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Phoenix vs Baltimore Take-Home

At $100,000 single (2026), Phoenix keeps about $76,680 vs $71,746 in Baltimore — a $4,934 annual take-home gap. State (and modeled local) income tax plus FICA/SDI drive the paycheck. Note: Baltimore — Baltimore City’s exact local income tax rate can differ from the 3% statewide average used here — treat this as an MD-average vignette, not a Baltimore City return.

By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026

Higher take-home

Phoenix keeps more

$76,680 vs $71,746, a $4,934 difference.

Side-by-side scoreboard

Phoenix

$76,680

$100k · rank #13 · 23.3%

Federal
$13,170
State
$2,500
Local
$0
FICA
$7,650
COL index
107
Phoenix profile →

Baltimore

$71,746

$100k · rank #33 · 28.3%

Federal
$13,170
State
$7,434
Local
$0
FICA
$7,650
COL index
98
Baltimore profile →

Key takeaways

  • At $100,000 single (2026), Phoenix keeps about $76,680 vs $71,746 in Baltimore — a $4,934 annual take-home gap. State (and modeled local) income tax plus FICA/SDI drive the paycheck. Note: Baltimore — Baltimore City’s exact local income tax rate can differ from the 3% statewide average used here — treat this as an MD-average vignette, not a Baltimore City return.
  • Phoenix (AZ) vs Baltimore (MD) — state (and local) income tax plus payroll create the gap.
  • Federal ≈ $13,170 (Phoenix) vs $13,170 (Baltimore); state ≈ $2,500 vs $7,434.
  • FICA ≈ $7,650 vs $7,650.
  • Ranks: Phoenix #13 · Baltimore #33 among 34 metros on this hub.
  • Personalize filing status and deductions in each state calculator.

How to read Phoenix vs Baltimore

Both columns use the same $100,000 single-filer vignette for 2026: federal + state income tax (+ NYC city tax when modeled) + employee FICA + state SDI/PFML when applicable.

The $4,934 gap is state (and modeled local) income tax plus payroll — not rent. Phoenix ranks #13; Baltimore ranks #33 on the national metro hub.

Local caveat: Baltimore — Baltimore City’s exact local income tax rate can differ from the 3% statewide average used here — treat this as an MD-average vignette, not a Baltimore City return.

What drives US metro paycheck gaps

Employees are taxed by state of residence (and sometimes city) for wage income — federal brackets apply nationwide. NYC is the only metro on this hub with a separately modeled city PIT.

Phoenix models about $2,500 state tax and $7,650 FICA. Baltimore models about $7,434 and $7,650 FICA.

Same-state pairs (e.g. San Francisco–Los Angeles) should match take-home; no-PIT corridors (Austin–Miami) also tie. Cross-state corridors (NYC–Austin, SF–Seattle) are where bracket and payroll differences appear.

Why the income ladder matters

At $50k the modeled gap between these metros is about $2,309; at $200k it is about $10,705. Bracket thresholds and FICA/SDI ceilings can reorder winners as salary rises.

Use the ladder before accepting an offer at a different gross — a metro that wins at $100k may not win at $150k or $200k.

Open /calculator/us/arizona or /calculator/us/maryland to personalize filing status, dependents, and retirement deferrals.

Cost of living vs take-home

Phoenix COL index 107 · COL-adjusted proxy $71,664. Baltimore COL index 98 · proxy $73,210.

COL-adjusted take-home is a purchasing-power hint from relocation indexes — not IRS withholding and not a substitute for rent quotes or a budget.

A higher take-home metro can still feel tighter if housing dominates; pair this compare with the relocation salary calculator.

Limitations of this compare

Single filer, standard deduction, no 401(k), no dependents, no stock options, no remote multi-state income sourcing.

Unmodeled local taxes: Baltimore — Baltimore City’s exact local income tax rate can differ from the 3% statewide average used here — treat this as an MD-average vignette, not a Baltimore City return.

Engine last aligned for hub review 2026-08-11. Figures are educational vignettes — not advice.

Tax stack layers

Federal income tax

IRS brackets and standard deduction. Modeled: Phoenix $13,170 · Baltimore $13,170.

State income tax

State withholding for Arizona vs Maryland. Modeled: Phoenix $2,500 (AZ) · Baltimore $7,434 (MD).

Local / city income tax

No separately modeled local PIT on these columns. Caveat: Baltimore City’s exact local income tax rate can differ from the 3% statewide average used here — treat this as an MD-average vignette, not a Baltimore City return. Real resident take-home may be lower.

FICA

Employee Social Security + Medicare (+ Additional Medicare when applicable). Modeled: Phoenix $7,650 · Baltimore $7,650.

COL index

Phoenix 107 · Baltimore 98 (100 = national average). COL-adjusted proxies: $71,664 vs $73,210.

Income ladder comparison

Same gross bands, single filer — gaps grow or shrink with state brackets and payroll caps.

