Should I Move To
Roughly 66,316 people live in Bethesda, Maryland. Living here costs expensive relative to the rest of the country, 25% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,312/mo; the typical household pulls in $185,546. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 57/100 — a C, putting it at #247 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Bethesda sits at 125 — expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($2,312/mo against $185,546 median household income), housing eats roughly 15% of a typical paycheck — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Buying-side, the median home value is $1,088,000.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 88°F in summer, 32°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 42 inches. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Air quality reads good (AQI 38).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Bethesda is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 55/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on education (100/100); weakest on affordability (15/100).
For retirees, Bethesda isn't the strongest match. It earns 44/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on education (100/100); weakest on affordability (15/100).
For remote workers, Bethesda isn't the strongest match. It earns 41/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on education (100/100); weakest on affordability (15/100).
For young professionals, Bethesda isn't the strongest match. It earns 54/100 (grade C-) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on education (100/100); weakest on affordability (15/100).
Bethesda, Maryland pulls a 57/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #247 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Bethesda's cost-of-living index is 125 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 25% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,312/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 88°F, winter averages around 32°F, with about 42 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 18/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Bethesda has about 66,316 residents, 88% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 44.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Bethesda head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Bethesda stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Bethesda with other Maryland cities scored on UrbRank.
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