Rents are right about where Bethesda's 10-year trend predicts.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $2,971 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Bethesda usually run 1.3% below trend in January and 1.2% above it in July, about $74 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Bethesda is 0.1% below its high of $2,975 in July 2026, at $2,971 as of September 2026.
Rent in Bethesda changed +0.7% over the year to September 2026. Across the 81 Maryland cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +2.4%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Bethesda rose 19.9% while median household income rose 17.1% ($164,142 to $192,237). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Bethesda is 21.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($192,237) is $4,806 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($4,535).
Rockville, 5 miles away, rents for 20% less ($2,372/mo), about $7,200 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Bethesda. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Bethesda, MD is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 87.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Bethesda, MD has changed in 5 years
Rent in Bethesda, MD has increased 25.1% since 2021, going from about $2,375 per month to roughly $2,971 today. Census figures show median household income at $192,237 today, compared with $178,370 five years earlier. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 17.3 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 66,294 to 69,397 between 2021 and 2024, a 4.7% change. About 36% of households rent today, against 34.4% in 2021. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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At $2,971/mo, how Bethesda rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Bethesda rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Bethesda. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Bethesda
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Bethesda is $2,971/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,675/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $3,075/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,730/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,845/mo.
At 19% of local median household income ($192,237/yr), Bethesda ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.8% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $2,971/mo, rent takes ~19% of Bethesda's median household income ($192,237/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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