City taxes, Maryland? (Baltimore, Columbia, Ellicott City: real estate, HOA, daycare)

[smileysme]

City tax, ?? So MD taxes are so much higher. Correct?

Which of these cities have City tax, on top of the real estate tax, state tax, county tax etc. etc. How much is the city tax? It looks like if I buy a home, my taxes are going to be higher than costs of a premium daycare..
Cities interested:
Ellicott City
Columbia
Clarksville

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by smileysme

City tax, ?? So MD taxes are so much higher. Correct?

Which of these cities have City tax, on top of the real estate tax, state tax, county tax etc. etc. How much is the city tax? It looks like if I buy a home, my taxes are going to be higher than costs of a premium daycare..
Cities interested:
Ellicott City
Columbia
Clarksville

None of these are incorporated cities, so there are no "city taxes". All are just part of Howard County. However, in most of Columbia, you will be required to pay for the Columbia Association, which is like a large HOA. In other areas, you will probably also have HOA dues.

[North Beach Person]

As a note, property taxes are deductible while HOA dues are not.

You've only picked three of the most expensive areas for housing in the area outside the 95 corridor so you're by default going to have high property taxes.

[Richard Martin]

One of the odder things about Maryland is the lack of incorporated towns and cities. Maryland has a lot of Census Designated Places. These areas lack any kind of core or downtown. Anne Arundel County has a population of around 500,000 yet it only has 2 real towns. Annapolis and Highland Beach. Some CDPs have special taxing districts that are administered by the county.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by Richard Martin

One of the odder things about Maryland is the lack of incorporated towns and cities.
Maryland has a lot of Census Designated Places.

It's a very good thing too.

Certainly better than every wide spot in the road being a "city"
or even worse ...the annexation process as they attempt to expand.

[Iggier]

Originally Posted by Richard Martin

One of the odder things about Maryland is the lack of incorporated towns and cities.

Huh? As a homeowner/resident of one of Maryland's incorporated towns who also pays town taxes, I'd entirely disagree with your statement. See this: Town Codes

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by Iggier

Huh? As a homeowner/resident of one of Maryland's incorporated towns who also pays town taxes, I'd entirely disagree with your statement. See this:

Maryland has roughly 2/3 the population of North Carolina yet only 1/3 the number of incorporated towns and cities. You can disagree all you like but the facts are the facts.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Richard Martin

Maryland has roughly 2/3 the population of North Carolina yet only 1/3 the number of incorporated towns and cities. You can disagree all you like but the facts are the facts.

There are 157 incorporated Towns/Municipalities in Maryland with one proposed one going through the process right now. That is Chesapeake Ranch Estates in southern Calvert County.

The current ones range from Luke in Western MD to Crisfield on the Eastern Shore. Baltimore and Howard Counties have nine while Prince George's has the most. Port Tobacco is one of the, if not the, smallest with a population of 21. Delmar is split between Maryland and Delaware as is Marydel.

Two of the oddest ones (as far as name) are Chevy Chase Section 3 and Chevy Chase Section 5.

[smileysme]

Thanks everyone.

Taxes are definitely so high in MD, hence glad to know, city taxes are not going to be one of them!

[smileysme]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

As a note, property taxes are deductible while HOA dues are not.

You've only picked three of the most expensive areas for housing in the area outside the 95 corridor so you're by default going to have high property taxes.

True, because these are the areas that have good public schools.