Bethesda vs Chicago
The short version
- Chicago is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 5% lower than in the Bethesda area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $334,100 in Chicago and $1,169,900 in Bethesda.
- Households earn more in Bethesda ($192,237 vs $77,902 median).
- Bethesda has the warmer winter: January highs of 45°F vs 33°F.
- Chicago gets far more snow: 39 inches a year vs 14.
- Bethesda has more scorching days: 40 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 20.
- Commutes are shorter in Bethesda (28 vs 33 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Bethesda, MD | Chicago, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 69,397 | 2,731,585 |
| Growth since 2020 | n/a | -0.6% |
| People per square mile | 5,233 | 11,994 |
| Median age | 42.8 | 35.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 87% | 44% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $192,237 | $77,902 |
| Median home value | $1,169,900 | $334,100 |
| Home value to income | 6.1× | 4.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,469 | $1,440 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 108.9 | 103.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 151.1 | 112.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $81,700 | $77,700 |
| Homeowners | 64% | 46% |
| Top state income tax | 6.5% | 4.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 6% | 8.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.7 | 33.1 |
| Work from home | 38% | 21% |
| Take public transit | 10% | 18% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.1% | 8% |
| Poverty rate | 4.3% | 16.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 45° / 30° | 33° / 19° |
| July high / low | 90° / 72° | 85° / 68° |
| Precipitation per year | 42 in | 34 in |
| Snowfall per year | 14 in | 39 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 40 | 20 |
| Nights below freezing | 60 | 106 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 91.7 | 100.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 59% | 30% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.3% | +6.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +29.4% | +45.5% |
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. Chicago: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Bethesda weather by month and Chicago 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 $77,700 in Chicago. Moving from Bethesda to Chicago, you would need about $71,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Bethesda and Chicago
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 Chicago.
Which would you pick?
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