State and county transfer taxes, recordation taxes, title insurance, settlement, and the first-time Maryland homebuyer exemption — by every county. The numbers your title attorney will quote, before you get to the table.
Maryland charges a 0.5% statewide transfer tax on the sale price, customarily split 50/50 between buyer and seller. First-time Maryland homebuyers are exempt from their 0.125% half — only the seller pays. Each county adds its own transfer tax (0% to 1.5%) and a recordation tax assessed per $1,000 of consideration.
Buyer-side costs typically also include lender title insurance (Maryland uses promulgated rates around $3.50 per $1,000 of loan), settlement fees from the title company ($1,500–$2,500), an appraisal ($550–$700 conforming), and lender origination and misc (often quoted as ~1% of loan). Sellers usually pay owner's title insurance and full agent commissions.
This calculator follows the standard Maryland custom of splitting state and county transfer taxes 50/50. Many contracts assign all transfer and recordation tax to the buyer or all to the seller — confirm with your contract and your title company.
| County | Transfer tax | Recordation per $1,000 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anne Arundel | 1.0% | $7.00 | 1.5% if price ≥ $1M |
| Baltimore City | 1.5% | $10.00 | |
| Baltimore County | 1.5% | $5.00 | $22K exemption owner-occupied |
| Calvert | — | $10.00 | No county transfer tax |
| Carroll | — | $10.00 | No county transfer tax |
| Charles | 0.5% | $10.00 | First $50K exempt principal residence |
| Frederick | — | $12.00 | No county transfer tax |
| Harford | 1.0% | $6.60 | |
| Howard | 1.0% | $5.00 | |
| Montgomery | 1.0% | $8.90 | $13.50/$1K over $500K |
| Prince George's | 1.4% | $5.50 |
Rates current as of 2025–2026 from Maryland title industry references. Confirm with your settlement company before closing.
Closing costs depend on your contract, lender, title company, and credits. Samantha can review your draft contract and walk you through the actual numbers — line by line.
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