Bethesda vs North Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland versus North Bethesda, 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 North Bethesda score about the same overall (47 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bethesda | North Bethesda |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $186k | $131k |
| Cost of Living | $78k | $72k |
| Home Value | $1.1M | $715k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.92% | 0.87% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 9.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 13.17% | 15.74% |
| Unemployment | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 36°F | 36°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.5 in | 46.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 5.8 in | 5.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 165 days | 165 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 66°F |
| Comfortable Days | 77 days | 76 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 11.3 | 13.9 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 77.4 | 77.4 |
| Violent Crime | 893/100k | 606/100k |
| Property Crime | 2019/100k | 1477/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 66,316 | 49,763 |
| Median Age | 43.5 | 40.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.44 | 0.61 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.96 |
| Political Leaning | D+65 | D+61 |
| White (%) | 69.5% | 52.4% |
| Black (%) | 4.7% | 10.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.9% | 15.6% |
| Asian (%) | 11.6% | 15.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.3% | 5.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 30 min |
| Walkability | 13.7/20 | 12.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 10 mi | 14 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.8% | 95.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 128.78 | 145.89 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
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 North Bethesda more affordable?
- North Bethesda has the lower cost of living: its index is $72k, compared with Bethesda's $78k and North Bethesda's $72k. Median rent is $2k in Bethesda versus $2k in North Bethesda.
- Is Bethesda or North Bethesda safer?
- North Bethesda has the lower violent crime rate. Bethesda reports 893/100k and North Bethesda reports 606/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bethesda or North Bethesda?
- The median home value is $1.1M in Bethesda and $715k in North Bethesda, so homes are more affordable in North Bethesda.