Photo: westroopnerd · CC BY-SA 4.0On CDC estimates, Bethesda is among the healthiest U.S. towns
Bethesda differs from Maryland on 27 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 25 better, 2 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Bethesda. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Bethesda
Bethesda is the healthiest town in Maryland we grade
Out of 261 Maryland towns with a Health Grade, Bethesda comes first on the seven CDC estimates behind it. Nationally it’s healthier than 99% of towns. Health Grade ↓
Bethesda is an active town
Only 13% of adults get no exercise outside work, vs 23.6% across Maryland. Habits ↓
COPD and obesity are less common in Bethesda
Bethesda runs below Maryland on eight chronic conditions, most of all COPD (3.4% vs 5.9%), obesity (22.2% vs 35.1%) and diabetes (8% vs 12.5%). Conditions ↓
Few Bethesda adults smoke
4.6% of adults smoke cigarettes, vs 10.9% across Maryland. Habits ↓
Bethesda has a top-rated hospital
Suburban Hospital is rated 4 of 5 stars by Medicare and has an emergency room. Getting care ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Maryland figure falls outside Bethesda’s likely range.
What’s behind Bethesda’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bethesda is among the healthiest U.S. towns, #1 of 261 in Maryland. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is smoking (fewer adults who smoke than almost every town); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 96%.
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Bethesda’s median household income is $192,237; among the 1,070 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($144K–$240K), it’s healthier than 99%, about where its income would put it.
Everyday habits, side by side with Maryland
Share of adults, with the Maryland figure marked.
6.4 miles of trails across 32 parks and preserves
Out of every 100 Bethesda adults…
Bethesda runs below MD on 9 of 12 conditions and above it on 2. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Bethesda
2 hospitals in Bethesda, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Bethesda; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Keeping up with care
Share of Bethesda adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Maryland.
How Bethesda adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Bethesda does better than Maryland.
3 in 10 Bethesda adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
3.2% of Bethesda adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 11.8% across Maryland.
Bethesda and the towns around it
Bethesda has the best Health Grade of the 10 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethesda | A+ | 22.2% | 8% | 4.6% | CDC place |
| South Kensington | A+ | 23.4% | 8.3% | 5.1% | CDC place |
| Brookmont | A+ | 22.9% | 8.3% | 4.7% | CDC place |
| Chevy Chase | A+ | 22.9% | 8.7% | 4.8% | CDC place |
| North Bethesda | A+ | 23.6% | 8.6% | 5.8% | CDC place |
| Potomac | A+ | 21.3% | 9.8% | 4.7% | CDC place |
| Somerset | A+ | 24.1% | 9.4% | 5.4% | CDC place |
| Chevy Chase | A+ | 22.4% | 8.4% | 4.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Bethesda adults live with a disability (Maryland 26.4%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Bethesda
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Bethesda is better than Maryland on 25 and worse on 2; on the rest, the Maryland figure falls inside Bethesda’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Bethesda | MD | U.S. | vs MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 10.3%9.2–11.4 | 17.9% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 8.4%7.6–9.4 | 12% | 13% | Better |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 10.4%9.4–11.5 | 15% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 22.2%19.4–24.8 | 35.1% | 32.9% | Better |
| Diabetes | 8%7.1–8.9 | 12.5% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 29.1%26.9–31.3 | 36.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.2%38.6–43.7 | 38.1% | 37.1% | Worse |
| Arthritis | 21.2%19.4–22.9 | 25.8% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 8.8%7.9–9.7 | 10.6% | 9.9% | Better |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 9.3%8.5–10 | 7.6% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 4.7%4.2–5.1 | 5.8% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.4%3.1–3.8 | 5.9% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.3%2.1–2.5 | 3.4% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 3.1%2.6–3.8 | 9.9% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 4.6%4–5.3 | 10.9% | 11.8% | Better |
| No exercise outside work | 13%11.5–14.7 | 23.6% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 14.8%12.9–16.7 | 14.1% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 28.4%25.8–31.1 | 37.7% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 4.5%3.9–5.1 | 8.7% | 11% | Better |
| Checkup in the past year | 78.2%75.8–80.3 | 79.2% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 77.6%75.7–79.4 | 64.4% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 92.6%91.7–93.4 | 89.6% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 76.3%73.7–78.6 | 76.6% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72.8%70.1–75.5 | 68.2% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 82%78.1–85.5 | 80.7% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 17.9%16–19.8 | 19.4% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 29.1%26.4–31.9 | 34.3% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 17%15.1–19 | 24.2% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 5.5%4.8–6.3 | 15.4% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 5.4%4.7–6.1 | 13.5% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 3.2%2.8–3.6 | 8.4% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 3.5%3.1–3.9 | 7.8% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 3.2%2.7–3.7 | 11.8% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 17.9%16.1–19.7 | 26.4% | 30.1% | Lower |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 7%6.3–7.9 | 12.4% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 7.6%6.8–8.4 | 12.2% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 5.1%4.5–5.6 | 5.6% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 2.5%2.3–2.7 | 4.5% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 3.9%3.5–4.3 | 7% | 7.9% | Lower |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 1.8%1.6–2 | 3.5% | 3.8% | Lower |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Maryland figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Bethesda
Is Bethesda a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Bethesda is among the healthiest U.S. towns: A+ for health, #1 of 261 in Maryland. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 99%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Bethesda?
CDC estimates 22.2% of adults have obesity, likely between 19.4% and 24.8%, against 35.1% across Maryland and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Bethesda?
Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, 0.8 miles in a straight line from Bethesda’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 4 of 5 stars.
How many people in Bethesda have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 4.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 3.9–5.1%), against 8.7% across Maryland.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Bethesda more than anything measured there. Even at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade stays A+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Bethesda.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Maryland figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.