Baltimore city, Maryland property tax
The median homeowner in Baltimore city, Maryland pays $3,236 a year in property tax on a home worth $219,300, an effective rate of 1.48%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.48%, Baltimore city taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. That combination is the usual one. Houses here are worth $219,300 against a national $303,400, and a smaller tax base has to be taxed at a higher percentage to fund the same schools and roads. Whether the state also leans on property tax by choice, as several do in place of an income tax, is a separate question the rate alone cannot answer.
Inside Maryland it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #1 of 24, against a statewide 1.00%. At the other end of the same state, Talbot County charges 0.66%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 3.68 times the median household income of $59,623, close to the national 3.86. Incomes run below the national median, and house prices run below it too, which is what keeps the ratio ordinary. At 577,193 residents the county is large enough that its median blends several distinct housing markets.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Baltimore city | Maryland | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.48% | 1.00% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $3,236 | $3,989 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $219,300 | $397,700 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,290 | $1,662 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $59,623 | $101,652 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.68× | 3.91× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 25.96% | 19.62% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 47.52% | 67.48% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 577,193.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Arundel County | 0.85% | $3,836 | $450,300 |
| Howard County | 1.18% | $6,814 | $576,700 |
| Baltimore County | 1.10% | $3,645 | $330,000 |
| Frederick County | 1.02% | $4,463 | $437,700 |
| Harford County | 0.93% | $3,424 | $367,300 |
Baltimore city property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Baltimore city, Maryland?
The effective rate is 1.48% of home value, from a median tax bill of $3,236 against a median home value of $219,300. That is 0.5 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Baltimore city?
Roughly $5,920 a year at the county effective rate of 1.48%.
Is Baltimore city expensive compared with the rest of Maryland?
It ranks #1 of 24 Maryland counties by effective property tax rate, and #378 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.48 points above the Maryland average of 1.00%.
What does housing cost in Baltimore city?
The median home is worth $219,300 and median gross rent is $1,290 a month. Median household income is $59,623, which puts the home at 3.68 times annual income and rent at 25.96% of it.