City comparison
Arlington, VA is about 10 miles (20 km) from North Bethesda, MD in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 14 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Arlington, VA to North Bethesda, MD takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Arlington has a population of 235,845, vs 49,763 in North Bethesda — about 4.7× larger by population. By land area, Arlington covers about 26 sq mi vs 8.9 sq mi for North Bethesda.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Arlington | North Bethesda | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,227/mo | $2,180/mo | 2.2% higher in Arlington |
| Median home value | $833,300 | $714,500 | 16.6% higher in Arlington |
| Median household income | $137,387 | $131,142 | 4.8% higher in Arlington |
| Groceries index | 104.6 | 104.3 | ≈ equal (Arlington slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 105.0 | 105.6 | 0.6% higher in North Bethesda |
| Transportation index | 101.2 | 102.2 | 0.9% higher in North Bethesda |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 101.6 | ≈ equal (North Bethesda slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Arlington, you'd need $100,072 in North Bethesda to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Arlington and North Bethesda have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $80,058 in North Bethesda to keep the same standard of living.