Relocating for a job in Columbia, MD from Florida-what to expect financially? (Baltimore: rentals, insurance)

[ang7633]

My husband accepted a job in Columbia. We are trying to get the financial figures together as to the changes we will be seeing in our expenses, tax bills, cost of living, etc. since we are moving from a very low cost of living location (northern florida) to a much higher cost of living area (Columbia).
Can anyone help with the tax rates? Is there a county tax? What other things would be helpful to know financially? This will be quite a change for us.
Also, the housing prices in Columbia seem to be about double as we are used to seeing here in N. Florida. Are there cheaper options outside of Columbia that would still provide my husband and easy commute?
Thanks ya'll!

[Gabrielle]

I found this cost of living calculator and it allows you to compare the cost of living in two different cities to give you an idea of how much you would need to make in your new location to maintain your old lifestyle:
Moderator cut: link removed, please read our terms of service

[macroy]

There is a county tax that is collected as part of your State income tax (info here). Property tax is also collected at about 1.5% of your assessment.

When I lived there 10 years ago, Columbia also has the equivalent of a city tax (CPRA). I'm sure that's still around, but not sure how much that is. You may be able to avoid this in certain part of Columbia as some residences don't pay those.

[associatebroker]

Feel free to use my website to access the local MLS (multiple listing service). It covers all of Maryland and beyond. I recommend you obtain a map of Maryland and determine how much of a commute you are willing to entertain. Then, search those areas for active listings.

You'll also find some key info on schools and the communities in and around Columbia. Good to know!

If you have any follow-up questions, you can contact me through the website at: http://home-sweet-home.us

Best wishes,

Art

[tercel95]

Yes, you should be prepared for a huge increase in cost of living, almost everywhere across the board... The only thing that might be cheaper is homeowners/renters insurance...

There are really no "affordable" places left in MD within a reasonable commuting distance of the job centers... Also be prepared for the extreme left wing politics and snow... On a good note the drivers are much better in MD...

[harper1116]

I currently live in Columbia, but will be moving to Orlando, FL at the end of June and depending on your husband's job and salary. What i mean is if he is the only one working at his salary is less than about $45,000 then it mayyy be difficult. My fiance and I make over $67,000 between the two of us and we live comfortably in Columbia. So of course two salaries are always better than one. FOr tax wise it is not so bad, but coming from FL where they have no income taxes then it may take a bit to get used to. Property taxes in owning a home around the around are very high, possibly double(if not more) what is would be in FL. Overall, I believe if you both have jobs with income then you should be fine.

[carotene]

I've worked in Columbia for almost a decade. In that time i've lived in various places in MD (i was born and raised in MD). This is my advice:

If you have kids or plan to -
stay in or around Columbia. Aim for Centennial district which is one of the best schools in the nation. look it up. Columbia is prefabricated suburbia loaded with street names like "Rusty Robin Meadow Lane". Very Leave it To Beaver but a good and safe environment for kids in most parts. Some parts don't have HOA, but most do. Traffic within Columbia's borders can be sticky during rush hour but not overwhelming.

If you prefer City life -
Since Columbia is half way between DC and Baltimore (give or take), you can live in either city and be reasonably close to work geographically. Traffic-wise however is a totally different story. I would stay away from locations north of columbia on Baltimore's 695 beltway. Traffic is terrible and you are kinda going with the traffic. Coming up from DC is a different story. Everyone is headed south into DC in the morning so you are against traffic both ways. I live in Silver Spring which allows me to take 95 or 29. This is really handy. It's a 30 min commute, but it's a consistent and reliable 30 min usually with no stop and go traffic.

Because Columbia is at the cross roads of interstates and state highways, your options are plentiful to get in and out. Property is not cheap regardless of where you look because, as someone mentioned before, jobs are plentiful.


Tidbits about MD

Maryland in general is a beautiful state with highly educated population centers. We have mountains, plains, beaches, a huge ass bay, 2 major cities, and a very quaint capital city.

Education
The University of Maryland has locations throughout the state for higher education. There's also Hopkins, Loyola in and around baltimore as well as Georgetown, American, George Washington in DC. Decent community colleges in some areas as well.

Recreation
The many tributaries of the bay offer fishing, boating, kayaking, etc. The mountains offer hiking, moutain and road biking, skiing, etc. Ocean city (Ocean ****ty) has nice parts but there are other beaches near by and less traveled that are great. DC and Baltimore are great for foodies and the many immigrant populations bring authentic and cheap cuisine.

Getting Away
2 International airports and 1 national airport. Do you need a direct flight to Bejing? How about picking up a cruise in Baltimore habor? A Southwest Airlines hub at BWI will get you dirt cheap domestic fares to many locations.

Politics
A few ppl have complained about the politics in this state. Yes, we elect mostly dems to state office. But outside of the population centers, MD gets red REAL FAST. Anne Arundel, Carroll, and the pan handle counties are quite conservative - it's just that they are sparsely populated compared to Baltimore and the DC border counties. We've got high state, county, and sometimes city (if incorporated) taxes. But, salaries are higher than most other parts of the country.

[ang7633]

Originally Posted by carotene

I've worked in Columbia for almost a decade. In that time i've lived in various places in MD (i was born and raised in MD). This is my advice:

If you have kids or plan to -
stay in or around Columbia. Aim for Centennial district which is one of the best schools in the nation. look it up. Columbia is prefabricated suburbia loaded with street names like "Rusty Robin Meadow Lane". Very Leave it To Beaver but a good and safe environment for kids in most parts. Some parts don't have HOA, but most do. Traffic within Columbia's borders can be sticky during rush hour but not overwhelming.

If you prefer City life -
Since Columbia is half way between DC and Baltimore (give or take), you can live in either city and be reasonably close to work geographically. Traffic-wise however is a totally different story. I would stay away from locations north of columbia on Baltimore's 695 beltway. Traffic is terrible and you are kinda going with the traffic. Coming up from DC is a different story. Everyone is headed south into DC in the morning so you are against traffic both ways. I live in Silver Spring which allows me to take 95 or 29. This is really handy. It's a 30 min commute, but it's a consistent and reliable 30 min usually with no stop and go traffic.

Because Columbia is at the cross roads of interstates and state highways, your options are plentiful to get in and out. Property is not cheap regardless of where you look because, as someone mentioned before, jobs are plentiful.


Tidbits about MD

Maryland in general is a beautiful state with highly educated population centers. We have mountains, plains, beaches, a huge ass bay, 2 major cities, and a very quaint capital city.

Education
The University of Maryland has locations throughout the state for higher education. There's also Hopkins, Loyola in and around baltimore as well as Georgetown, American, George Washington in DC. Decent community colleges in some areas as well.

Recreation
The many tributaries of the bay offer fishing, boating, kayaking, etc. The mountains offer hiking, moutain and road biking, skiing, etc. Ocean city (Ocean ****ty) has nice parts but there are other beaches near by and less traveled that are great. DC and Baltimore are great for foodies and the many immigrant populations bring authentic and cheap cuisine.

Getting Away
2 International airports and 1 national airport. Do you need a direct flight to Bejing? How about picking up a cruise in Baltimore habor? A Southwest Airlines hub at BWI will get you dirt cheap domestic fares to many locations.

Politics
A few ppl have complained about the politics in this state. Yes, we elect mostly dems to state office. But outside of the population centers, MD gets red REAL FAST. Anne Arundel, Carroll, and the pan handle counties are quite conservative - it's just that they are sparsely populated compared to Baltimore and the DC border counties. We've got high state, county, and sometimes city (if incorporated) taxes. But, salaries are higher than most other parts of the country.

Carotene- thanks for the great response. Can you give us some safe, family-friendly neighborhoods in Silver Spring to look in?

[J_Lurk]

Originally Posted by ang7633

Carotene- thanks for the great response. Can you give us some safe, family-friendly neighborhoods in Silver Spring to look in?

I thought you were looking for cheaper than Columbia? Silver Spring is more expensive. It is also more urban and fun, which is probably why Carotene is there. But if you are looking for "family-friendly" then you are thinking schools, and I haven't been here long but I've already met people who have rented out their house in the Silver Spring area and moved somewhere else for schools. There are good schools there, and there are not-so-good schools there and you need to know exactly where you are before putting down roots.

Howard County Schools are very highly rated, and if not Columbia then you might want to look at other communities in Howard County, like Elkridge.

You also might want to search this board for previous threads on the topic. There are a number of discussions of Columbia and Silver Spring.

[SmokeyLisa]

I second J_Lurk's comments. Personally, I think there are some great buys in Columbia right now. In some ways, I wish I was still looking and could take advantage of the market. You did not mention your price range for buying or renting.

I have seen rentals in Clemens Crossing area ~2000 for single family, which seems good to me and in general I like that area. SFH in Columbia range from the low 300s and up. This may seem like a lot but I think it is great for the area, the parks, sidewalks, etc. Elkridge is one of the more affordable areas of Howard County as well.