 88 cities and towns for which doxoINSIGHTS provides data, Frostburg is the most affordable place in Maryland, with residents paying $1,672 on average for household bills. They spend a higher share of their income on household bills than the Maryland average, at 41%, though this is nowhere near as high as some of the other cities in the state
Brooklyn is second most affordable area on the list, with residents paying an average of $1,678 on household bills.
Also on the list of most affordable cities and towns in Maryland are Cumberland ($1,685 a month), Chestertown ($1,843 a month), and Hagerstown ($1,855 a month).
10 Most Affordable Maryland Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (79-88 out of 88) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 79 | Joppa | $2,028 | 27% |
| 80 | Edgewood | $2,027 | 35% |
| 81 | Aberdeen | $1,925 | 31% |
| 82 | Cambridge | $1,902 | 51% |
| 83 | Oakland | $1,873 | 41% |
| 84 | Hagerstown | $1,855 | 39% |
| 85 | Chestertown | $1,843 | 36% |
| 86 | Cumberland | $1,685 | 39% |
| 87 | Brooklyn | $1,678 | 41% |
| 88 | Frostburg | $1,672 | 41% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Maryland’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.