Name: Bethesda, MD
Rating: 0.0

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( 25 Ratings )

Living in Bethesda, MD

Ranks better than 79% of areas Follow

Population

65,092

Median Age

42.8 Years

Bethesda Area Facts

Bethesda has a Livability Score of 79_/100, which is considered exceptional
Bethesda crime rates are 54% lower than the Maryland average
Cost of living in Bethesda is 68% higher than the Maryland average

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What do the locals think about Bethesda?

56%

Family friendly

80%

Public transit is accessible

72%

Walkable to grocery stores

60%

Yards are well-kept

48%

Lots of parks

68%

Walkable to restaurants

Friendly neighbors

Safe at night

Pet friendly

Streets have sidewalks

48%

A quiet area

48%

Sense of community

Based on 25 votes from AreaVibes users. Take the poll

Bethesda Reviews

Write a review about Bethesda Tell people what you like or don't like about Bethesda…

DC With a Posh Veneer 2 rating By feral shade ( Mar 16, 2025) I lived in downtown Bethesda for about 5 years. I'd moved there expecting it to be one of the generally nicest communities on the East Coast. That expectation couldn't be further from the truth.

The overall atmosphere was far from welcoming. It often had the same traffic congest ...Read More ion as DC, and the same pot-saturated air, which was so thick and hot during the summer humidity, that it was hard to breathe outside sometimes. There were so many seemingly endless and obstructive construction projects going on, that it would be easy to suspect that there were more construction workers in the city than residents--which may be a good thing, because the latter of which shares the same cold, abrasive disposition as is so common with the residents of DC. Sometimes random strangers would yell hateful remarks at me from there cars, and more times than I can count, the remainder would shoot dirty glances at me, or passive-aggressively mutter hurtful remarks--just for walking down the street or standing at a cash register. In my life, I'd never been in a community that had such pervasive bigotry.

I'm retired, so I'm not sure what employment opportunities are available, but if you're in dire need of any social services, this is NOT the city for you! Any organization you contact will say "sorry" and/or redirect you to another recited apology--meanwhile boosting to the media of their "generous" civic support.

The amenities are so obscurely pretentious, that you'd be hard pressed to see any familiar retailers, and have an even more difficult time finding one with modest pricing. The restaurants, much more often than not, are locally owned, with drastically inflated prices and noticeably meager portions, usually overshadowed by an exaggerated air of artisanship. Want to catch a movie? Not in Bethesda. They have 2 theaters, and both are for trendy local stage productions. The have a fair amount of parks in the city, and 4 major grocery stores which are all within a few miles of each other, each have marginally adequate food selection/quality and semi-hospitable employees. There is an amazing butcher there, which i found was the only redeeming aspect of the city.

Commuting is a necessary nightmare. It's about halfway between Rockville and DC NW, which is also where a lot of the basic retailers are that you won't find in Bethesda. It's even worse though if you're a pedestrian, as drivers have no qualms about running you over--even if you're on a crosswalk with the "walk" signal lit. I was hit by a car a less than a year after I arrived, with several close calls afterwards.

There's very little crime in the city, you could walk around at night with virtually no risk. I've had more late night constitutionals than I can count without there being an incidents. If something were to happen though, the police aren't really responsive. A year ago I tried to get the attention of a squad car that completely ignored me--and it was stopped at a traffic light--with the officers looking right at me. I will say though that, socially, the streets aren't as quiet as they used to be. You can definitely tell the city is on a trajectory for a crime wave.

I'd avoid moving here, the extra expense you pay for the cost of living will just go towards reinforcing the façade of it being a city that justifies that extra expense. Your best bet is be a tourist and leave it at that. Read Less

Don’t move here!!!!!! 0.5 rating By Gustavo ( Jul 15, 2022) I used to live in Bethesda for years and it had the rudest, snobbiest, superficial, privileged people ever. Everyone cares about how much money you make and your status. No one cares about who you are as a person. They care about your car and clothes way too much. The driving her ...Read More e is horrible! Everyone has entitlement issues and no one admits when they are wrong. They could run a red light and kill someone and still wouldn’t admit guilt. If you drive in a neighborhood, people think they own the whole neighborhood and will yell at you for you for going 28 in a 25. I could write a book about how much I despise Bethesda. Read Less

