Rent Affordability for A Chef in Maryland
A typical chef in Maryland earns about $69,282 a year, which supports approximately $1,732 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Maryland city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.
As of May 2026. 28 of 100 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 72 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland, MD | $1,018/mo | 17.6% | very comfortable |
| Hagerstown, MD | $1,377/mo | 23.9% | affordable |
| Dundalk, MD | $1,460/mo | 25.3% | affordable |
| Lochearn, MD | $1,470/mo | 25.5% | affordable |
| Reisterstown, MD | $1,473/mo | 25.5% | affordable |
| Randallstown, MD | $1,483/mo | 25.7% | affordable |
| Halethorpe, MD | $1,487/mo | 25.8% | affordable |
| Carney, MD | $1,497/mo | 25.9% | affordable |
| Bladensburg, MD | $1,501/mo | 26% | affordable |
| Windsor Mill, MD | $1,515/mo | 26.2% | affordable |
| Coral Hills, MD | $1,571/mo | 27.2% | affordable |
| Robinwood, MD | $1,577/mo | 27.3% | affordable |
| Fruitland, MD | $1,595/mo | 27.6% | affordable |
| Temple Hills, MD | $1,600/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Takoma Park, MD | $1,607/mo | 27.8% | affordable |
| Salisbury, MD | $1,621/mo | 28.1% | affordable |
| Ocean City, MD | $1,658/mo | 28.7% | affordable |
| Parkville, MD | $1,675/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Beltsville, MD | $1,673/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Essex, MD | $1,685/mo | 29.2% | affordable |
| Greater Landover, MD | $1,692/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| East Riverdale, MD | $1,696/mo | 29.4% | affordable |
| Westminster, MD | $1,705/mo | 29.5% | affordable |
| Middle River, MD | $1,708/mo | 29.6% | affordable |
| New Carrollton, MD | $1,714/mo | 29.7% | affordable |
| Fort Washington, MD | $1,722/mo | 29.8% | affordable |
| Glen Burnie, MD | $1,729/mo | 29.9% | affordable |
| District Heights, MD | $1,725/mo | 29.9% | affordable |
| Catonsville, MD | $1,741/mo | 30.2% | stretched |
| Edgewood, MD | $1,750/mo | 30.3% | stretched |
| Baltimore, MD | $1,762/mo | 30.5% | stretched |
| Nottingham, MD | $1,771/mo | 30.7% | stretched |
| Chillum, MD | $1,779/mo | 30.8% | stretched |
| Rossville, MD | $1,778/mo | 30.8% | stretched |
| Lexington Park, MD | $1,784/mo | 30.9% | stretched |
| Middletown, MD | $1,824/mo | 31.6% | stretched |
| North East, MD | $1,833/mo | 31.7% | stretched |
| Oxon Hill, MD | $1,839/mo | 31.9% | stretched |
| Towson, MD | $1,871/mo | 32.4% | stretched |
| Brooklyn Park, MD | $1,869/mo | 32.4% | stretched |
| Cockeysville, MD | $1,884/mo | 32.6% | stretched |
| Belcamp, MD | $1,887/mo | 32.7% | stretched |
| Abingdon, MD | $1,893/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| Owings Mills, MD | $1,904/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Elkton, MD | $1,904/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Aberdeen, MD | $1,918/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Havre de Grace, MD | $1,929/mo | 33.4% | stretched |
| Hyattsville, MD | $1,936/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Laurel, MD | $1,938/mo | 33.6% | stretched |
| Lutherville Timonium, MD | $1,958/mo | 33.9% | stretched |
| Silver Spring, MD | $1,969/mo | 34.1% | stretched |
| Garrison, MD | $1,987/mo | 34.4% | stretched |
| Capitol Heights, MD | $2,012/mo | 34.8% | stretched |
| Germantown, MD | $2,026/mo | 35.1% | stretched |
| Leonardtown, MD | $2,025/mo | 35.1% | stretched |
| Bel Air, MD | $2,085/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| Greenbelt, MD | $2,098/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Sykesville, MD | $2,103/mo | 36.4% | stretched |
| Lanham Seabrook, MD | $2,107/mo | 36.5% | stretched |
| College Park, MD | $2,125/mo | 36.8% | stretched |
| Easton, MD | $2,127/mo | 36.8% | stretched |
| Great Mills, MD | $2,135/mo | 37% | stretched |
| Frederick, MD | $2,155/mo | 37.3% | stretched |
| Jessup, MD | $2,173/mo | 37.6% | stretched |
| Berlin, MD | $2,170/mo | 37.6% | stretched |
| Gaithersburg, MD | $2,196/mo | 38% | stretched |
| Severn, MD | $2,236/mo | 38.7% | stretched |
| Brentwood, MD | $2,248/mo | 38.9% | stretched |
| Ijamsville, MD | $2,252/mo | 39% | stretched |
| Columbia, MD | $2,278/mo | 39.5% | stretched |
| Lake Arbor, MD | $2,285/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Waldorf, MD | $2,345/mo | 40.6% | rent-burdened |
| Annapolis, MD | $2,344/mo | 40.6% | rent-burdened |
| Rockville, MD | $2,372/mo | 41.1% | rent-burdened |
| Montgomery Village, MD | $2,372/mo | 41.1% | rent-burdened |
| Elkridge, MD | $2,379/mo | 41.2% | rent-burdened |
| Upper Marlboro, MD | $2,393/mo | 41.4% | rent-burdened |
| Annapolis Junction, MD | $2,415/mo | 41.8% | rent-burdened |
| Crofton, MD | $2,439/mo | 42.2% | rent-burdened |
| Odenton, MD | $2,481/mo | 43% | rent-burdened |
| Bowie, MD | $2,501/mo | 43.3% | rent-burdened |
| California, MD | $2,507/mo | 43.4% | rent-burdened |
| Pasadena, MD | $2,543/mo | 44% | rent-burdened |
| Riverdale, MD | $2,595/mo | 44.9% | rent-burdened |
| Ellicott City, MD | $2,596/mo | 45% | rent-burdened |
| Hanover, MD | $2,669/mo | 46.2% | rent-burdened |
| La Plata, MD | $2,680/mo | 46.4% | rent-burdened |
| Chevy Chase, MD | $2,705/mo | 46.9% | rent-burdened |
| Stevensville, MD | $2,750/mo | 47.6% | rent-burdened |
| Gambrills, MD | $2,801/mo | 48.5% | rent-burdened |
| New Market, MD | $2,798/mo | 48.5% | rent-burdened |
| Olney, MD | $2,813/mo | 48.7% | rent-burdened |
| Arnold, MD | $2,864/mo | 49.6% | rent-burdened |
| Derwood, MD | $2,864/mo | 49.6% | rent-burdened |
| Bethesda, MD | $2,971/mo | 51.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Kensington, MD | $2,975/mo | 51.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Brandywine, MD | $3,064/mo | 53.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Clinton, MD | $3,173/mo | 55% | severely rent-burdened |
| North Potomac, MD | $3,201/mo | 55.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Potomac, MD | $4,426/mo | 76.7% | severely rent-burdened |