DC vs Maryland vs Virginia: Where Should You Live?

Washington DC

DC suits people who want to live without a car and be close to downtown jobs. Housing is mostly apartments and rowhouses, space costs more, and street parking is limited by zone permits. All six Metro lines run through the city.

Maryland, in Montgomery County

Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Rockville combine walkable downtowns on the Red Line with single-family neighborhoods a few blocks away. Families often choose the county for its schools and for more space. Most of the county is run by county agencies, though Rockville and a few other places are their own cities.

Northern Virginia

Arlington and Alexandria offer short commutes into DC on the Orange, Silver, Blue, and Yellow lines, with a lot of newer apartment buildings. McLean and Tysons, farther out on the Silver Line, add larger homes and high-rises. Each county or city handles its own permits and vehicle taxes.

How taxes differ

All three tax income, and you pay where you live, wherever your office is. The structure differs in ways worth knowing before you sign a lease. Check each tax office for current rates.

• DC has its own income tax and no annual tax on cars.
• Maryland adds a county income tax on top of the state tax.
• Virginia has a state income tax and no local income tax. Its counties and cities charge an annual personal property tax on vehicles, based on the car's value.
• If you move between them, tell your employer right away so withholding switches to your new home.

Car rules and deadlines for new residents

The deadlines are short, and Virginia's are the shortest.

• DC. Convert your license and register your vehicle within 60 days. A Residential Parking Permit comes with registration.
• Maryland. Get a license and title and register your vehicle within 60 days, with a Maryland safety inspection.
• Virginia. Register your vehicle with the DMV within 30 days and get a license within 60 days. Then register the vehicle with your county or city for the car tax.

What moving into each is like

The move itself costs about the same in all three. Price follows how much you have and the access at each end. The paperwork for the truck is where they differ.

• DC. A DDOT permit reserves the curb, and you post the signs 72 hours ahead on a residential block.
• Arlington. The county's moving van permit needs five business days.
• Alexandria. The city's reserved parking permit needs three business days and has a daily fee per space.
• Rockville. The city posts temporary no-parking signs on five business days' notice.
• Elsewhere in Montgomery County. Moves use driveways, loading docks, or legal street parking.

How to decide

Start from your week, and let the paperwork follow.

• Map the commute from two or three addresses at rush hour, by the way you will actually travel.
• Decide whether you will keep a car. If you will, add Virginia's car tax or DC's permit parking to the comparison.
• If you have children, look at the school assigned to each address.
• Compare the same kind of unit in each place, since space for the rent varies more by neighborhood than by state line.
• Ask each building about move-in fees and rules before you sign.

Sources and dates

Deadlines and permit rules were last checked in October 2026 against DC DMV, the Maryland MVA, the Virginia DMV, DDOT, Arlington County, and the cities of Alexandria and Rockville. The tax points describe how each system is structured. Rates change, so look them up with each tax office.