Best Places to Buy Rental Property in Maryland (2026)

We ranked all 20 Maryland counties that have both a median home price and a median rent, ordered by the cap rate a median-priced rental would produce. Baltimore City leads at 7.6%, with a median price of $181,356.

Maryland counties ranked by cap rate

#MarketCap rateMedian priceMedian rentCash flowAnalyze
1Baltimore City, MD7.6%$181,356$1,764$142Run numbers
2Allegany County, MD5.1%$155,795$1,020-$200Run numbers
3Dorchester County, MD5.0%$271,430$1,744-$370Run numbers
4Wicomico County, MD4.7%$271,722$1,626-$448Run numbers
5Charles County, MD4.3%$442,449$2,464-$849Run numbers
6Baltimore County, MD3.8%$358,091$1,731-$859Run numbers
7Cecil County, MD3.8%$383,362$1,852-$919Run numbers
8Calvert County, MD3.7%$480,115$2,302-$1,163Run numbers
9Saint Marys County, MD3.7%$431,391$2,029-$1,071Run numbers
10Anne Arundel County, MD3.6%$502,145$2,337-$1,262Run numbers
11Prince Georges County, MD3.6%$421,250$1,957-$1,061Run numbers
12Harford County, MD3.6%$414,044$1,896-$1,061Run numbers
13Talbot County, MD3.5%$484,929$2,184-$1,267Run numbers
14Queen Annes County, MD3.5%$522,697$2,347-$1,370Run numbers
15Frederick County, MD3.4%$494,258$2,179-$1,321Run numbers
16Washington County, MD3.4%$327,924$1,442-$879Run numbers
17Worcester County, MD3.3%$422,876$1,787-$1,180Run numbers
18Carroll County, MD3.0%$486,857$1,840-$1,500Run numbers
19Howard County, MD2.9%$625,349$2,358-$1,931Run numbers
20Montgomery County, MD2.9%$606,938$2,283-$1,878Run numbers

Looking for every county in the state, including those without rent data? Browse the full Maryland market directory.

How this ranking is calculated

We scored 20 counties in Maryland and ranked them by capitalization rate, calculated as annual net operating income divided by median home price. Markets without both a median home price and a median rent are excluded, because cash flow cannot be estimated without both.

Every figure assumes a median-priced home rented at the local median rent, financed with 20 percent down on a 30-year loan at 7.40%, with closing costs at 3 percent of price and operating costs at 35 percent of rent. Operating costs cover taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and management.

These are modeled estimates for comparing markets, not quotes on a specific property. A real deal turns on the individual property, its condition, and the actual rent it can command. Run any market that interests you through the calculator with real numbers before you make an offer.

National rankings

Compare Maryland against the rest of the country.

Other states

States with fewer than 5 counties reporting both price and rent are omitted, because a ranking that short would not be meaningful.

Run the numbers on a Maryland property

Start from Baltimore City median values and replace them with a real listing price and rent to see whether the deal actually works.