Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,179, settled in 1853.
Bethesda’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and civic life and an A for history; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in Bethesda, where Ohio’s towns sit at 9.1% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 38 of Ohio’s 1,707 towns score lower on incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 93% of the country. On civic life, just 49 of Ohio’s 1,560 towns do better. Epworth Park Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Bethesda has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Bethesda beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Bethesda is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,182 in 1920, 1,211 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2002 and 3 maps from 1903 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bethesda, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Bethesda.
21% of adults smoke cigarettes in Bethesda, above both the Ohio town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 18% of adults report frequent physical distress in Bethesda. Bethesda beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10.
| Bethesda | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 28% | 25% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 23% |
| What stands out | Bethesda | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.9% | 8% |
| More smokers | 20.7% | 15.4% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 34.2% | 26.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Bethesda since 2010.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Bethesda home is worth about $146,000, down 2.8% in a year, 41% below the Ohio typical home. The median rent in Bethesda is $696 a month.
| Bethesda | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 77% | 73% |
| Median rent | $696 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Bethesda’s median household income is $36,000. Most working residents leave Bethesda for work: only 2% work in town. Bethesda’s average trip to work is 18 minutes.
| Bethesda | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 6.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Bethesda has chilly winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 21° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Epworth Park, at 20 acres.
| Bethesda | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Epworth Park | 0.1 mi | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bethesda. Close and well known come first.
36 mi MuseumMeadowcroft Rockshelter
19 mi Ancient siteGrave Creek Mound
19 mi Stadium & arenaWesBanco Arena
37 mi Zoo & aquariumThe Wilds
23 mi GardenOglebay Park
19 mi MuseumWest Virginia Independence HallMeadowcroft Rockshelter: Lee Paxton, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Grave Creek Mound: Shonebrooks, CC0 · WesBanco Arena: Jgera5 at English Wikipedia, CC0 · The Wilds: Bikingshaun (talk), CC BY 3.0 · Oglebay Park: Morganismysheltie (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · West Virginia Independence Hall: Nyttend, Public domain
2 within 15 miles of the center of Bethesda
About 11 of every 100 Bethesda residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
Where Bethesda’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Ohio, United States
Bethesda () is a village in west-central Belmont County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,211 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Wheeling metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
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