Bethesda vs Cambridge
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $1,092,100 in Cambridge and $1,169,900 in Bethesda.
- Households earn more in Bethesda ($192,237 vs $130,748 median).
- Bethesda has the warmer winter: January highs of 45°F vs 37°F.
- Cambridge gets far more snow: 49 inches a year vs 14.
- Bethesda has more scorching days: 40 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 14.
- Cambridge is growing faster: +3.5% since 2020 vs +0%.
Side by side
| Bethesda, MD | Cambridge, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 69,397 | 122,588 |
| Growth since 2020 | n/a | +3.5% |
| People per square mile | 5,233 | 19,163 |
| Median age | 42.8 | 30.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 87% | 81% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $192,237 | $130,748 |
| Median home value | $1,169,900 | $1,092,100 |
| Home value to income | 6.1× | 8.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,469 | $2,787 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 108.9 | 108.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 151.1 | 148.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $81,700 | $81,200 |
| Homeowners | 64% | 34% |
| Top state income tax | 6.5% | 9% |
| Combined sales tax | 6% | 6.25% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.7 | 25.8 |
| Work from home | 38% | 31% |
| Take public transit | 10% | 18% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Poverty rate | 4.3% | 12.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 45° / 30° | 37° / 23° |
| July high / low | 90° / 72° | 82° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 42 in | 44 in |
| Snowfall per year | 14 in | 49 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 40 | 14 |
| Nights below freezing | 60 | 92 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 91.7 | 96.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 59% | 71% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.3% | +2.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +29.4% | +39.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Bethesda: April to June and September to October. Cambridge: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Bethesda weather by month and Cambridge weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $81,700 in Bethesda and $81,200 in Cambridge. Moving from Bethesda to Cambridge, you would need about $74,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Bethesda and Cambridge
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Bethesda and Cambridge.
Which would you pick?
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