Bethesda vs Chillum
Bethesda, Maryland versus Chillum, Maryland: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bethesda and Chillum score about the same overall (47 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bethesda | Chillum |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $186k | $74k |
| Cost of Living | $78k | $71k |
| Home Value | $1.1M | $369k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.92% | 1.01% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 13.17% | 12.79% |
| Unemployment | 3.2% | 6.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 36°F | 36°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.5 in | 48.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 5.8 in | 9.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 165 days | 165 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 66°F |
| Comfortable Days | 77 days | 77 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 11.3 | 18.6 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 77.4 | 83.8 |
| Violent Crime | 893/100k | 3268/100k |
| Property Crime | 2019/100k | 3576/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 66,316 | 35,908 |
| Median Age | 43.5 | 35.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.44 | 0.63 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+65 | D+89 |
| White (%) | 69.5% | 4.1% |
| Black (%) | 4.7% | 42.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.9% | 48.8% |
| Asian (%) | 11.6% | 1.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.3% | 3.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 35 min |
| Walkability | 13.7/20 | 14.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 10 mi | 9 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.8% | 92.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 128.78 | 508.80 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bethesda or Chillum more affordable?
- Chillum has the lower cost of living: its index is $71k, compared with Bethesda's $78k and Chillum's $71k. Median rent is $2k in Bethesda versus $2k in Chillum.
- Is Bethesda or Chillum safer?
- Bethesda has the lower violent crime rate. Bethesda reports 893/100k and Chillum reports 3268/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bethesda or Chillum?
- The median home value is $1.1M in Bethesda and $369k in Chillum, so homes are more affordable in Chillum.