Bethesda Real Estate Guide

Bethesda is a wealthy residential area in Montgomery Count, Maryland, near the nation's capital. This guide is an overview of the type of real estate available in Bethesda, a unique area in terms of demographics and market value, and discusses what makes Bethesda special. We will also look at key neighborhoods in Bethesda, and the types of properties one may find there.

             

Neighborhood Data

Each neighborhood report contains a brief overview of the neighborhood, as well as the latest market data, such as median home prices, total real estate inventory, median lot size, price per square foot, and much more. I also personally compile a spreadsheet of homes sold in each neighborhood and share it via Google Docs.

Area Subdivision

Real estate in Bethesda can be divided by zip code, or by school district. Since Bethesda has some of the top-ranking schools in the nation, Bethesda real estate is coveted by families seeking the best possible educations for their children. All of the following school districts and neighborhoods fall within the 20816 Zip Code. The other two Zip Codes are 20817 and 20814.

Neighborhoods in the Wood Acres Elementary School District

The neighborhoods in the Wood Acres Elementary School district are Wood Acres, Springfield, Tulip Hill, High Point, Massachusetts Avenue Hills, Sumner and Fort Sumner, Glen Mar Park, Glen Echo Heights, Beacon Hill, and Westwood.

Neighborhoods in the Bannockburn Elementary School District

The children of families residing in Brookmont and Fairway Hills neighborhoods go to Bannockburn Elementary School, also known as School District 106 of Montgomery County.

Neighborhoods in the Westbrook Elementary School District

Brookdale, American University (AU) Park, Crestview, Glen Cove, Green Acres, Spring Hill, Westgate, Westhaven, Westmoreland Hills, one of the largest neighborhoods in Bethesda, and Yorktown Village are all zoned in the Westbrook Elementary School district.

Overall Characteristics

Bethesda is known for being home to a highly educated population. Located in close proximity to the nation's seat of power, and boasting some of the best schools in the entire country, Bethesda attracts an affluent and professional population of home-owners and renters. Although the size of the population is less than 60,000, Bethesda has a higher than expected profile owing to its wealth and fashionable nature.

The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda Naval Hospital, Lockheed Martin, Marriott and Geico are some of the employers contributing to this prosperous community, though a large number of local residents are employed in Washington, DC.

Community involvement is strong, and many local neighborhoods have communities with ties going back to the pre-war years, when most of the subdivisions in Bethesda were first developed.

Bethesda is a convenient place to live, with a vibrant social scene in downtown Bethesda, as well as other developments around town such as Friendship Heights.

Real Estate Prices in Bethesda

The value of Bethesda real estate has been increasing steadily over the past few decades. The attractiveness of the location, in close proximity to Washington DC, coupled with the leafy and pleasant nature of the environment surrounding the subdivisions in Bethesda, as well as the quality of the schools, accounts for the fact that families seek to settle here.

Since market value is determined by the ratio of demand over supply, and the latter is constricted, homes in Bethesda have accordingly increased in value. While many other parts of the nation have seen a drop-off in demand, and consequently valuation, prices in Bethesda have continued to surge and show no signs of slowing down.