Whats up everyone
According to stacker.com, Florida is the 6 largest state sending the most people to Maryland. And Maryland is the 4th largest state sending the most people to Florida! So, what’s going on between these 2 states?
I live in Maryland and my parents live in Florida for part of the year, so I have experience in both and will let you in my reasons for choosing one over at the end of this video – and you may be surprised at my reasons.
But first, let’s compare Maryland to Florida to see which state fares better! So if you’re thinking of moving to Maryland (or Florida), this will be a great video for you. We did one on Maryland VS Texas and Maryland VS California, so if those states interest you, check out those videos next.
Let’s dive right in!
Let’s start with the obvious.
The Weather. Both states are on the east coast but their climates are very different. Here in Maryland, we have all four seasons. Our Fall and Spring are second to none. We get the leaves changing in the fall and all of the bright beautiful flowers blooming in the Spring.
Our winters get cold but quite frankly, not as cold as when I grew up here. We will get some snow, usually 1 or 2 heavy snows a season which gets the kids out of school and can make for a toasty day in front of the fire sipping hot chocolate, or a fun outdoor day playing in the snow.
And our summers do get hot and humid. Too hot and humid for me quite frankly. Between mid July and end of August, we can see temps in the mid 90s but it “feels” like 104 with the air quality and humidity.
We have the dreadful mosquitos and ticks and gnats. The gnats are the worst. And we do have high pollen counts in the spring so if you have allergies like I do, be prepared.
Florida, however, is mostly hot and sunny throughout the year and is more humid than Maryland. Although you don’t get snow in Florida, you do have hurricanes. The official hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with peak activity typically occurring between August and October. With hurricanes, comes higher insurance so be aware that if you’re thinking of moving to Florida, your insurance will include mandated flood insurance as well as higher premiums due to the extreme weather so price it out before you buy. Just fyi.
Florida also has high pollen levels in the spring and fall seasons and the mosquitos are rampant in Florida. They are prevalent throughout the state as Florida’s warm and wet climate creates and ideal environment for mosquitos.
So, for me, I’ll take my four seasons over sunny all year around, especially if that means I’m without mosquitos for the majority of the year!
Moving onto Cost of Living
Maryland is going to be more expensive that Florida except when it comes to healthcare. Let’s start with taxes. In Maryland, you have progressive income tax system, with rates ranging from 2% to 5.75% for individuals. The state also has a statewide sales tax rate of 6%, with additional local sales taxes ranging from 0% to 3.2% depending on the county. The average Property tax rate in Maryland is approx 1.06% of the assessed value but this will vary by county.
Florida has no state income tax, which is a huge bonus. You still have to pay Federal income taxes and corporations in Florida do pay income tax. Florida has a sales tax of 6% and an average property tax rate of .91% of the assessed value.
As far as groceries & restaurants, they seem to be comparable when I looked at different cost comparison sites.
Maryland is also known for a higher minimum wage than Florida with $13.25 compared to Florida’s $11 as of Jan 1 2023. Maryland is scheduled to reach $14 on Jan 1 2024 while Florida is scheduled to increase to $12 Sept 30, 2023.
As far as real estate and housing, well, that depends on where in Maryland and Florida you are looking. Both states have a lot of diversity when it comes to different price points within the state.
So unless we speak of a specific city in each, it’s hard to draw a comparison. I can tell you that where I live in Montgomery County MD which is right outside of DC, it will be generally more expensive to live here than in Florida, unless you’re talking about a beach front property in Miami or nearby. Then you may be talking about different style home but the price point will expensive for both.
And don’t forget about home insurance. As recently stated, this will cost you a lot more in Florida. In fact, when my mom was buying her place down there, we were shocked at how hard it was to even find an insurance carrier and when we finally did, the premiums were outrageous. So just keep that in mind when doing your cost analysis
So, in general, Maryland will be more expensive to live, esp when it comes to taxes except for healthcare which is cheaper than Florida.
So lets move onto Healthcare
Maryland wins when it comes to healthcare. According to US News and World report, Maryland ranks #4 for health care, #1 for health care quality and #10 for public health with only 8.3% of Maryland’s population without health insurance https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/health-care
Florida is ranked 27th in healthcare, #24 in health care quality and #13 in public health with approx 20% of its population without health insurance.
And like I said earlier, Maryland is known for less expensive premiums than Florida but obviously this depends on the individuals health and benefits.
Culture
Maryland has a rich history and is home to iconic landmarks like the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, historic sites in Baltimore, and the charming neighborhoods of the Eastern shore. The state also celebrates its maritime heritage with annual festivals and seafood traditions. If you like blue crabs, you’re in for a treat because Maryland has the best.
You’re also located right outside of Washington DC so you get to take advantage of all that DC has to offer with all of its Smithsonian museums, which are free, monuments and a plethora of restaurants and sites.
Florida offers a vibrant and dynamic culture. The state is famous for its world-class theme parks in Orlando, including Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. Florida’s cities like Miami and Tampa are renowned for their lively nightlife, diverse cuisine, and cultural events influenced by Latin American and Caribbean communities.
So I guess it depends on what you’re into for you to choose one over the other
Economy
Maryland has a diverse and robust economy with a strong focus on sectors like biotechnology, healthcare, and government. The state is home to numerous research institutions and federal agencies, providing ample job opportunities like the NIH (national institute of health), Walter Reed Medical Center and AstraZeneca to name a few.
We also are home to Johns Hopkins hospital which remains a world leader in both teaching ad research.
Florida has one of the largest economies in the US that thrives on tourism. With its sunny weather, beaches, and theme parks, the state attracts millions of visitors each year. This industry creates a wide range of job opportunities in hospitality, entertainment, and recreation. Additionally, Florida has a growing aviation and aerospace sector, thanks to the presence of NASA and major aerospace companies.
Politics
Maryland is a mostly Democratic state. Looking at this past election, most of the state voted democratic at 65% for the Presidential election. Our governor is democrat and both of our senators are democrats. Florida is often considered a swing state in national politics, with its electoral votes being highly contested in presidential elections. As of today, the governor and both senators in Florida are republican.
Recreation
In Florida, besides the amusement parks, you have beaches and ocean with tons of boating, fishing, waterspouts and golf! There are over 1300 golf courses, as well as tennis, biking and hiking.
They call Maryland little America as we have every type of terrain (except the desert) so you can go to the ocean and beaches, as well as the Appalachian mountains and valleys. So if you’re into hiking, biking, camping or climbing, you can do it all in Maryland as well as sailing in Annapolis (the sailing capital of the country) or hanging out on the beaches by the ocean.
At the beginning of the video, I said I strongly prefer one over the other. I know it may be cheaper to live in Florida and some people really like it to be sunny all year round, but for me, I like the different seasons. I lived in CA for 9 years and missed sitting by my fireplace on a cold snowy day. And I hate mosquitos and am terrified of hurricanes.
But the real reason I prefer Maryland over Florida- is that I can hop in my car or get on the metro and head into DC anytime I want. I spent the weekend at different events and block parties in DC and the city never disappoints. Its just an amazing city and I feel privileged to live right next door.
What about you? Which state do you prefer? And why?