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. 30 of 100 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 70 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland, MD | $1,056/mo | 18.3% | very comfortable |
| Essex, MD | $1,352/mo | 23.4% | affordable |
| Lochearn, MD | $1,411/mo | 24.4% | affordable |
| Hagerstown, MD | $1,442/mo | 25% | affordable |
| Carney, MD | $1,478/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| Randallstown, MD | $1,481/mo | 25.7% | affordable |
| Bladensburg, MD | $1,482/mo | 25.7% | affordable |
| Reisterstown, MD | $1,490/mo | 25.8% | affordable |
| Robinwood, MD | $1,517/mo | 26.3% | affordable |
| Windsor Mill, MD | $1,545/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| District Heights, MD | $1,563/mo | 27.1% | affordable |
| Temple Hills, MD | $1,574/mo | 27.3% | affordable |
| Fruitland, MD | $1,595/mo | 27.6% | affordable |
| Dundalk, MD | $1,614/mo | 28% | affordable |
| Parkville, MD | $1,624/mo | 28.1% | affordable |
| Takoma Park, MD | $1,623/mo | 28.1% | affordable |
| Coral Hills, MD | $1,629/mo | 28.2% | affordable |
| Middle River, MD | $1,632/mo | 28.3% | affordable |
| Salisbury, MD | $1,641/mo | 28.4% | affordable |
| Beltsville, MD | $1,641/mo | 28.4% | affordable |
| Chillum, MD | $1,644/mo | 28.5% | affordable |
| Westminster, MD | $1,665/mo | 28.8% | affordable |
| Catonsville, MD | $1,692/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| East Riverdale, MD | $1,690/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Brooklyn Park, MD | $1,700/mo | 29.4% | affordable |
| Halethorpe, MD | $1,704/mo | 29.5% | affordable |
| Glen Burnie, MD | $1,708/mo | 29.6% | affordable |
| Rossville, MD | $1,721/mo | 29.8% | affordable |
| Fort Washington, MD | $1,727/mo | 29.9% | affordable |
| Lexington Park, MD | $1,728/mo | 29.9% | affordable |
| New Carrollton, MD | $1,757/mo | 30.4% | stretched |
| Greater Landover, MD | $1,758/mo | 30.4% | stretched |
| Edgewood, MD | $1,772/mo | 30.7% | stretched |
| Nottingham, MD | $1,782/mo | 30.9% | stretched |
| Belcamp, MD | $1,790/mo | 31% | stretched |
| Baltimore, MD | $1,799/mo | 31.2% | stretched |
| Havre de Grace, MD | $1,818/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| North East, MD | $1,837/mo | 31.8% | stretched |
| Owings Mills, MD | $1,871/mo | 32.4% | stretched |
| Laurel, MD | $1,882/mo | 32.6% | stretched |
| Cockeysville, MD | $1,880/mo | 32.6% | stretched |
| Oxon Hill, MD | $1,881/mo | 32.6% | stretched |
| Garrison, MD | $1,882/mo | 32.6% | stretched |
| Elkton, MD | $1,903/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Towson, MD | $1,932/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Aberdeen, MD | $1,932/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Lanham Seabrook, MD | $1,940/mo | 33.6% | stretched |
| Silver Spring, MD | $1,966/mo | 34.1% | stretched |
| Bel Air, MD | $1,999/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| Middletown, MD | $2,041/mo | 35.4% | stretched |
| Hyattsville, MD | $2,080/mo | 36% | stretched |
| Greenbelt, MD | $2,083/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| Capitol Heights, MD | $2,086/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| Abingdon, MD | $2,096/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Lake Arbor, MD | $2,111/mo | 36.6% | stretched |
| College Park, MD | $2,125/mo | 36.8% | stretched |
| Germantown, MD | $2,137/mo | 37% | stretched |
| Great Mills, MD | $2,165/mo | 37.5% | stretched |
| Gaithersburg, MD | $2,187/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Easton, MD | $2,201/mo | 38.1% | stretched |
| Frederick, MD | $2,205/mo | 38.2% | stretched |
| Lutherville Timonium, MD | $2,240/mo | 38.8% | stretched |
| Waldorf, MD | $2,249/mo | 39% | stretched |
| Leonardtown, MD | $2,263/mo | 39.2% | stretched |
| Sykesville, MD | $2,277/mo | 39.4% | stretched |
| Jessup, MD | $2,290/mo | 39.7% | stretched |
| Columbia, MD | $2,304/mo | 39.9% | stretched |
| Severn, MD | $2,316/mo | 40.1% | rent-burdened |
| Upper Marlboro, MD | $2,338/mo | 40.5% | rent-burdened |
| California, MD | $2,346/mo | 40.6% | rent-burdened |
| Ocean City, MD | $2,350/mo | 40.7% | rent-burdened |
| Annapolis, MD | $2,398/mo | 41.5% | rent-burdened |
| Montgomery Village, MD | $2,410/mo | 41.7% | rent-burdened |
| Bowie, MD | $2,412/mo | 41.8% | rent-burdened |
| Ijamsville, MD | $2,417/mo | 41.9% | rent-burdened |
| Rockville, MD | $2,426/mo | 42% | rent-burdened |
| Elkridge, MD | $2,432/mo | 42.1% | rent-burdened |
| La Plata, MD | $2,436/mo | 42.2% | rent-burdened |
| Annapolis Junction, MD | $2,444/mo | 42.3% | rent-burdened |
| Brentwood, MD | $2,454/mo | 42.5% | rent-burdened |
| Crofton, MD | $2,512/mo | 43.5% | rent-burdened |
| Odenton, MD | $2,529/mo | 43.8% | rent-burdened |
| Riverdale, MD | $2,526/mo | 43.8% | rent-burdened |
| Pasadena, MD | $2,535/mo | 43.9% | rent-burdened |
| New Market, MD | $2,544/mo | 44.1% | rent-burdened |
| Ellicott City, MD | $2,552/mo | 44.2% | rent-burdened |
| Berlin, MD | $2,551/mo | 44.2% | rent-burdened |
| Stevensville, MD | $2,600/mo | 45% | rent-burdened |
| Hanover, MD | $2,667/mo | 46.2% | rent-burdened |
| Arnold, MD | $2,677/mo | 46.4% | rent-burdened |
| Gambrills, MD | $2,708/mo | 46.9% | rent-burdened |
| Derwood, MD | $2,763/mo | 47.9% | rent-burdened |
| Chevy Chase, MD | $2,788/mo | 48.3% | rent-burdened |
| Olney, MD | $2,803/mo | 48.5% | rent-burdened |
| Brandywine, MD | $2,817/mo | 48.8% | rent-burdened |
| Bethesda, MD | $2,971/mo | 51.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Clinton, MD | $3,042/mo | 52.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| North Potomac, MD | $3,094/mo | 53.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Kensington, MD | $3,382/mo | 58.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Potomac, MD | $4,338/mo | 75.1% | severely rent-burdened |