Side-by-side state comparison
Maryland vs Virginia Paycheck Comparison (2026)
Enter a salary below to see the take-home pay difference between Maryland and Virginia for 2026, broken down line by line.
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Virginia takes home more
more per year vs. Maryland · $200/mo · $92/paycheck
5-Year Difference
$11,995
Maryland is the only US state where every resident pays a county-level income tax in addition to state. This estimate includes a typical county rate of 2.85% (median across MD counties; the published range is 2.25% to 3.20%). Pick a specific county in the calculator to use that county's exact rate.
This estimate is for planning purposes only and does not constitute tax or financial advice. Actual paycheck withholding depends on your employer's payroll system, custom W-4 elections, additional income, and personal tax situation. For specific tax-planning decisions, consult a licensed CPA or tax professional.
Data pending verification
The Maryland county tax is included in the Maryland side via the typical county rate (2.85% median, 2.25% to 3.20% by county); pick a specific Maryland county in the calculator below for that jurisdiction's exact rate.
Cross-Potomac commuter crediting (MD-VA Capital Beltway) is handled qualitatively only; the engine applies resident-state tax at the comparison anchor.
Quick answer
Sitting on opposite banks of the Potomac, Virginia edges Maryland by roughly $2,399 per year at $100,000 single, about $200 per month. Both states cap their progressive state schedules at 6.5%, but Maryland layers a universal county income tax on top of the state line. The county overlay is the gap driver.
Maryland and Virginia sit on opposite banks of the Potomac and split the Washington D.C. commuter belt between them. Maryland runs a progressive state schedule topping at 6.5%, paired with a county-level income tax that every Maryland county applies to residents. Virginia runs a progressive state schedule with the same 5.75% top bracket and no county overlay at the wage level. The MD county tax is the central structural difference between the two states' paycheck math at every salary tier. Northern Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William counties) hosts a federal-contractor cluster (Booz Allen, General Dynamics IT, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman) and a tech corridor along the Dulles Toll Road (AWS US East-1 and the broader cloud-infrastructure belt). Maryland's economy splits between Bethesda-Rockville biotech and government contractors, the BWI-airport logistics corridor, and Baltimore's industrial and medical legacy (Johns Hopkins, T. Rowe Price, McCormick). Cross-Potomac commute math matters for many residents: a Virginia resident working in Maryland owes Maryland non-resident state tax. At $100,000 single, a Maryland resident takes home $71,792 versus a Virginia resident's $74,191, a gap of $2,399 per year.
At $100,000 single filer, take-home difference
Moving from Maryland to Virginia saves approximately $2,399 per year at $100,000 single.
Computed from the tax engine with 2026 federal brackets, FICA, and state tax. Standard deduction, no pre-tax contributions.
Maryland is the only US state where every resident pays a county-level income tax in addition to state. This estimate includes a typical county rate of 2.85% (median across MD counties; the published range is 2.25% to 3.20%). Pick a specific county in the calculator to use that county's exact rate.
How the state tax structures compare
| Feature | Maryland | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| State structure | Progressive 2 to 6.5 percent | Progressive 2 to 5.75 percent |
| Taxes wages? | Yes | Yes |
Take-home at four common salary points
Single filer, 2026 brackets, standard deduction, no pre-tax contributions. Delta is Virginia take-home minus Maryland take-home.
| Salary | Maryland | Virginia | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $38,767 | $40,241 | +$1,474 |
| $100,000 | $71,792 | $74,191 | +$2,399 |
| $150,000 | $102,432 | $105,927 | +$3,495 |
| $250,000 | $163,481 | $169,568 | +$6,087 |
What this comparison includes
This comparison computes 2026 take-home pay in Maryland and Virginia side by side, using 2026 federal brackets after the standard deduction, FICA contributions (Social Security up to the annual wage base, Medicare on all wages, plus the Additional Medicare Tax above the filing-status threshold), and each state's income tax schedule along with any state-administered payroll programs and supported local layers. It excludes employer-side payroll taxes, custom W-4 elections, supplemental-wage handling for bonuses or equity vesting, and income from sources other than W-2 wages. City-level taxes are layered only on the dedicated metro pages; this comparison covers state-and-typical-local figures only, so a worker considering a specific metro should follow the relevant city link in the See also section.
Maryland vs Virginia FAQ
How much more is take-home in Virginia than Maryland at $100,000?
Does the MD vs VA gap grow with salary?
Does this comparison include Capital Beltway commuter math?
How does married filing jointly, head of household, or filing separately change the MD vs VA gap?
What about cost-of-living differences between Maryland and Virginia?
How does MD vs VA compare to other Capital Beltway pairings?
See also
Reviewed
How This Page Is Reviewed
The Maryland vs Virginia comparison is reviewed against primary federal and state sources before each major tax-year update. Source links below are the references used to validate brackets, wage bases, and supported local taxes.
Reviewed by
PaycheckCalc Research Desk
Last reviewed
2026-07-14