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.”
