CITY
Bethesda
Maryland · 69,397 residents · 13.3 sq mi
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Part of the Washington metro area
The short version
With 69,397 people, Bethesda is a city in Maryland. 87% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $1,169,900. That is roughly 85% ahead of the Maryland median. Households take in $192,237 a year at the median, 134% more than the country as a whole. That puts it in the top 1% of US cities for household income.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.8
US median: 38.9
More educated
87% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 72%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
Land area
13.3 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202469K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.8%(3,312)
5 to 96.7%(4,658)
10 to 147.6%(5,262)
15 to 196.5%(4,504)
20 to 245.5%(3,832)
25 to 349.5%(6,610)
35 to 4412.5%(8,689)
45 to 5414.7%(10,234)
55 to 6413.1%(9,090)
65 to 749.9%(6,880)
75 to 846.3%(4,398)
85 and over2.8%(1,928)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$192,237
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $99,102 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
79.6%
+8.3 ptssince 2009
from 71.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services9.8%
Public administration6.5%
Information4.1%
Retail trade3.6%
Arts, entertainment, food2.5%
Wholesale trade1.8%
Finance & insurance1%
Professional, scientific, technical0.8%
Transportation & warehousing0.7%
Education & health services0.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.1%
Construction0.1%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$1,169,900
+72%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $374,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
6.1
−1%since 2009
from 6.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
41
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic81.8%(45,210)
Black2.6%(1,432)
Hispanic / Latino5.4%(3,000)
Asian7.9%(4,357)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic65.7%(45,580)
Black6.3%(4,361)
Hispanic / Latino9.6%(6,678)
Asian12.7%(8,790)
Other5.7%(3,988)
67
+59%since 2009
from 42 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
South American3.6%(2,489)
Mexican1.5%(1,060)
Central American1.5%(1,008)
Argentine1%(703)
Peruvian0.9%(643)
Spaniard0.7%(517)
Colombian0.7%(511)
Cuban0.7%(490)
Puerto Rican0.7%(489)
Honduran0.5%(369)
Salvadoran0.3%(218)
Costa Rican0.3%(198)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.2%(147)
Ecuadorian0.2%(139)
Bolivian0.1%(98)
Dominican0.1%(88)
Panamanian0.1%(87)
Guatemalan0.1%(85)
Paraguayan0.1%(55)
Nicaraguan0.1%(51)
Uruguayan0%(12)
Asian origin
Asian Indian3.4%(2,370)
Chinese3.2%(2,215)
Korean1.2%(851)
Japanese1.1%(739)
Vietnamese0.9%(623)
Filipino0.7%(491)
Kazakh0.4%(310)
Sri Lankan0.4%(294)
Pakistani0.3%(201)
Indonesian0.3%(174)
Taiwanese0.1%(104)
Burmese0.1%(102)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Ancestry
English10.6%(7,389)
German10.6%(7,377)
Irish10.6%(7,371)
Italian6.9%(4,769)
Russian4.7%(3,269)
American4%(2,765)
Polish3.6%(2,468)
French3.4%(2,391)
Arab2.4%(1,633)
Subsaharan African2.1%(1,472)
Scottish1.9%(1,325)
Iranian1.6%(1,120)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish1.3%(930)
Ukrainian1.2%(850)
Lebanese1.1%(786)
Dutch1%(683)
Norwegian0.9%(597)
Hungarian0.8%(529)
Ethiopian0.7%(518)
West Indian0.7%(484)
British0.7%(477)
Armenian0.6%(450)
Greek0.6%(448)
Welsh0.6%(442)
Lithuanian0.6%(419)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(409)
Austrian0.6%(390)
Egyptian0.5%(337)
Turkish0.5%(330)
Portuguese0.5%(320)
Jamaican0.5%(319)
French Canadian0.4%(291)
Slovak0.4%(266)
Romanian0.4%(263)
Brazilian0.4%(258)
Swiss0.4%(251)
Slovene0.4%(247)
Australian0.3%(234)
Danish0.3%(219)
Czech0.3%(199)
Finnish0.3%(181)
Belgian0.2%(144)
Canadian0.2%(131)
Serbian0.2%(114)
Ghanaian0.2%(114)
Nigerian0.2%(109)
Syrian0.2%(106)
Bulgarian0.1%(104)
Israeli0.1%(66)
Moroccan0.1%(60)
Croatian0.1%(55)
Latvian0.1%(44)
Palestinian0.1%(42)
Haitian0.1%(35)
Macedonian0%(32)
Guyanese0%(18)
Iraqi0%(11)
Jordanian0%(10)
Barbadian0%(9)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
98.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 97.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.1%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 77.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
99.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 98.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married29.1%(7,582)
Married64%(16,701)
Widowed2.1%(547)
Divorced4.8%(1,259)
Women 15+
Never married29%(8,734)
Married56.3%(16,938)
Widowed6%(1,807)
Divorced8.6%(2,597)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
13.7%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 14.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
0.6%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 0.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
90.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 91.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
22.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 21.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)42.7%(1,035)
Gulf War (1990s)15%(363)
Vietnam era26.9%(651)
Korean War10.4%(253)
World War II1%(25)
Share of the 2,423 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Compare Bethesda to nearby cities
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Income$211,765+10%
Home value$1,245,000+6%
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BETHESDA VS
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BETHESDA VS
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BETHESDA VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Bethesda, Maryland?
Bethesda, Maryland has about 69,397 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Bethesda, Maryland?
The typical household in Bethesda, Maryland earns about $192,237 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Bethesda, Maryland expensive?
In Bethesda, Maryland, the median home is worth about $1,169,900, and the typical rent is about $2,469 a month.
How educated are people in Bethesda, Maryland?
About 87.1% of adults age 25 and over in Bethesda, Maryland hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Bethesda, Maryland?
About 4.3% of people in Bethesda, Maryland live below the federal poverty line.
Has Bethesda, Maryland grown since 1990?
Yes, Bethesda, Maryland has grown since 1990. The population has added about 6,461 residents, a change of about 10 percent over that period.
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MarylandDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024