Bethesda, Maryland
Among the top 12% of US places for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 15% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade F, better than 10% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 64% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 88% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 58% of US places
- top 1% for natural disaster risk
- top 3% for walkability
- bottom 1% for monthly owner costs
Bethesda is a mid-size city in Maryland with about 66,000 residents. It grades A for getting around and F for weather. Standout strengths include natural disaster risk, walkability, and airport distance. It rates lower on cost of living and monthly owner costs.
Climate
Hot summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Light snow
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56%45%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.6 in3.5 in
muggy 86%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$186k98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$78kbetter than 2% of US places
Home Value$1.1M98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 3% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$4kbetter than 1% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.92%better than 55% of US places
Income Tax5.80%better than 36% of US places
Sales Tax6.00%better than 86% of US places
Estimated total tax burden13.17%better than 24% of US places
Unemployment3.2%better than 56% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)36°F62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)79°F71st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation48.5 in73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall5.8 inbetter than 67% of US places
Sunny Days165 daysbetter than 4% of US places
Summer Humidity66°Fbetter than 33% of US places
Comfortable Days77 daysbetter than 37% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk11.3better than 99% of US places
Air Quality46 AQIbetter than 51% of US places
School Quality77.4better than 74% of US places
Violent Crime893/100kbetter than 41% of US places
Property Crime2019/100kbetter than 19% of US places
Community
Population66,31698th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age43.560th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4477th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9542nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+651st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)69.5%30th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)4.7%76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)8.9%71st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)11.6%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.3%72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time29 minbetter than 29% of US places
Walkability13.7/20better than 97% of US places
Airport Distance10 mibetter than 96% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access95.8%better than 86% of US places
Amenities Nearby128.78better than 60% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 20% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bethesda an affordable place to live?
- Bethesda is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $78k, better than 2% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Bethesda?
- The median home value in Bethesda is $1.1M, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Bethesda?
- Median household income in Bethesda is $186k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Bethesda?
- Median gross rent in Bethesda is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Bethesda safe?
- Bethesda is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 893/100k (better than 41%). Property crime is 2019/100k.
- What is the weather like in Bethesda?
- Bethesda averages 79°F in July and 36°F in January, with 48.5 in of annual precipitation and about 165 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Bethesda?
- Public-school quality in Bethesda is above average, scoring better than 74% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Bethesda?
- The average one-way commute in Bethesda is 29 min.
Places near Bethesda
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)