BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Ed Marcinko has spent his entire life on Bank Street in Upper Fells Point, a neighborhood his family has called home for more than 150 years.
“That’s my family’s house with the black shutters. I bought that one next to it” Marcinko said, pointing down the block he grew up on.
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But now, he says, that legacy may end with him. After decades in the same home, Marcinko says he’s preparing to leave, citing both concerns about crime in Baltimore City and the rising cost of living across Maryland. The decision, he says, hasn’t come easily.
I’m gonna have tears in my eyes right now. I mean, I was born and raised here. My parents are buried in this city,” he said.
But after meeting with his financial advisor, Marcinko said the numbers were hard to ignore.
“Gas taxes — what, 40 to 50 cents a gallon goes to gas taxes? Paint tax — who’s heard of that?” he said. “I mean, it’s just not affordable anymore. People are looking to go elsewhere.”
For Marcinko, elsewhere, is Florida. Specifically, Destin, Navarre, or Miramar Beach, where he plans to relocate in the coming years.
And according to state data, he’s not alone. A recent report from the Maryland Comptroller’s Office shows that between 2010 and 2023, roughly 2.3 million people moved out of Maryland, compared to about two million who moved in — a net loss of around 300,000 residents. Of those who left, about one-third relocated to Florida. And Marcinko believes they’re chasing more than sunshine.
“State income tax, pension tax, 401k tax, that’s all tax-free in tax-free states,” he stresses.
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Weighing in, local economist Anirban Basu said the trend should raise concerns for state leaders.
“This is alarming that so many people want to leave our state,” Basu said.
He argues state leaders should be asking why.
“There’s a lot to love about Maryland, but state government may not be among those things,” Basu said. “State government should respond by saying, ‘What can we do to make it more likely that you will stay here?’ I don’t know that Annapolis is asking that question. Often, the question is, ‘How can we tax these people even more aggressively?’”
Marcinko said it’s not about leaving Maryland, it’s about what staying would cost.
“I’m willing to pay my fair share, but it’s not a fair share,” he said. “We’re getting nickel and dimed to death.”
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