For people leaving Washington, Southwest Virginia is one of the better-value places to land. Housing and taxes cost a good deal less here, and you're right next to the Blue Ridge.
MD's top income tax rate is 5.8% versus Virginia's 5.75%, and property taxes run about 1.05% there versus roughly 1% across the region. On a $320,000 home that's a meaningful annual difference.
Cost of living & housing
Overall costs run about 43% lower here than in Washington. It takes only about $117,333 here to match a $200,000 lifestyle there. The $320,000 median home here would run on the order of $558,140 back in Washington.
Where to live
For a first pass, compare both the numbers and the lifestyle fit. These are useful starting points before you narrow to specific homes.
The county at the bay-front tip of the Neck, with Heathsville as its seat. Reedville's menhaden fleet still works the Chesapeake, and the Great Wicomico, Coan, and Yeocomico rivers carve the shoreline into deepwater necks.