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CITY

Bethesda

Maryland · 69,397 residents · 13.262 sq mi
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Part of the Washington metro area
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Notable rankings
#19Most educatedof 6,82687.1%#85Most work-from-homeof 6,82638.0%#167Most expensive homesof 6,786$1,169,900#195Highest median household incomeof 6,818$192,237
The short version

Bethesda is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $192,237. Population has grown 26% since 2000. 87% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $1,169,900. Poverty is rare here, at 4.3% of residents. It ranks 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

Total population
69,397
+26%since 2000
from 55,277 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Population density
5,233 / sq mi
+21%since 2009
from 4,322 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
42.8
+3%since 2000
from 41.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
54K58K62K67K71K1990201020202024Bethesda
202469K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.8%(3,312)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.7%(4,658)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.6%(5,262)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.5%(4,504)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.5%(3,832)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 349.5%(6,610)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.5%(8,689)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5414.7%(10,234)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.1%(9,090)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.9%(6,880)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.3%(4,398)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.8%(1,928)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$192,237
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $99,102 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$120,363
+106%since 2000
from $58,479 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
79.6%
+8.3 ptssince 2009
from 71.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
4.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 3.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.511
+5%since 2010
from 0.486 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services9.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration6.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Information4.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade3.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Wholesale trade1.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance1%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical0.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing0.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$1,169,900
+72%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $374,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,469
+34%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,013 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
64.0%
−5.2 ptssince 2000
from 69.1% in 2000
36.0% rent
Vacancy rate
7.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
20.8%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 23.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.8%
+4.5 ptssince 2009
from 39.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.1
−1%since 2009
from 6.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
41
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Bethesda on RentDataNow
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)
Diversity Score
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
Nepalese0%(19)
Malaysian0%(14)
Thai0%(14)
Cambodian0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(53)
Samoan0%(9)
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)
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)
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)
Guyanese0%(18)
Iraqi0%(11)
Jordanian0%(10)
RANKED:Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population · Largest Russian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
87.1%
+8.2 ptssince 2000
from 78.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
98.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 97.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
58.1%
+9.2 ptssince 2000
from 48.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
27.7 min
+50%since 2000
from 18.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
39.8%
−18.1 ptssince 2009
from 57.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
3.7%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
9.6%
−8.0 ptssince 2009
from 17.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
38.0%
+29.0 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
6.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
9.6%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 8.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.1%
−1.0 ptssince 2011
from 4.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
68.2%
−1.9 ptssince 2011
from 70.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
11.6%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
79.7%
−8.6 ptssince 2009
from 88.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
47.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 47.6% in 2009
Female
52.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 52.4% in 2009
Foreign born
26.2%
+3.0 ptssince 2009
from 23.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.6%
−41.4 ptssince 2009
from 46.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
7.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2012
from 6.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.1%
−94.4 ptssince 2013
from 96.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
97.0%
+4.3 ptssince 2017
from 92.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
69.7%
−4.2 ptssince 2016
from 73.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
7.6%
+1.2 ptssince 2016
from 6.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
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
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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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SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BETHESDA VS
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Home value$731,800−37%
Population49,677−28%
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BETHESDA VS
South Kensington
Income$210,953+10%
Home value$919,800−21%
Population8,148−88%
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BETHESDA VS
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Income$135,040−30%
Home value$576,700−51%
Population8,954−87%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
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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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →