Moving from Virginia to Maryland
At $100,000 a single filer saves $550 a year by moving from Virginia to Maryland — $46 a month. Virginia charges $4,936 at that income and Maryland charges $4,386, an effective 4.94% against 4.39%.
The gap is not constant. At $50,000 it is $50; at $500,000 it is $1,178. Both states run a graduated schedule, so the gap scales roughly with income.
The move priced at every income
State income tax in both jurisdictions for tax year 2026, at the standard tiers. Change the filing status to see how the answer moves.
| Income | Virginia tax | Maryland tax | Change per year | Change per month | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $2,061 | $2,011 | −$50 | −$4 | 4.12% → 4.02% |
| $75,000 | $3,498 | $3,199 | −$300 | −$25 | 4.66% → 4.27% |
| $100,000 | $4,936 | $4,386 | −$550 | −$46 | 4.94% → 4.39% |
| $150,000 | $7,811 | $6,916 | −$895 | −$75 | 5.21% → 4.61% |
| $250,000 | $13,561 | $12,400 | −$1,161 | −$97 | 5.42% → 4.96% |
| $500,000 | $27,936 | $26,758 | −$1,178 | −$98 | 5.59% → 5.35% |
Want a figure for your own income? Open this pair in the moving calculator, which also takes Maryland county and New York City local taxes.
Both states at $100,000
Virginia (leaving)
$100,000 · Single · TY2026Maryland (arriving)
$100,000 · Single · TY2026How many people make this move
28,004 people moved from Virginia to Maryland in 2024, give or take 5,694 — the American Community Survey is a sample, and its margin of error on a flow this size is wide. That makes it the 20th busiest of the 40 routes this site covers.
The traffic runs both ways: 25,183 people moved the other way, from Maryland to Virginia, in the same year. That is a net 2,821 toward Maryland. The return trip has its own page: moving from Maryland to Virginia.
Movers: U.S. Census Bureau, Table 1. State-to-State Migration Flows: 2024 (American Community Survey 1-year estimates) (retrieved 2026-09-19). Universe: population 1 year and over in the united states. Tax figures are computed from each state's own rate schedule and are unrelated to this dataset.
What else changes between Virginia and Maryland
Local income tax. Maryland has localities that levy their own income tax; Virginia does not, so the figures above understate what you would pay after the move. See what they cost.
Capital gains. A long-term gain meets a top rate of 5.75% in Virginia and 8.50% in Maryland.
Virginia, today: Virginia taxes capital gains on the ordinary schedule, up to 5.75%. The Department's published list of subtractions contains no general capital gains subtraction — only a narrow one for gains on an investment in a qualified business.
Maryland, after the move: New for 2025, Maryland taxes a long-term gain as ordinary income and then adds 2% on top. Technical Bulletin 58 states that for an individual with federal AGI over $350,000 the tax is "(1) the applicable income tax rate applied to Maryland taxable income, plus (2) an additional 2% tax on net capital gain included in the individual's Maryland adjusted gross income." Against the 6.5% top rate that is 8.5%. Compare every state.
Retirement income. Maryland: Social Security benefits and Railroad Retirement benefits under the U.S. Railroad Retirement Act are not taxed by Maryland. Benefits taxed federally may be subtracted on the Maryland return. Compare every state.
Direction of travel. Virginia's top rate has not moved since 2021. Maryland's top rate has risen 0.75 points since 2021. Virginia history · Maryland history.
What this does not answer
State income tax only. Property tax, sales tax and housing costs usually matter more to a moving decision than the figures on this page, and none of them is here.
A full year in each state. In the year you move you will normally file part-year returns in both, splitting the income between them, so neither column is what you will actually pay that year.
Rates are tax year 2026. Sources: Virginia Department of Taxation and Maryland General Assembly. How we verify this data · Disclaimer