Bethesda is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, MD. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Bethesda

Bethesda is a large unincorporated community in Maryland with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Bethesda deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, and cold winters.

The good

  • Low unemployment in the county
  • Higher-than-average incomes
  • Clean air
  • Highly educated workforce
  • Growing population
  • Average class sizes

The not so good

  • Rent well above the national average
  • High home prices
  • Cold winters

How Bethesda compares

Median household income

Bethesda$192,237
Maryland avg$103,678
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Bethesda$2,469
Maryland avg$1,705
US$1,413

Median home value

Bethesda$1,169,900
Maryland avg$419,900
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Bethesda

Based on Bethesda's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$4,938

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $98,760 a year
  • 44% of Bethesda renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$233,980

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $116,990
  • Homes cost 6.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 75% above US

$2,469/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,469 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $1,169,900. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $1,169,900 · 44% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.7% county unemployment

Unemployment in Montgomery County is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Montgomery County (county-wide)

Safety

167 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction

Bethesda doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Montgomery County Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.

Property crime 1571/100k · Policed by Montgomery County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

28 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 27.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 4 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% take public transit; 38% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
40%
Work from home
38%
Public transit
9.6%
Walk
6.0%
Carpool
3.7%
Other
2.9%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
10°30°50°70°90°5.5"Jan: 3.32" precipitationFeb: 3.24" precipitationMar: 4.15" precipitationApr: 3.53" precipitationMay: 4.44" precipitationJun: 4.24" precipitationJul: 5.11" precipitationAug: 4.42" precipitationSep: 4.54" precipitationOct: 4.40" precipitationNov: 3.32" precipitationDec: 3.81" precipitation26°JJan: high 43°F, low 26°FFFeb: high 46°F, low 27°FMMar: high 55°F, low 34°FAApr: high 68°F, low 44°FMMay: high 76°F, low 54°FJJun: high 84°F, low 63°F88°JJul: high 88°F, low 68°FAAug: high 86°F, low 66°FSSep: high 79°F, low 59°FOOct: high 68°F, low 47°FNNov: high 56°F, low 36°FDDec: high 47°F, low 30°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

2 hospitals

There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▲ 142% above US

87% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

12 public schools inside the boundary

There are 12 public schools inside the boundary and 17 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Clara Barton National Historic Site (3 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Bethesda's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,469/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (38% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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