GrossPhoenixBaltimoreΔ
$50,000$41,105$38,796$2,309
$75,000$59,718$56,096$3,621
$100,000$76,680$71,746$4,934
$150,000$110,041$102,322$7,719
$200,000$143,927$133,222$10,705

Decision guides

Cross-state offer

Model both state calculators at the offer gross. At $100k the gap is $4,934; the ladder shows whether it grows or shrinks.

Job offer negotiation

Ask for the work state (and city residency rules) on the contract. A AZ vs MD posting can change take-home more than the skyline name.

High COL destination

If relocating to the higher-COL metro (Phoenix), stress-test rent against take-home — tax wins do not automatically fund housing.

What this compare excludes

  • 401(k), IRA, HSA, and other pre-tax deferrals
  • Dependents, credits, and itemized deductions beyond the standard single-filer stack
  • RSUs, ISOs, ESPP, and other stock compensation
  • Remote workers with multi-state income sourcing
  • Unmodeled local wage taxes (Philadelphia Wage Tax, Detroit city PIT, Ohio municipal, Pittsburgh EIT/LST)
  • Employer benefits, union dues, and commuting subsidies
  • Baltimore: Baltimore City’s exact local income tax rate can differ from the 3% statewide average used here — treat this as an MD-average vignette, not a Baltimore City return.

Myths vs reality

“Every big city has a NYC-style city income tax.”

Phoenix and Baltimore do not add modeled city PIT. Gaps come from state tax and payroll. Caveat: Baltimore City’s exact local income tax rate can differ from the 3% statewide average used here — treat this as an MD-average vignette, not a Baltimore City return.

“The higher take-home city always feels richer.”

COL indexes (107 vs 98) can erase or reverse the cash advantage. Pair tax with rent before relocating.

“Texas and Florida take-home always matches Washington.”

Washington has no wage PIT, but employee PFML can trim take-home below the TX/FL/NV cluster — check the SDI/PFML line on the scoreboard.

“COL-adjusted take-home is my real paycheck.”

It is a purchasing-power proxy only. Tax returns care about taxable wages and credits — not our relocation COL index.

How to use this comparison

Step 1

Read the scoreboard

Compare take-home, effective levy, and the federal / state / local / FICA split for both metros.

Step 2

Scan the income ladder

Confirm whether the $100k winner still leads at $50k, $150k, and $200k.

Step 3

Check same-state vs cross-state

Attribute the gap to state (and modeled local) rules plus payroll, not rent alone.

Step 4

Personalize

Run custom gross and filing status in the Arizona and Maryland calculators.

Compare another pair

Compare any two metros

Take-home on $100,000 single — state rules, FICA, and modeled local tax.

Denver vs Phoenix

Related tools

Phoenix paycheck calculatorPersonalize Arizona take-homeBaltimore paycheck calculatorPersonalize Maryland take-home$100k take-home by stateSame vignette ranked across all 50 statesSalary comparison by stateTake-home ladders beyond $100kRelocation salary calculatorCity COL + equivalent salaryReal raise by state5% after tax + CPI by state

Phoenix vs Baltimore FAQs

Phoenix by about $4,934/year on this vignette.

Baltimore City’s exact local income tax rate can differ from the 3% statewide average used here — treat this as an MD-average vignette, not a Baltimore City return.

COL indexes here are 107 (Phoenix) vs 98 (Baltimore). COL is not subtracted from take-home — use it as a purchasing-power hint alongside rent quotes.

Single filer, $100,000 gross, 2026 — federal + state income tax (+ NYC city tax when modeled) + employee FICA + state SDI/PFML when applicable. No 401(k), dependents, or stock.

Federal income tax on this vignette is about $13,170 in Phoenix vs $13,170 in Baltimore.

Phoenix (AZ): state ~$2,500. Baltimore (MD): state ~$7,434.

Often yes. Check the income ladder table on this page ($50k–$200k). Bracket thresholds, FICA caps, and SDI ceilings can reorder winners as salary rises.

401(k)/IRA deferrals, dependents, stock compensation, remote multi-state sourcing, and unmodeled local wage taxes (Philly Wage Tax, Detroit city PIT, Ohio municipal, Pittsburgh EIT/LST). See caveats for Baltimore. Not tax advice.

Glossary

Take-home pay
Gross wages minus modeled federal income tax, state/DC income tax, NYC city tax when applicable, employee FICA, and state SDI/PFML when applicable.
City wage tax
A local income or earnings tax on wages. Only NYC is modeled here; Philly, Detroit, Ohio cities, and Pittsburgh disclose unmodeled local taxes.
MSA
Metropolitan Statistical Area — Census population ranks (2023) select which metros appear on this hub.
FICA
Employee Social Security (6.2% to the 2026 wage base) and Medicare (1.45%) — IRS Topic 751; same in every city.
SDI / PFML
State Disability Insurance or Paid Family & Medical Leave employee withholdings (e.g. CA SDI, WA/MA PFML, capped NY SDI).
COL index
Cost-of-living index from our relocation city table (100 = national average). Used for context after the paycheck.
Effective employee levy
(Gross − take-home) ÷ gross — the share of salary withheld in this vignette.
Unmodeled local tax
A real city/municipal wage tax that exists but is not subtracted in our engine — flagged in the city’s caveat.