After forty years of calling a Hampden row home her sanctuary, Dena Clements is doing something she never thought she’d do: she’s packing her bags. Like thousands of others, the lifelong Baltimore resident has reached a breaking point. It’s not that the love for her city has died, but the math of staying there simply no longer adds up.
Dena’s story is the face of a massive “out-migration” trend. Between 2021 and 2024, nearly 145,000 people turned their backs on Maryland. For those left behind, the question isn’t just about who is leaving, but why the city they love is becoming impossible to live in.
The Death of Affordability
For Dena, the decision to leave wasn’t sparked by a single event, but by the slow, suffocating climb of everyday costs. Sitting at her dining room table, she sifts through a mountain of bills that tell the story of a city priced out of reach.
Even with tax credits, Dena is shelling out thousands a year just to own the home she’s lived in since 1984. Monthly bills now routinely hit $300 to $400. From a $1.15 fee on a single gallon of paint to rising grocery costs, residents feel like they are being drained by a “death by a thousand cuts.”
Despite living a disciplined life, washing clothes in cold water, and driving a 16-year-old car, the rising taxes and fees under the current state and city administrations have made “living under your means” an impossible goal.
Safety and the “Hugs, Not Bullets” Fallout
While the financial burden is the primary driver, the atmosphere of the city plays a heavy secondary role. Dena shows a sentiment shared by many: while her immediate neighborhood feels okay, the rest of the city feels like a “no-go” zone.
The fear of carjackings and robberies has turned simple cross-town trips into high-stress events. For many residents, the perceived failure of local leadership to get a handle on violence is the final nudge they need to look toward the border. When you combine high taxes with a lack of basic public safety, “giving up” starts to look like a very good option.
The Delaware Escape
Where is everyone going? For many, the answer is just across the state line. Delaware has become a haven for Maryland’s “tax refugees,” particularly retirees.
By moving to Delaware, residents like Dena can significantly lower their mortgage and eliminate sales tax entirely, all while staying close enough to visit family in Maryland.
A Bitter Farewell
Gov. Wes Moore’s administration has pointed to federal policies as the culprit for high costs, but residents point to the record $1.6 billion tax and fee hike signed in 2025. For the people on the ground, the political finger-pointing doesn’t pay the bills.
When asked if she’ll be sad to leave the city where she raised her family and worked as a nurse and therapist for decades, Dena’s answer is a chilling reflection of the current state of the city. ”No,” she says. “I don’t think so.”Baltimore is not doing enough to keep its lifelong residents.
