Bethesda vs Silver Spring
Bethesda, Maryland versus Silver Spring, Maryland: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bethesda edges out Silver Spring on overall objective livability (47 vs 43 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bethesda | Silver Spring |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $186k | $95k |
| Cost of Living | $78k | $71k |
| Home Value | $1.1M | $606k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.92% | 0.84% |
| Income Tax | 5.80% | 5.80% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 13.17% | 13.10% |
| Unemployment | 3.2% | 4.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 36°F | 36°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.5 in | 46.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 5.8 in | 15.8 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 | 8.4 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 44 AQI |
| School Quality | 77.4 | 77.4 |
| Violent Crime | 893/100k | 3268/100k |
| Property Crime | 2019/100k | 3576/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 66,316 | 81,808 |
| Median Age | 43.5 | 34.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.44 | 0.74 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.96 |
| Political Leaning | D+65 | D+89 |
| White (%) | 69.5% | 33.5% |
| Black (%) | 4.7% | 29.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.9% | 23.6% |
| Asian (%) | 11.6% | 8.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.3% | 5.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 34 min |
| Walkability | 13.7/20 | 14.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 10 mi | 10 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.8% | 94.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 128.78 | 153.65 |
| 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 Silver Spring more affordable?
- Silver Spring has the lower cost of living: its index is $71k, compared with Bethesda's $78k and Silver Spring's $71k. Median rent is $2k in Bethesda versus $2k in Silver Spring.
- Is Bethesda or Silver Spring safer?
- Bethesda has the lower violent crime rate. Bethesda reports 893/100k and Silver Spring reports 3268/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bethesda or Silver Spring?
- The median home value is $1.1M in Bethesda and $606k in Silver Spring, so homes are more affordable in Silver Spring.