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. 29 of 100 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 71 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland, MD | $1,032/mo | 17.9% | very comfortable |
| Hagerstown, MD | $1,402/mo | 24.3% | affordable |
| Lochearn, MD | $1,418/mo | 24.6% | affordable |
| Carney, MD | $1,466/mo | 25.4% | affordable |
| Reisterstown, MD | $1,474/mo | 25.5% | affordable |
| Essex, MD | $1,477/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| Randallstown, MD | $1,478/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| Bladensburg, MD | $1,492/mo | 25.8% | affordable |
| Windsor Mill, MD | $1,527/mo | 26.4% | affordable |
| Dundalk, MD | $1,581/mo | 27.4% | affordable |
| Salisbury, MD | $1,588/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Temple Hills, MD | $1,587/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Middle River, MD | $1,593/mo | 27.6% | affordable |
| Fruitland, MD | $1,595/mo | 27.6% | affordable |
| Parkville, MD | $1,599/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Beltsville, MD | $1,602/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Takoma Park, MD | $1,597/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Robinwood, MD | $1,598/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Glen Burnie, MD | $1,658/mo | 28.7% | affordable |
| Chillum, MD | $1,657/mo | 28.7% | affordable |
| Brooklyn Park, MD | $1,656/mo | 28.7% | affordable |
| District Heights, MD | $1,658/mo | 28.7% | affordable |
| Westminster, MD | $1,689/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| East Riverdale, MD | $1,690/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Fort Washington, MD | $1,695/mo | 29.4% | affordable |
| Catonsville, MD | $1,705/mo | 29.5% | affordable |
| Halethorpe, MD | $1,702/mo | 29.5% | affordable |
| Rossville, MD | $1,720/mo | 29.8% | affordable |
| Lexington Park, MD | $1,722/mo | 29.8% | affordable |
| Greater Landover, MD | $1,739/mo | 30.1% | stretched |
| New Carrollton, MD | $1,746/mo | 30.2% | stretched |
| Nottingham, MD | $1,741/mo | 30.2% | stretched |
| Coral Hills, MD | $1,755/mo | 30.4% | stretched |
| Baltimore, MD | $1,806/mo | 31.3% | stretched |
| Havre de Grace, MD | $1,818/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| Edgewood, MD | $1,832/mo | 31.7% | stretched |
| North East, MD | $1,829/mo | 31.7% | stretched |
| Cockeysville, MD | $1,854/mo | 32.1% | stretched |
| Oxon Hill, MD | $1,879/mo | 32.5% | stretched |
| Belcamp, MD | $1,876/mo | 32.5% | stretched |
| Owings Mills, MD | $1,893/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| Garrison, MD | $1,898/mo | 32.9% | stretched |
| Laurel, MD | $1,906/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Towson, MD | $1,915/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Elkton, MD | $1,918/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Ocean City, MD | $1,925/mo | 33.3% | stretched |
| Middletown, MD | $1,922/mo | 33.3% | stretched |
| Aberdeen, MD | $1,933/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Lanham Seabrook, MD | $1,941/mo | 33.6% | stretched |
| Silver Spring, MD | $1,962/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Abingdon, MD | $1,982/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Bel Air, MD | $1,991/mo | 34.5% | stretched |
| Hyattsville, MD | $2,004/mo | 34.7% | stretched |
| College Park, MD | $2,016/mo | 34.9% | stretched |
| Capitol Heights, MD | $2,013/mo | 34.9% | stretched |
| Greenbelt, MD | $2,026/mo | 35.1% | stretched |
| Germantown, MD | $2,104/mo | 36.4% | stretched |
| Easton, MD | $2,112/mo | 36.6% | stretched |
| Lake Arbor, MD | $2,145/mo | 37.2% | stretched |
| Great Mills, MD | $2,168/mo | 37.6% | stretched |
| Gaithersburg, MD | $2,184/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| Sykesville, MD | $2,184/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| Lutherville Timonium, MD | $2,191/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Frederick, MD | $2,196/mo | 38% | stretched |
| Leonardtown, MD | $2,213/mo | 38.3% | stretched |
| Berlin, MD | $2,224/mo | 38.5% | stretched |
| Columbia, MD | $2,276/mo | 39.4% | stretched |
| Jessup, MD | $2,290/mo | 39.7% | stretched |
| Waldorf, MD | $2,322/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Severn, MD | $2,363/mo | 40.9% | rent-burdened |
| Annapolis Junction, MD | $2,372/mo | 41.1% | rent-burdened |
| Montgomery Village, MD | $2,380/mo | 41.2% | rent-burdened |
| Annapolis, MD | $2,386/mo | 41.3% | rent-burdened |
| Upper Marlboro, MD | $2,384/mo | 41.3% | rent-burdened |
| Rockville, MD | $2,416/mo | 41.8% | rent-burdened |
| La Plata, MD | $2,412/mo | 41.8% | rent-burdened |
| California, MD | $2,433/mo | 42.1% | rent-burdened |
| Elkridge, MD | $2,448/mo | 42.4% | rent-burdened |
| Brentwood, MD | $2,454/mo | 42.5% | rent-burdened |
| Ijamsville, MD | $2,456/mo | 42.5% | rent-burdened |
| Bowie, MD | $2,487/mo | 43.1% | rent-burdened |
| Pasadena, MD | $2,486/mo | 43.1% | rent-burdened |
| Crofton, MD | $2,507/mo | 43.4% | rent-burdened |
| Odenton, MD | $2,512/mo | 43.5% | rent-burdened |
| Riverdale, MD | $2,526/mo | 43.8% | rent-burdened |
| Stevensville, MD | $2,600/mo | 45% | rent-burdened |
| Ellicott City, MD | $2,623/mo | 45.4% | rent-burdened |
| Chevy Chase, MD | $2,699/mo | 46.7% | rent-burdened |
| New Market, MD | $2,716/mo | 47% | rent-burdened |
| Hanover, MD | $2,744/mo | 47.5% | rent-burdened |
| Derwood, MD | $2,808/mo | 48.6% | rent-burdened |
| Olney, MD | $2,812/mo | 48.7% | rent-burdened |
| Arnold, MD | $2,813/mo | 48.7% | rent-burdened |
| Gambrills, MD | $2,822/mo | 48.9% | rent-burdened |
| Brandywine, MD | $2,958/mo | 51.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Clinton, MD | $3,042/mo | 52.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| North Potomac, MD | $3,061/mo | 53% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bethesda, MD | $3,089/mo | 53.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Kensington, MD | $3,513/mo | 60.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Potomac, MD | $4,746/mo | 82.2% | severely rent-burdened |