How much rent can I afford in Maryland?
On a $60,000 salary in Maryland you take home about $3,845 a month. Thirty percent of that is $1,154 a month in rent — less than the $1,500 you get from 30% of gross pay, because 30% of gross doesn't count the taxes that come out first.
| Per month | Amount |
|---|---|
| Take-home (Maryland): $60,000 gross, $1,774.79 per paycheck | $3,845.39 |
| Conservative · 25% of take-home | $961 |
| Standard · 30% of take-home | $1,154 |
| Stretch · 35% of take-home | $1,346 |
| Left after $1,154 rent | $2,691.78 |
| Left per paycheck after its share of rent | $1,242.36 |
For comparison, on gross pay of $5,000 a month: HUD counts rent above $1,500 (30% of gross income) as a cost burden, and landlords who ask for income of 3× the rent would accept up to $1,667. Both are measured before tax, so they allow more than the same share of take-home.
Rent you can afford in Maryland, by salary
| Salary | Take-home a month | 25% | 30% | 35% | 30% of gross | 3× income screen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,639 | $660 | $792 | $924 | $1,000 | $1,111 |
| $50,000 | $3,242 | $811 | $973 | $1,135 | $1,250 | $1,389 |
| $60,000 | $3,845 | $961 | $1,154 | $1,346 | $1,500 | $1,667 |
| $75,000 | $4,680 | $1,170 | $1,404 | $1,638 | $1,875 | $2,083 |
| $100,000 | $5,980 | $1,495 | $1,794 | $2,093 | $2,500 | $2,778 |
Monthly rent. Single filer, paid every two weeks, standard W-4, Maryland form defaults, no 401(k) or benefits. "30% of gross" is HUD's cost-burden line; the 3× screen is the most rent a landlord asking for income of 3 times the rent would accept. Maryland's figures include the county income tax at the calculator's default county, Baltimore City; pick your county under the state form choices for your own number.
Why take-home and not gross
Maryland's income tax take $4,245 a year of a $60,000 salary, on top of federal tax, Social Security and Medicare. Rent is paid from what reaches your account, so this page works from take-home. For where the 30% figure came from and what landlords check, see the rent vs take-home guide.
How much rent can I afford on $40,000 in Maryland?
About $792 a month at 30% of take-home, within a range of $660 to $924. A $40,000 salary leaves $2,639 a month after tax in Maryland; after $792 of rent, $852.51 of each two-week paycheck is left for everything else.
How much rent can I afford on $50,000 in Maryland?
About $973 a month at 30% of take-home, within a range of $811 to $1,135. A $50,000 salary leaves $3,242 a month after tax in Maryland; after $973 of rent, $1,047.44 of each two-week paycheck is left for everything else.
How much rent can I afford on $60,000 in Maryland?
About $1,154 a month at 30% of take-home, within a range of $961 to $1,346. A $60,000 salary leaves $3,845 a month after tax in Maryland; after $1,154 of rent, $1,242.36 of each two-week paycheck is left for everything else.
How much rent can I afford on $75,000 in Maryland?
About $1,404 a month at 30% of take-home, within a range of $1,170 to $1,638. A $75,000 salary leaves $4,680 a month after tax in Maryland; after $1,404 of rent, $1,511.85 of each two-week paycheck is left for everything else.
How much rent can I afford on $100,000 in Maryland?
About $1,794 a month at 30% of take-home, within a range of $1,495 to $2,093. A $100,000 salary leaves $5,980 a month after tax in Maryland; after $1,794 of rent, $1,931.86 of each two-week paycheck is left for everything else.
Two earners in Maryland
With a partner or roommate, add their take-home, not their salary. A $60,000 and a $40,000 salary take home $6,484 a month together in Maryland (each a single filer), so the household range is $1,621–$2,269 with $1,945 at 30%. Enter the second salary in the calculator above.
How it's worked out
- Take-home pay. Your salary goes through the same engine as our paycheck calculators: federal income tax from IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Social Security and Medicare, and the state's own withholding formula and payroll premiums. A 401(k) and pre-tax benefits come out first.
- Per month. The year's take-home divided by 12, so it doesn't matter how often you're paid.
- The range. 25%, 30% and 35% of that monthly take-home. With a second earner, their take-home — worked out in their own state — is added, never their gross pay.
More Maryland calculators
Maryland paycheck calculator · Salary · Hourly · Maryland bonus tax · Rent affordability in every state · Net to gross
Sources
- HUD USER, PD&R Edge — Rental Burdens: Rethinking Affordability Measures — cost-burdened: paying more than 30% of income for housing; severely: more than 50%; the 1969 Brooke Amendment capped public housing rent at 25% of income, raised to 30% in 1981; pretax vs posttax income affects the measure (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
- 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)
Questions
How much rent can I afford on $60,000 in Maryland?
About $1,154 a month — 30% of the $3,845 a month a $60,000 salary takes home in Maryland (single filer, standard W-4). A conservative 25% is $961; a stretch 35% is $1,346.
Is the 30% rule based on gross or take-home pay?
HUD's 30% cost-burden line is measured on income before tax — $1,500 a month on $60,000. The same 30% of take-home in Maryland is $1,154, which leaves room for the taxes that come out of every paycheck.
What income do landlords want for rent in Maryland?
Many ask for gross income of about 3 times the monthly rent — a common screening practice, not a law, and each landlord sets their own. On $60,000 that allows up to $1,667 a month.
How much rent can two earners afford in Maryland?
Add both take-home pays, not both salaries: $60,000 and $40,000 take home $6,484 a month together in Maryland, so 30% is $1,945.