Bethesda, Maryland
Area Profile
69,397 residents. Public schools, jobs, income, housing cost, climate and natural-hazard risk for Bethesda, in Montgomery County.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 14 sourcesUnemployment is 3.7% and median household income $192,237, putting employment conditions in the middle range of cities measured. The unemployment rate is published for Montgomery County, MD, which contains Bethesda, rather than for Bethesda alone.
Public schools test above most of the state: 76% of students met the mathematics standard, placing the area in the top 5% of published profiles for schools.
Rent takes 29% of renter income here, below the 30% threshold conventionally called cost-burdened.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment across Montgomery County, MD, which contains Bethesda, is 3.7%, lower than in 74% of the 4,226 measured US cities.
Employment across Montgomery County, MD, which contains Bethesda, fell 2.7% over the past year, to 538,171 employed residents.
87% of adults hold a four-year degree, higher than 99% of measured US cities.
Median household income of $192,237 is higher than in 99% of measured US cities.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income of new arrivalsMontgomery County, MD’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $98,588 | 79th percentileof 4,101 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Income of those who leftMontgomery County, MD’s figurefiling years 2022–2023 | $102,772 | 85th percentileof 4,101 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Median household income ±$6,2602024 ACS 5-Year | $192,237 | Top 1%of 29,223 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$5,7512024 ACS 5-Year | $120,363 | Top 1%of 31,420 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 3.9% | Top 19%of 31,773 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±0.9 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 30.2 min | Bottom 33%of 31,543 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 87.1% | Top 1%of 31,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 39.8% | 3rd percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentMontgomery County, MD’s figureJuly 2026 | 538,171 | Top 14%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)Montgomery County, MD’s figureJuly 2026 | −4.5% | Bottom 5%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)Montgomery County, MD’s figureJuly 2026 | −2.7% | Bottom 11%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceMontgomery County, MD’s figureJuly 2026 | 559,012 | 86th percentileof 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±0.8%2024 ACS 5-Year | 85.7% | Top 22%of 31,513 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Mean annual wageWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $91,930 | Top 6%of 3,729 | 2025 OEWS |
| Median annual wageWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area’s figure2025 OEWS | $71,060 | Top 8%of 3,729 | 2025 OEWS |
| Public transit to work ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 9.6% | 98th percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)Montgomery County, MD’s figureJuly 2026 | −0.4% | Top 34%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateMontgomery County, MD’s figureJuly 2026 | 3.7% | Top 26%of 4,226 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 38.0% | 97th percentileof 31,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Median household income, successive ACS releases
Largest occupations — Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
| Occupation | People employed | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 112,530 | $156,460 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 76,600 | $104,770 |
| Software Developers | 69,060 | $154,930 |
| Retail Salespersons | 66,920 | $36,610 |
| Management Analysts | 62,360 | $126,830 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 60,560 | $34,600 |
Searches the 40 largest occupations here that have a published wage.
Occupational employment and wages are published for metropolitan areas rather than for individual cities or ZIP areas, so these describe the wider labor market this location sits in. 2025 OEWS, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a labor-market series for this place — true of a consolidated city-county, a city and county sharing one government, or a Puerto Rico municipio, regardless of population. This is the figure for Montgomery County, MD, which contains this city.
76% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 81% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 17.0 students for every full-time teacher across 16 public schools, more than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Johnson High | Montgomery County Public Schools | 3,016 | 18.2 | 78% | 87% |
| Bethesda-Chevy Chase High | Montgomery County Public Schools | 2,377 | 16.7 | 76% | 82% |
| Walt Whitman High | Montgomery County Public Schools | 2,056 | 17.9 | 86% | 91% |
| Thomas W. Pyle Middle | Montgomery County Public Schools | 1,259 | 17.0 | 82% | 82% |
| North Bethesda Middle | Montgomery County Public Schools | 1,224 | 17.2 | 65% | 76% |
| Ashburton Elementary | Montgomery County Public Schools | 871 | 17.8 | 57% | 54% |
| Westland Middle | Montgomery County Public Schools | 839 | 15.8 | 68% | 74% |
| Bethesda Elementary | Montgomery County Public Schools | 645 | 16.5 | 69% | 68% |
| Wyngate Elementary | Montgomery County Public Schools | 640 | 17.3 | 76% | 81% |
| Wood Acres Elementary | Montgomery County Public Schools | 609 | 16.9 | 66% | 75% |
| Burning Tree Elementary | Montgomery County Public Schools | 479 | 14.1 | 73% | 79% |
| Bradley Hills Elementary | Montgomery County Public Schools | 474 | 16.9 | 80% | 79% |
14.4% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Maryland’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →Prices for everything a household buys run about 10% above the national average — the Bureau of Economic Analysis index reads 109.5, against 100 for the nation. Nationally, housing drives most of the spread between places in this index; other goods vary far less.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s house price index for the Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda, MD Metropolitan Division is up 29% over five years, and up 1.3% over the last year. It follows repeat sales of the same homes, so it measures price change rather than which homes happened to sell.
HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom, set near the 40th percentile of recent new leases, is $3,019, some 22% above the $2,469 tenants already here pay.
At HUD’s Fair Market Rent of $3,019 a month for a two-bedroom, keeping rent to 30% of income takes a household income of about $120,700 a year, about 63% of the median household income here of $192,237.
The typical renter household here spends 29% of its income on rent, below the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $2,469 a month.
Prices here run about 10% above the national average. The spread between places is driven mostly by housing — goods vary far less — and this excludes taxes.
Published for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area as a whole. Prices are regional — people shop, commute and rent across a metropolitan area rather than within a city boundary — so this describes the cost of living around this place better than a figure drawn to its own limits would.
The figures above are measured against Bethesda’s median household income of $192,237, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living indexthe Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area’s figure2023 | 109.5 | Bottom 27%of 3,700 | 2023 |
| Home price change (1 year)the Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda, MD Metropolitan Division’s figure2026 Q2 | +1.3% | 26th percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)the Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda, MD Metropolitan Division’s figure2026 Q2 | +29.4% | 15th percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)the Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda, MD Metropolitan Division’s figure2026 Q2 | +56.6% | 5th percentileof 4,154 | 2026 Q2 |
| Homeownership rate ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 64.0% | 27th percentileof 31,717 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±6892024 ACS 5-Year | 30,095 | 98th percentileof 32,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, one bedroomFY2026 | $2,707 | Bottom 4%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, three bedroomFY2026 | $3,808 | Bottom 6%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, two bedroomFY2026 | $3,019 | Bottom 5%of 4,072 | FY2026 |
| Median gross rent ±$922024 ACS 5-Year | $2,469 | Bottom 3%of 23,120 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$23,1572024 ACS 5-Year | $1,169,900 | 99th percentileof 29,111 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes2024 ACS 5-Year | $10,000+ | — | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income2024 ACS 5-Year | $250,000+ | — | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 28.7% | Bottom 48%of 22,950 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±1992024 ACS 5-Year | 439 | 97th percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.5% | 65th percentileof 31,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 5.7% | 43rd percentileof 31,769 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±4032024 ACS 5-Year | 2,158 | 98th percentileof 32,330 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures and the cost-of-living index.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
71% of the 2,601 units permitted over the past twelve months are in buildings of five or more homes, so new supply is concentrated in apartments and condominiums rather than detached houses. The multifamily share is published for Montgomery County, MD, which contains Bethesda, rather than for Bethesda alone.
Federal tax returns show Montgomery County, which contains Bethesda, lost about 1.0% of its residents through moves within the US in the most recent year, counting those who arrived against those who left. Households that moved in reported an average income of $98,588, close to the $102,772 of households that moved out.
At 2.4 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is below the median for measured US cities. The permit rate is published for Montgomery County, MD, which contains Bethesda, rather than for Bethesda alone.
People moving in and out
Where newcomers came from
- Prince George's County, MD 6,486 people · 16% of arrivals
- District of Columbia, DC 5,079 people · 12% of arrivals
- Fairfax County, VA 1,651 people · 4.0% of arrivals
- Frederick County, MD 1,492 people · 3.6% of arrivals
- Howard County, MD 1,342 people · 3.2% of arrivals
Where people who left went
- Prince George's County, MD 6,334 people · 13% of departures
- Frederick County, MD 4,543 people · 9.0% of departures
- District of Columbia, DC 3,096 people · 6.2% of departures
- Howard County, MD 2,311 people · 4.6% of departures
- Fairfax County, VA 2,168 people · 4.3% of departures
Based on the address on federal tax returns, compared with the same filers a year earlier. It counts people who file, and sees a move only when the address on a return changes. Domestic moves only: people arriving from abroad are left out. This is the figure for Montgomery County, MD. IRS Statistics of Income, filing years 2022–2023.
The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey lists only jurisdictions that issue their own permits, and Bethesda, MD is not one. This is the figure for Montgomery County, MD, which contains this city.
Weather & climate
6 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 90°F and January a low of 30°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 41.8 inches, including 13.7 inches of snow.
Air quality measures a median index of 40, in the Good band, and no day in the year passed 100.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| 90th percentile air quality index2024 calendar year | 61 | 2024 calendar year |
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 41.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual snowfall1991-2020 Normals | 13.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 30°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 6 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Days above AQI 1002024 calendar year | 0 | 2024 calendar year |
| Median air quality index2024 calendar year | 40 | 2024 calendar year |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 44°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Air quality
A comfortable median and a bad tail are different problems. Wildfire smoke and summer ozone show up in the worst tenth of days, not in the middle of the year.
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. Air quality is measured by EPA monitors and published by county only where a monitor sits; a county without one shows nothing rather than an estimate, and a county reading is still the county’s. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are inland flooding, hurricane and heat wave, with inland flooding alone responsible for 56% of it. Inland flooding and heat wave are independently rated low or minimal nationally, so this describes how the loss is composed, not how large those hazards are.
Overall hazard risk is lower than 83% of measured US cities.
Low or minimal exposure: winter weather, heat wave, strong wind, hail, inland flooding, earthquake, tornado, ice storm, wildfire, coastal flooding, avalanche, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). FEMA publishes at county level. City values are the population-weighted mean of the counties the city overlaps, using AreaProfile place-to-county land-area weights. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
These are deaths, not offenses — they say nothing about burglary, theft or assault.
Montgomery County records 2.5 homicide deaths per 100,000 residents a year, near the middle of counties measured. The CDC does not publish this below county level.
Firearm deaths of all intents run at 4.3 per 100,000 — more than the homicide rate, since the figure counts suicides and accidents as well as homicides.
Drug overdose deaths run at 7.4 per 100,000 residents in Montgomery County.
Firearm deaths count every intent together, and nationally the majority are suicides rather than homicides, so the firearm figure and the homicide figure above it count some of the same deaths twice over. They overlap and should not be added together.
Death rates are crude rates — deaths divided by population, not adjusted for age — except where a count was too small for the CDC to publish and it modeled the rate, which the card marks. They come from provisional death certificate records, published by the CDC by county and not below it. So they describe the county around Bethesda (Montgomery County) rather than Bethesda itself. They are shown and not scored. How to read death rates.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Reported crime
- Offenses reported to police are published by department rather than by town, so AreaProfile shows a rate only on city profiles, and only where that city’s department submitted every month of a year. Either no municipal department reports for this place — many smaller communities are policed by the county — or its department did not report every month of the year. Either way there is no figure to show. A partial year is never scaled up to look complete, and arrest counts or news volume are never substituted for it.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. The cost-of-living index above is a price level for all consumption, not a household budget, and it excludes taxes. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
4 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest Washington Dulles Intl at 19 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±4%2024 ACS 5-Year | 97.0% | Top 16%of 31,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 19 mi | Bottom 48%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 4 | Bottom 38%of 4,226 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±0.7%2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.7% | Top 17%of 31,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Dulles Intl | IAD | 19 mi | 11,500 ft |
| Baltimore/Washington Intl Thurgood Marshall | BWI | 27 mi | 10,503 ft |
| Harrisburg Intl | MDT | 85 mi | 10,001 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
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Other cities in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Same metropolitan area, measured the same way| City | County | Population | Area Score | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | District of Columbia | 681,294 | 68 | Washington vs Bethesda |
| Arlington | Arlington County | 236,254 | 73 | Arlington vs Bethesda |
| Alexandria | Alexandria city | 156,976 | 60 | Alexandria vs Bethesda |
| Germantown | Montgomery County | 90,719 | 68 | |
| Frederick | Frederick County | 83,395 | 67 | |
| Waldorf | Charles County | 82,943 | 60 | |
| Silver Spring | Montgomery County | 81,462 | 68 | |
| Centreville | Fairfax County | 71,706 | 67 | |
| Dale City | Prince William County | 71,016 | 63 | |
| Gaithersburg | Montgomery County | 69,825 | 68 | |
| Rockville | Montgomery County | 67,671 | 70 | |
| Reston | Fairfax County | 64,414 | 67 |
Every city here is measured on the same scale from the same source releases, so the comparison is like for like. A higher Area Score reflects AreaProfile’s standardized weighting rather than a judgment about which is the better place to live.
Similar places
Matched on AreaProfile signals, not geographyCompare
Put Bethesda side by side with a similar place.
Moving to Bethesda from somewhere else?
You get the difference in prices, rent and weather, and the income that would keep pace.
Data & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Demographics, Income | Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division U.S. Population Migration Data (county to county) | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Housing | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional price parities and county personal income | 2023 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics | 2025 OEWS |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Safety | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Provisional county-level mortality by intent | March 2025 to February 2026; May 2025 to April 2026 |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research Fair Market Rents | FY2026 |
| Climate | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System Daily Air Quality Index by county | 2024 calendar year |
| Housing | U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (traditional, all-transactions) | 2026 Q2 |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.