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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

Bethesda, MD

Thriving overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while gdp / output needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score78out of 100
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69
71
90
78
100

Population

69,397

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+4.3% YoY

69

$117.4B

Output changed +4.3% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth6.0%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

71

3.7%

Unemployment is 3.7% for June 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg4.3%
U.S. avg5.2%

Population

+6.6% 5-year

90

69,397

Population moved +6.6% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population6,206,011
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

78

15.4%

Median rent consumes 15.4% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.7K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$17.0K per resident

100

$18.0B

$18.0B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$105.7B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$18.0B

$17.0K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$4.7B
2. Department of Health and Human Services$4.2B
3. Department of Defense$2.7B

Top recipients

Dollars
1. OPTUM PUBLIC SECTOR SOLUTIONS, INC.$1.3B
2. X ENERGY, LLC$636.7M
3. BAE SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS & SERVICES INC.$576.6M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

15.4%

of median income

1BR estimate$2,025
2BR estimate$2,667
Median income$192,237
Median home value$1,169,900

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

69,397

Median age

42.8

Bachelor's degree+

87.1%

Poverty rate

4.3%

Labor force participation

68.2%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

June 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-31

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+1.3%

GDP CAGR

+4.6%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
202065,092
202166,294
202266,316
202367,403
202469,397
GDP (5 years)
2020$93.9B
2021$100.1B
2022$105.6B
2023$112.5B
2024$117.4B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

202469,397
202569,816 *
202670,788 *

R² = 90.3% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$117.4B
2025$123.7B *
2026$129.7B *

R² = 99.8% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$192,237/yr
Median rent$2,469/mo
Rent share of income15.4%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$70,988/yr
Mortgage share of income36.9%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.7%
State avg4.3%
U.S. avg5.2%
Labor force participation68.2%
Poverty rate4.3%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. June 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$1,169,900
Median monthly rent$2,469
Price-to-rent ratio39.5x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score76/100
Economic growth69/100
Labor market71/100
Population momentum90/100
Overall stability78/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Bethesda CDP, Maryland

City/Town

Part of

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Nearby locations

Glen Echo, MDSomerset, MDChevy Chase, MDFriendship Heights Village, MDChevy Chase Section Five, MD