Residential comparison · 13 facts
Bethesda, MD vs Silver Spring, MD
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Bethesda needs about $78,000 in Silver Spring to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Silver Spring, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $92,000 in Bethesda.
A few differences
- Bethesda is higher on median household income ($192,237 vs $99,860).
- Silver Spring is lower on cost of living index (127 vs 166).
- Silver Spring is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($2,000/mo vs $2,676/mo).
Bethesda vs Silver Spring · facet by facet
| Facet | Bethesda, MD | Silver Spring, MD |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,169,900 | $643,300 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,676/mo | $2,000/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.05% | 1.05% |
| State & local income tax | 7.6% | 7.6% |
| Sales tax | 6% | 6% |
| Cost of living index | 166 | 127 |
| Groceries index | 105 | 105 |
| Utilities | $190/mo | $190/mo |
| Median household income | $192,237 | $99,860 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 6.2/10 | 6.2/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 213 days | 213 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Bethesda, MD · Silver Spring, MD
Questions & answers
- Is Bethesda cheaper than Silver Spring?
- Silver Spring has the lower day-to-day cost index (127 vs 166 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Silver Spring equals $85,000 in Bethesda?
- A household earning $85,000 in Bethesda needs about $78,000 in Silver Spring to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Silver Spring lifestyle costs about $92,000 in Bethesda.