The state isn't perfect but don't diss it in front of us, thanks. Maryland In Your Inbox spinner. Thank you! You will receive your first email soon. Love Maryland? Get more stories delivered right to your email. Your e-mail: Sign Up. Share on Facebook Pin it on Pinterest. Jamie Alvarenga. She spends her time chasing around a curious toddler and going on coffee-fueled adventures throughout Maryland. Contact: jalvarenga onlyinyourstate. You'll receive your first newsletter soon!
Having come from Midwest, I can tell you that taxes are not that much lower, especially for the incomes and for what you get in return. Talk about not getting much in return, no transit, few parks etc and sales taxes like that can really add up in a year. Also in KC area, you have car taxes. I paid per year in personal property taxes in Missouri. Nothing in Maryland. I don't mind buying new cars in MD more often because of that alone. In MO if you buy a new car, you know you will be hit with several hundred more dollars a year in prop taxes.
Again, you don't get much in return though. Taxes in suburban midwest are just as high, if not higher when you factor in all the COL variables. But you can live in "rural" midwest and be in a low tax area. Personally, life it too short, I prefer metro DC at this point in my life. Things are not that bad here people. All this Maryland is super blue and is ruining the sate is nonsense. Many red states have poor demographics, poor schools, poor health care, high uninsured health and auto , huge urban crime and blight problems, racial tensions much worse than I have found in this area, sprawl that is out of control, almost no recreation to speak compared to what is offered here, few walkable neighborhoods, lower pay and fewer jobs and many other problems.
Other places have VERY high taxes and absolutely nothing to show for it at all. Have asked people in Detroit what they get for their taxes? DC is a high tax area, but it's also a high demand area. Like NYC, the Bay area, Chicago, and other big urban regions, you are going to pay a little more to live in an area like this. Personally, I think you get more. It's not perfect, but you do have transit options here, you have access to great state parks, public schools are good.
People like to complain about public schools here, but I have found them to be much better than the midwest. This area has large, very economically and racially diverse counties and they seem to actually do a pretty darn good job educating when only small suburban white affluent districts in the midwest are highly regarded.
There are so many pro sports teams, museums, historic sites, bike trails etc here. You can go to the mountains and go to the beach on the same weekend and be back to work on Monday. If you are educated you can generally find a good paying job. There are many colleges nearby to help you get educated and because this area is relativity economically vibrant, I'm finding it's easier for my college bound kids to find paid internships and local scholarships. Again, life is too short to constantly complain about taxes and what not.
Enjoy life. If your life sucks in Maryland, move to Texas or something. Taxes are low there, but I personally choose this quality of life over places like Texas. But that's just me. It is easier said then done. When some of us moved to Maryland, only 11 years ago, the taxes were not out of control and it was a great place to live and raise a family.
People started planting roots, roots do not pull up that easily. People have to sell homes, and most take a lost because of the inflation when we bought. People have to find jobs that are not at entry level positions, since they are established here. Children would have to transfer schools, losing all their friends they have made over the years. People would have to start over and find friends. People have to adapt to the area, it took us 3 years to adapt to Maryland, even longer to establish some really good friendships.
For some they would have to move away from family. Do I sound ignorant? Because that is how you sounded to me when you put that piece in your post. We should not have to move to have a better life! I don't dislike the state and agree that it is not necessarily better or cheaper in other locations.
However, the reputation of jobs and high income comes from just the central MD area in and around the Baltimore and DC area and within a reasonable driving distance to and from those areas.
There is the rest of the state, such as where I live, that does not have many jobs and of those that are available are definitely not high income as low wage seasonal jobs are more of the norm. But we are still taxed at a higher rate and actually get to keep less of our money then other surrounding states. I live in what is one of the lower COL county's in the state and usually don't complain too much, but it does get a little old at times when people talk about all the quality, high paying jobs there are in this state so everybody should gladly pay a lot more for taxes because of all the extra income you get living here as well as the many services you receive from them.
Those are the same people who come over here and buy 2nd or vacation homes and drive up the real estate so the people who live in these areas have a harder time being able to afford places to live on their low payed seasonal jobs which support the area.
Again, overall I like the state, at least this area because for all but 3 month's it has a lot to offer for what I do and I like being away from the hustle and bustle of the central area even though here can get right busy in the summer but it does come with trade offs.
Maryland has high taxes, but I really like it. My husband and I are excited to move there. And like you said, most of the country isn't that much better. I was speaking to one of my colleagues today and she said that Maryland sucks and is "too liberal" for her. It was kind of weird to say because we live in California, which is also a liberal state. Discrimination seems like it's not too much of a problem in MD.
And even here in Cali, MD is known for its good public schools. Maryland is basically looked at by other states as a "spoiled rich people state. A lot of other people can't move Maryland because they're stationed to Ft Meade. The problems that stem from high taxation and over regulation don't just affect individuals, they affect communities. This isn't a huge problem downstate because the economy is largely a "captive audience" due to the presence of the Federal Government and all the related spin off private contractors.
The state of Maryland can create a climate less favorable for business than other states and still succeed because of the demand that D. Outside of metro Maryland, the taxation and regulatory climate pushed down from Annapolis has very negative effects. If you were looking to open a business and MD, PA, and WV were all within 6 miles of each other, which would you choose? If you worked at a location in this tri-state area and were looking for a place to live, which would you choose?
Heck, if you needed to buy a six pack of beer and a carton of smokes, which place would you choose to shop? That is the reality where I live. We don't have a captive economy, or a captive workforce that must stay close to D. Where I live, a cheaper place to do business, a cheaper place to live, and a cheaper place to shop is only a minute drive over the Potomac or across the Mason-Dixon.
So, my specific complaints about taxes wouldn't be solved by moving to some red state somewhere. I can leave, but my home place still suffers. Do we get some benefits from being part of a tax heavy state? Sure, we get some, better roads on the margin, better public education, more efficient social services, but these small gains haven't proven to be enough to even keep my home county on par with our WV neighbors, let alone grow and prosper.
Why we are here: jobs. It is much easier to get a job in the DC area than other places we would prefer to live. There are many pros and cons about living here, but so so easy to get a job.
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