Baltimore has 10th highest tax burden of U.S. cities, but better than NYC, LA, Chicago, Philly

 
While being called the 10th worst big city for taxes is nothing to celebrate, there is a sliver of value coming from how Marketplace labeled Baltimore.
Among the cities that the Marketplace analysis — even if the methodology is surely up for debate — says have a higher tax burden include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia. More needs to be done — particularly around property taxes in Baltimore — but the cheap quality of life often celebrated could be cobbled together with perhaps a relatively lighter tax burden than other big markets.

That said, D.C. wasn’t on the list. Nor, of course, was Baltimore County or other suburban districts. Taxes aren’t a big win for Baltimore, but context can help put the balance of power in perspective.
From the report:
“Baltimore has one of the highest income tax burdens of all the cities. In 2011, a family of three earning $50,000 would have paid $1,818 in income taxes, the ninth highest burden of all largest cities. For a family earning $100,000, the income tax burden was $5,511, the sixth highest. In addition, property taxes in the city were higher than most other largest cities, especially for higher-income families. It is also the largest property tax in the state. According to the Baltimore Sun, mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has expressed interest in lowering the city’s property tax rate to make it more competitive.”