These Are The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Maryland, New Ranking Says

Maryland isn't known for being cheap, but a new ranking says there are still places where home prices, rent and everyday expenses remain well below what residents pay elsewhere in the state.

Real estate platform Houzeo ranked the 10 cheapest places to live in Maryland, with Cumberland taking the top spot. The Western Maryland city had a median home price of $130,000 and an overall cost of living 23 percent below the state average, according to the analysis.

Houzeo said it evaluated hundreds of Maryland communities using median home prices, median rent and overall cost of living. The analysis used housing data from 2022 through 2025 and was updated Aug. 1.

Western Maryland fared particularly well, with Cumberland and Frostburg taking the top two spots and Hagerstown ranking sixth. Baltimore and several Eastern Shore communities also made the list.

Here's how Houzeo ranked Maryland's 10 most affordable places to live, along with the data behind each ranking:

1. Cumberland

• Median home price: $130,000
• Median monthly rent: $964
• Cost of living: 23% below Maryland average
• Affordability score: 8.7/10

2. Frostburg

• Median home price: $295,000
• Median monthly rent: $950
• Cost of living: 24% below Maryland average
• Affordability score: 8.1/10

3. Dundalk

• Median home price: $228,000
• Median monthly rent: $1,305
• Cost of living: 1% below Maryland average
• Affordability score: 7.6/10

4. Cambridge

• Median home price: $275,000
• Median monthly rent: $1,381
• Cost of living: 11% below Maryland average
• Affordability score: 7.3/10

5. Baltimore

• Median home price: $240,000
• Median monthly rent: $1,644
• Cost of living: 13% below Maryland average
• Affordability score: 7.2/10

6. Hagerstown

• Median home price: $280,000
• Median monthly rent: $1,508
• Cost of living: 11% below Maryland average
• Affordability score: 7/10

7. Salisbury

• Median home price: $278,000
• Median monthly rent: $1,639
• Cost of living: 11% below Maryland average
• Affordability score: 6.8/10

8. Aberdeen

• Median home price: $325,000
• Median monthly rent: $1,736
• Cost of living: 4% below Maryland average
• Affordability score: 6/10

9. Easton

• Median home price: $423,990
• Median monthly rent: $1,391
• Cost of living: 5% below Maryland average
• Affordability score: 5.8/10

10. Bel Air South

• Median home price: $380,000
• Median monthly rent: $1,745
• Cost of living: 3% below Maryland average
• Affordability score: 5.5/10

The ranking illustrates that affordability can mean different things depending on whether someone is buying or renting. Frostburg, for example, had the lowest median rent of the 10 communities at $950, while Cumberland had by far the lowest median home price. Easton, meanwhile, had the highest median home price on the list despite ranking ninth overall.

Learn more about Maryland's most affordable cities.