Bethesda vs Potomac
Bethesda, Maryland versus Potomac, 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 Potomac score about the same overall (47 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bethesda | Potomac |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $186k | $219k |
| Cost of Living | $78k | $72k |
| Home Value | $1.1M | $1.0M |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.92% | 0.94% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 9.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 13.17% | 15.46% |
| Unemployment | 3.2% | 4.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 36°F | 35°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.5 in | 48.1 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 | 31.8 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 77.4 | 77.4 |
| Violent Crime | 893/100k | 606/100k |
| Property Crime | 2019/100k | 1477/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 66,316 | 46,499 |
| Median Age | 43.5 | 47.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.44 | 0.55 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | D+65 | D+61 |
| White (%) | 69.5% | 58.8% |
| Black (%) | 4.7% | 5.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.9% | 9.8% |
| Asian (%) | 11.6% | 20.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.3% | 5.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 13.7/20 | 10.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 10 mi | 14 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.8% | 98.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 128.78 | 50.97 |
| 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 Potomac more affordable?
- Potomac has the lower cost of living: its index is $72k, compared with Bethesda's $78k and Potomac's $72k. Median rent is $2k in Bethesda versus $3k in Potomac.
- Is Bethesda or Potomac safer?
- Potomac has the lower violent crime rate. Bethesda reports 893/100k and Potomac reports 606/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bethesda or Potomac?
- The median home value is $1.1M in Bethesda and $1.0M in Potomac, so homes are more affordable in Potomac.