<aside> 💡 Maryland is America in Miniature.
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Where do you rest your head? Maryland is home to five connected regions: The shore, mountains, forest, farms, and the swamp. Whether you're driving down I-70 through Mountain Maryland in the west, driving I-95 or taking the MARC train across the Capital and Central Piedmont, driving up the Chesapeake through Southern Maryland, or traversing the many towns and farms of the eastern shore, living tiny in Maryland can vary greatly by ecology, proximity to a nearby town, what jobs are along the way, and who's family has migrated where. Browse our reading list and reach out to a regional representative to learn more about the pros/cons of each region.
Different agencies cut the state into slightly different figurations. This map follows Maryland DPW Regional Map, as it orients along density and shared geographic assets. See a table of County Updates
Central (lime, yellow) (the forest)
Baltimore City Metro, Baltimore County, Carroll, Harford, Howard
Eastern Shore (sky blue) (the shore, bay farmland)
Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, Worcester
Western (beige) (the mountains)
Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, Washington
Southern (pink) (bay farmland)
Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary's
Capital (teal) (forest, the swamp)
Montgomery, Prince George's, Washington DC Metro
Maryland as a whole allows tiny homes on foundations, however, in accordance with Maryland Home Rule, each jurisdiction chooses to adopt the latest Fire & Building Code along with the optional Appendix Q of the Code. This allows county and towns to interpret and determine a home's legality.
<aside> 💡 See Mr. Fair's 2020 research (primer on p. 101)
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Unfortunately, most counties and towns are unfamiliar with tiny homes, and none allow movable tiny homes that are on a chassis (and move on wheels). Meanwhile, some jurisdictions like Montgomery County and more and more, do allow accessory dwelling units in certain residential zones, for which tiny homes are often ideal. (See our list below and ask for more information.)
As larger and more traditional affordable housing needs have arisen, often with financial backing, each planning department has worked to accommodate these projects. But funding takes time! It is upon a coalition of those 'in-the-know' to describe the financial benefits, realistic route, and viable supply-and-demand of tiny homes.