Maryland vs Virginia: take-home pay and taxes
On a $75,000 salary you take home $56,155 a year in Maryland and $58,094 in Virginia — $1,940 more in Virginia. But prices are about 4% higher in Maryland, so moving from Maryland to Virginia on the same take-home after prices takes $68,805.
| Per year | Offer A · Maryland | Offer B · Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Pay (salary and bonus) | $75,000 | $75,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$7,670 | −$7,670 |
| Social Security and Medicare | −$5,737 | −$5,737 |
| State and local taxes | −$5,438 | −$3,498 |
| Take-home | $56,155 | $58,094 |
| Offer value (take-home + match + benefits − commute) | $56,155 | $58,094 |
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | 105.0 | 101.1 |
| Value in U.S.-average prices | $53,501 | $57,460 |
Price level is BEA's Regional Price Parity for the state — what the same things cost there compared with the U.S. average, housing included. It's an average for the whole state, not a budget. The matching salary keeps Offer A's take-home after prices, with the same W-4 and no 401(k) or benefits.
Take-home pay in Maryland and Virginia
| Salary | Maryland take-home | Virginia take-home | Maryland state taxes | Virginia state taxes | Virginia vs Maryland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $38,905 | $40,294 | $3,450 | $2,061 | +$1,389 |
| $75,000 | $56,155 | $58,094 | $5,438 | $3,498 | +$1,940 |
| $100,000 | $71,755 | $74,244 | $7,425 | $4,936 | +$2,489 |
| $150,000 | $102,237 | $105,980 | $11,554 | $7,811 | +$3,743 |
| $200,000 | $133,038 | $138,241 | $15,889 | $10,686 | +$5,203 |
A year. Single filer, paid every two weeks, standard W-4, each state's default form choices, no 401(k) or benefits. Federal tax, Social Security and Medicare are the same in both; the whole difference is state and local tax and state payroll premiums.
What makes up the difference
- Maryland: a graduated income tax — $5,438 a year on $75,000.
- Virginia: a graduated income tax — $3,498 a year on $75,000.
The salary you'd need to move
| Salary now | Maryland → Virginia: same take-home | … after prices | Virginia → Maryland: same take-home | … after prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $57,843 | $55,571 | $62,223 | $64,738 |
| $75,000 | $71,998 | $68,805 | $78,109 | $81,659 |
| $100,000 | $96,146 | $92,067 | $103,989 | $108,534 |
"After prices" uses the Bureau of Economic Analysis's Regional Price Parities for 2024: Maryland 105.0, Virginia 101.1 (U.S. = 100). Housing is most of the gap — rents are 121.1 in Maryland and 106.8 in Virginia on the same scale. These are state averages: a big city can cost well above its state's figure. See what rent fits in Maryland and Virginia. On $75,000, the reverse move — Virginia to Maryland — needs $81,659 for the same take-home after prices; Virginia is the cheaper state.
Who moves between them
About 25,183 people moved from Maryland to Virginia and 28,004 from Virginia to Maryland in 2024, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey — one of the 40 busiest pairs of states we cover. Survey estimates have margins of error.
If you move: your W-4 and state forms
Your federal W-4 doesn't change with the state. Give your employer Virginia's withholding form so it withholds Virginia tax, and make sure Maryland withholding stops once you no longer live or work there. Moving mid-year usually means a part-year resident return in both states. Working remotely for an employer in the other state has its own rules — see the moving between states tax guide.
How it's worked out
- Take-home in each state from the same engine as our paycheck calculators: IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Social Security and Medicare, and each state's own withholding formula, payroll premiums and default form choices.
- Prices from the Bureau of Economic Analysis's Regional Price Parities for 2024 (released 2026-02-19): each state's price level for everyday spending, with the U.S. at 100. Dividing take-home by it puts both offers in the same dollars.
- The matching salary is found by searching salaries in the second state until its take-home, after prices, equals the first — to the cent.
More comparisons
Maryland paycheck calculator · Virginia paycheck calculator · Job offer comparison · Salary needed to move · Florida vs Virginia · North Carolina vs Virginia · California vs Virginia
Sources
- BEA — Real Personal Consumption Expenditures by State and Real Personal Income by State, 2024 (Feb 19, 2026) — Regional Price Parities: California 110.7, Hawaii 110.0, D.C. 109.9, New Jersey 108.8 highest; Arkansas 86.9 lowest; full table SARPP in BEA's interactive data (checked 2026-09-27)
- FRED (St. Louis Fed) — 2024 Regional Price Parities by State (BEA data) — all items, goods, rents and other services for every state and D.C. (checked 2026-09-27)
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Worksheet 1A and the annual percentage-method tables
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide — Social Security and Medicare rates
- Social Security Administration — 2026 wage base of $184,500
- U.S. Census Bureau — State-to-State Migration Flows, 2024 (ACS 1-year, Table 1) — movers age 1 and over by current state and state of residence one year earlier; estimates with margins of error (checked 2026-09-27)
- Comptroller of Maryland — Form MW507, Employee's Maryland Withholding Exemption Certificate (2026, COM/RAD-036 07/25) — Personal Exemption Worksheet: $3,200 per exemption up to $100,000 AGI single ($150,000 joint/head of household), then $1,600, $800, $0; $1,000 for 65+ or blind; total ÷ $3,200, drop fractions; lines 1–8 (checked 2026-09-27)
- Virginia Tax — Income Tax Withholding Guide for Employers (Rev. 05/25) — formula: $8,750 standard deduction, $930 per personal/dependent exemption, $800 per age 65+/blind exemption; rate table; worked example; no VA-4 → no exemptions; supplemental wages paid separately: aggregate method, or a flat 5.75% with no exemptions if tax is withheld from regular wages (pp. 19–20)
Questions
Do you take home more in Maryland or Virginia?
In Virginia: $1,940 more a year on $75,000 (single filer). Maryland state taxes are $5,438 and Virginia's $3,498 on that salary.
What salary in Virginia equals $75,000 in Maryland?
$71,998 for the same take-home pay, or $68,805 for the same take-home after prices (BEA Regional Price Parities: Maryland 105.0, Virginia 101.1).
Is Maryland or Virginia cheaper to live in?
Virginia: BEA puts prices about 4% lower there than in Maryland on average, mostly because of housing. Costs vary a lot between cities within each state.