Bethesda has been named one of the healthiest communities in the United States, tying for No. 6 nationally in TownRatings’ 2026 Healthiest Towns in America rankings. The ranking evaluated 5,218 communities across the country with populations of at least 10,000.
Bethesda received an A+ grade for health, placing it first in Maryland and tied for sixth nationally. North Bethesda also earned a spot among the country’s 100 healthiest communities, tying for No. 80 nationally and ranking seventh in Maryland.
TownRatings, an independent website that uses data to evaluate and compare communities, highlighted Bethesda’s strong health indicators, access to medical care, and relatively low natural-hazard risk. The website uses health data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among other sources, in its evaluations.
In addition to its A+ health grade, Bethesda received A+ grades for walkability, jobs and income, and hazard risk. The community earned an overall A grade in TownRatings’ 2026 Best Places to Live rankings, placing 37th among 259 Maryland communities and ahead of 93% of U.S. towns evaluated by the website.
According to TownRatings, Bethesda has approximately 69,397 residents, a median household income of $192,000, and a typical home value of $1.13 million. The website also reported that 87% of residents ages 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 42% across Maryland communities and 29% nationally.
While Bethesda performed particularly well in health, walkability, and income-related measures, affordability was a notable drawback. TownRatings assigned the community a D grade for cost of living, citing housing prices that are among the least affordable relative to local incomes. Bethesda also received a B+ grade for schools.