Better than most 5 rating By Maryland is the best ( Feb 22, 2016) Bethesda is located just out of D.C., and is one of the wealthiest cities in the country. The homes are beautiful, and there are many great neighborhoods, and the schools are fantastic. Bethesda has a population of around 70,000, and is a city-like atmosphere in the downtown area ...Read More , and an urban and quiet setting in it's neighborhoods. Bethesda has an incredible downtown area, with many new places still going up, so many shops and restaurants. There is also a high Jewish population, somewhere around 8%, one of the highest in the country. Bethesda is very expensive, and is not diverse unlike it's surrounding areas. This is surprising because it is very close to Washington D.C. . I would definitely recommend living in Bethesda! Read Less

Paramount, CA - Small Town Atmosphere 4.5 rating By Anonymous ( Feb 16, 2012) Paramount, California has been my home for several years now. I moved to Paramount from Minnesota, so you might imagine the huge change I had to go through. However, Paramount did not make it hard for me to start enjoying my new home. Located just 25 minutes south of Los Angeles, ...Read More Paramount has a population of just over 50,000 friendly, sun-loving Californians.

One of the fist things I began to love bout Paramount was the weather. Everyone knows the South California is known for its mild, pleasant climate. However, I had no idea just how beautiful it could be, until I started living there. During the coldest months of the year (December and January) I could get away with wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. This was a huge (and much welcoming) change for me, coming in from Minnesota. Once I got used to the weather, my next pleasant surprise was Paramount's proximity to a huge city.

The 25 minute drive to Los Angeles is surrounded by grape farms, small houses with aqua pools, and chunks of what is left over of the desert. So living in Paramount I can enjoy the upsides of a big city (such as a great nightlife, shopping, and job opportunities) and yet live in a quieter, more laid back area of the state.

Since Paramount is so close to the city, many of the city conveniences have spilled right over into the small suburb. No matter what kind of shopping I want to get done, I can easily do it right within my own city limits. This includes different grocery stores, clothing stores, Targets and Walmarts.

Bottom of line being, Paramount California is the perfect place to enjoy a small city atmosphere while not stepping too far away from the pros of living in cosmopolitan area. Read Less

Show All Reviews

Better than most 5 rating By Maryland is the best ( Feb 22, 2016) Bethesda is located just out of D.C., and is one of the wealthiest cities in the country. The homes are beautiful, and there are many great neighborhoods, and the schools are fantastic. Bethesda has a population of around 70,000, and is a city-like atmosphere in the downtown area ...Read More , and an urban and quiet setting in it's neighborhoods. Bethesda has an incredible downtown area, with many new places still going up, so many shops and restaurants. There is also a high Jewish population, somewhere around 8%, one of the highest in the country. Bethesda is very expensive, and is not diverse unlike it's surrounding areas. This is surprising because it is very close to Washington D.C. . I would definitely recommend living in Bethesda! Read Less

Paramount, CA - Small Town Atmosphere 4.5 rating By Anonymous ( Feb 16, 2012) Paramount, California has been my home for several years now. I moved to Paramount from Minnesota, so you might imagine the huge change I had to go through. However, Paramount did not make it hard for me to start enjoying my new home. Located just 25 minutes south of Los Angeles, ...Read More Paramount has a population of just over 50,000 friendly, sun-loving Californians.

One of the fist things I began to love bout Paramount was the weather. Everyone knows the South California is known for its mild, pleasant climate. However, I had no idea just how beautiful it could be, until I started living there. During the coldest months of the year (December and January) I could get away with wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. This was a huge (and much welcoming) change for me, coming in from Minnesota. Once I got used to the weather, my next pleasant surprise was Paramount's proximity to a huge city.

The 25 minute drive to Los Angeles is surrounded by grape farms, small houses with aqua pools, and chunks of what is left over of the desert. So living in Paramount I can enjoy the upsides of a big city (such as a great nightlife, shopping, and job opportunities) and yet live in a quieter, more laid back area of the state.

Since Paramount is so close to the city, many of the city conveniences have spilled right over into the small suburb. No matter what kind of shopping I want to get done, I can easily do it right within my own city limits. This includes different grocery stores, clothing stores, Targets and Walmarts.

Bottom of line being, Paramount California is the perfect place to enjoy a small city atmosphere while not stepping too far away from the pros of living in cosmopolitan area. Read Less

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