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Overall Rating: 88/100 · 400,000 veterans (8.5% of population)
Reviewed 2026. Programs and exemptions verified against Maryland veterans-affairs and tax-authority sources.
Benefit details verified January 2025. Tax exemptions, caps, and eligibility change and can vary by county — always confirm current figures with your county assessor and your Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs before you rely on them.
Partial - $20K exempt age 55+
1.09% average effective rate
Full exemption
100% P&T (or VA permanent unemployability): full exemption of dwelling + curtilage. Some counties add local credits ~50%+. Nothing below 100% P&T at state level.
Source ↗No veteran-specific exemptions
$90,000
VA Medical Center
10 North Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 605-7000
142 beds, 24/7 emergency, spinal cord injury, blind rehab
VA Medical Center
Circle Drive, Building 10, Perry Point, MD 21902
(410) 642-2411
68 beds, premier PTSD residential treatment
Full scholarship
Dependents of 100% disabled veterans - tuition + room & board
4-year value: $100,000
Tuition coverage
Unlimited slots, full out-of-state tuition coverage
Median Home
$525,000
1BR Rent
$1,600/mo
COL Index
125
Unemployment
2.5%
Major employers: Fort Meade (NSA 30K+, Cyber Command), defense contractors
Pros: Best schools in MD, Fort Meade 15 min, highest cyber job concentration in US
Cons: Expensive housing, high cost of living
Median Home
$425,000
1BR Rent
$1,400/mo
COL Index
118
Unemployment
2.8%
Major employers: Fort Meade (5-10 min), NSA, defense contractors
Pros: Fort Meade gateway (5-10 min), more affordable than Columbia
Cons: Still expensive, traffic to Fort Meade
Median Home
$229,000
1BR Rent
$1,100/mo
COL Index
100
Unemployment
4.2%
Major employers: Johns Hopkins (40K+), University of MD Medical, Baltimore VA
Pros: Most affordable, three VA facilities IN city, Johns Hopkins
Cons: High crime - research neighborhoods carefully
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Buying a home
$0 down, no PMI. Funding fee waived for service-connected veterans.
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Appointing authorities add a 10-point credit on any state selection test for an eligible veteran, the spouse of an eligible veteran with a service-connected disability, or the surviving spouse of a deceased eligible veteran; former POWs receive 2 additional points.
Official source ↗Maryland resident veterans who are former POWs or rated 100% service-connected disabled by the VA qualify for a free lifetime hunting license or fishing license. Available at DNR Licensing & Registration Service Centers.
Official source ↗All applicable day-use entrance charges are waived year-round at Maryland State Parks for all veterans of the uniformed services, for both resident and out-of-state veterans.
Official source ↗Veterans rated 100% disabled (or paid at the 100% rate for individual unemployability, permanent and total) receive disabled veteran license plates free of charge with permanent registration cards/stickers; veterans rated 50-99% get plates free but still pay annual registration fees.
Official source ↗Maryland resident veterans with an honorable (or better) discharge can add a 'veteran' designation to a driver's license or ID card by presenting a DD214, Honorable Discharge Certificate, or military records verification at an MVA office.
Official source ↗Maryland's state veterans home in Charlotte Hall provides assisted living and skilled nursing care. Requires an honorable discharge, full-time active-duty service, and Maryland residency; veterans rated 70% or greater service-connected may be entitled to the full cost of nursing home care, and eligible spouses may also be admitted.
Official source ↗Unremarried surviving spouses of veterans rated 100% permanently and totally service-connected disabled, and surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty, are exempt from real property taxes on the dwelling house and surrounding yard. Applicants may apply at any time.
Official source ↗Provides tuition/financial assistance at Maryland institutions to children, stepchildren, or unremarried surviving spouses of a service member who died on active duty, and to children/spouses of a veteran with a 100% service-connected disability.
Official source ↗Sourced from official state agencies; programs and eligibility change — confirm with your Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs before applying.