Population
Potomac
46,230
Bethesda
67,403
Median Income
Potomac
$239,205
Bethesda
$191,348
Home Value
Potomac
$1,105,900
Bethesda
$1,129,700
Rent
Potomac
$2,616
Bethesda
$2,437
Crime Rate
Potomac
N/A
Bethesda
N/A
Cost of Living
Potomac
295.3
Bethesda
273.7
Avg Temp
Potomac
N/A
Bethesda
N/A
Unemployment
Potomac
3.6%
Bethesda
3.2%
How Similar Are Potomac & Bethesda?
Bethesda is Potomac's #15 most similar city
4 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Potomac
46,230
Bethesda
67,403
Bethesda has a 31% larger population than Potomac.
Political Leaning
Potomac
21.9%
Bethesda
21.9%
Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 0% difference.
Unemployment
Potomac
3.6%
Bethesda
3.2%
Potomac has a 11% higher unemployment than Bethesda.
Median Income
Potomac
$239,205
Bethesda
$191,348
Potomac has a 20% higher median income than Bethesda.
Home Values
Potomac
$1,105,900
Bethesda
$1,129,700
Both cities have similar home values — just a 2% difference.
Education
Potomac
58.6%
Bethesda
60.7%
Both cities have similar education — just a 4% difference.
Demographics
Potomac
61.5%
Bethesda
70.3%
Bethesda has a 13% higher demographics than Potomac.
Cost of Living
Potomac
295.3
Bethesda
273.7
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 7% difference.
4 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Potomac and Bethesda share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Potomac
0
Bethesda
Bethesda leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Bethesda leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDBethesda scores 166.7 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 202.8 in Potomac. Bethesda scores 177.0 on the healthcare index (100 = national avg) vs 200.0 in Potomac. Bethesda scores 273.7 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 295.3 in Potomac.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Potomac leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSPotomac has a vacancy rate of 3.3% compared to 7.5% in Bethesda. Potomac has a single-family homes of 85.2% compared to 58.1% in Bethesda. Potomac has a owner-occupied of 85.1% compared to 65.0% in Bethesda.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Bethesda leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBethesda: 36,560 vs Potomac: 22,895 for labor force. Potomac has a median household income of $239,205 vs $191,348 in Bethesda (25% higher). Bethesda: 18 min vs Potomac: 21 min for mean commute.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety
Source: FBI UCRViolent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Bethesda leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauBethesda has a bachelor's degree or higher of 60.7% compared to 58.6% in Potomac. Bethesda has a high school diploma or higher of 63.2% compared to 61.4% in Potomac.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBethesda has a population of 67,403, about 1.5x the size of Potomac (46,230). Bethesda skews younger with a median age of 43.4 vs 47.0.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Potomac
Bethesda
Healthcare — Potomac leads
Source: CMS Hospital ComparePotomac: 4 vs Bethesda: 3 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Bethesda leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBethesda has a bicycle of 1.6% compared to 0.2% in Potomac. Bethesda has a public transit of 10.9% compared to 4.2% in Potomac. Potomac has a drive alone of 53.9% compared to 41.1% in Bethesda.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Potomac, MD
Compare Potomac against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.