Photo: westroopnerd · CC BY-SA 4.0797 homes sold in Bethesda in the last year, at a typical $1.3M
About one sale in 3 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Bethesda homes are listed.
Every place Bethesda homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Bethesda.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
A quarter of Bethesda’s sales are condos, at $1.1M less than a house
523 houses and 198 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 523 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $471MD $239
- Days to sell
- 33
- Sold over asking
- 33%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
typical sale · 198 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $400MD $234
- Days to sell
- 61
- Sold over asking
- 14%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
Townhouses: 76 sold, typical $878K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.5 times the 2016 price
797 sales in the last year, against 1,136 in 2021 and a low of 731 in 2024. The typical sale went from $857K in 2016 to $1.3M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $1.3M buys in Bethesda
Check a listing against what Bethesda homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Bethesda are more common than before the pandemic, but a quarter fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Bethesda’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 797 sales.
If you’re buying in Bethesda
- Shop in September. It brings about 116 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (25% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 25% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.4% of the list price on average; 28% paid over.
- Move fast on good ones. Half of homes are under contract within two weeks.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
April has the most new listings (about 134 a month), but May is the most competitive: 38% of May sales close over asking. September offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (25%). January has the least competition (18%) but only about 70 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than Maryland
| Bethesda now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | MD now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 28% | 21% | 42% | 34% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 48% | 33% | 55% | 41% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 25% | 26% | 22% | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.4% | 98.5% | 101.9% | 99.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 38 | 37 | 23 | 43 |
184 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2023 low (95), 22% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2016’s 281.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
25% in the last year, against 26% in 2017–19 and 27% across Maryland.
Since 2019, houses are up 46%, condos 19%
A house typically sold for $1.5M in the last year (523 sales), a condo for $408K (198).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Bethesda ranks 144th of 185 busy Maryland markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Bethesda is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Five things worth knowing
New listings in April
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 31.
Best time to buySchools
The schools grade for Bethesda, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in BethesdaTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Bethesda.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Friendship Heights Village, Cabin John and North Bethesda sell for less a square foot; Chevy Chase Village for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Bethesda, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethesda | 797 | $1.3M | $469 | 28% | 38 |
| North Bethesda | 643 | $714K | $371 | 23% | 47 |
| Chevy Chase | 125 | $1.3M | $474 | 26% | 47 |
| Friendship Heights Village | 80 | $344K | $358 | 11% | 85 |
| Brookmont | 61 | $1.7M | $471 | 26% | 37 |
| Chevy Chase Village | 29 | $2.7M | $655 | 14% | 65 |
| Cabin John | 28 | $1.1M | $445 | 14% | 61 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Bethesda, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Bethesda. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Bethesda with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Bethesda
What do homes sell for in Bethesda, MD?
797 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $1.3M, $469 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.5M, condos for about $408K.
Is Bethesda a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 236 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 87 sold, about 2.7 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.4% of asking on average, and 25% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Bethesda?
April brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
Where can I see homes for sale in Bethesda?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Bethesda’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Bethesda.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).