Neighborhood
Bethesda
Durham, North Carolina US
Bethesda in Durham, North Carolina has a mixed investment profile with gross yield of 5.7 and prices 14% below Durham and 14% below North Carolina. Values are down 5.2% over the past year, while the Red Flag score of 74 indicates elevated overall risk. Walkability is 32, and education is in the 20th percentile, so the school-district test-score percentile is also relatively low.
AI Summary•Updated May 2026
Area
10.17 mi²
ZIP Code
27703
County
Durham County
State
North Carolina
Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesWashU ACAG — satellite PM2.5EPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024
Verified Price · Median Sale
$400,881
YoY-5.2%
Gross Rental Yield
5.7%
Listed rent · ZORI annualized
Red Flag Index
High
74 / 100
Walkability Score
32
OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile
Education Score
20 / 100
Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy
AI Score
51
DistrictScore attractiveness · national model
Bethesda Property Prices & Rental Yield
Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for Bethesda, Durham.
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Sign in to view — freeMarket Economics Snapshot
May 2026| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $400,881 | -5.2% |
| Price / Sq Ft (Verified) | $201/sqft | -5.4% |
| Asking Rent (Median) | $1,918/mo | +2.9% |
| Gross Rental Yield | 5.7% | — |
| Liquidity Score | 66 / 100 | High |
| Homes Sold (Period) | 412 | +23.0% |
Is Bethesda Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk
FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited North Carolina crime context.
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Sign in to view — free What Stands Out AI Insight
Above-average gross rental yield at 5.7%
Liquid resale market — liquidity 66/100
Active transaction volume — 412 homes sold last period
Flood risk is Very High (80/100)
Hurricane risk is Very High (80/100)
Insights are generated from Bethesda's live DistrictScore metrics.
Bethesda Environment & Safety
Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (North Carolina-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.
Air Quality — PM2.5
2015–20245.6 µg/m³ Meets EPA, above WHO guideline-12.5% since 2015
EPA 9WHO 5
20152024
Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the Bethesda centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 41% of U.S. neighborhoods.
North Carolina Crime Trend
FBI UCR20132024
All crimes / 1k
Violent / 1k
| Year | Crimes / 1k | Violent / 1k | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 23.4 | 3.8 | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 24.6 | 3.9 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 24.8 | 4.0 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 25.1 | 4.2 | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 26.5 | 4.2 | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 27.7 | 3.8 | — |
Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; Bethesda inherits the North Carolina figures.
Radon Potential
EPAZone 3
Zone 3 — Lowest potential · Bethesda
EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.
Environmental Hazards
EPA / BTSSuperfund (NPL)3.6 kmModerate
Industrial odor5 nearbyVery High
Point-source screening near Bethesda: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.
Walkability & Amenities in Bethesda
Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.
Walkability & Amenities
OpenStreetMap POI32
Car-Dependent
Walkability Score
13
Grocery
14
Dining
3
Schools
0
Universities
1
Hospitals
0
Pharmacies
3
Parks
0
Rail Transit
0
Coworking
POI counts are amenities within Bethesda's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.
Bethesda vs Durham vs North Carolina
How Bethesda benchmarks against its city and state medians.
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Compare Bethesda against Durham and North Carolina medians — free with a DistrictScore account.
Sign in to view — freeBuying Property in the US as a Foreigner
Federal & North Carolina tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.
Buying as a Foreigner
US Tax & OwnershipApplies to everyone7
Capital Gains (Federal)
Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).
Property Tax
Property tax: ~0.62% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).
State Income Tax
State income tax up to 4.25%; rental income is taxed at these rates.
State Capital Gains
Capital gains are taxed as ordinary income at state rates.
Transfer Tax
Real estate transfer tax: $1 per $500.
Assessment Cap
No Proposition 13-style assessment cap; property is reassessed at market value.
Mansion Tax / Rent Control
No statewide mansion tax or statewide rent control.
US citizens & tax residents7
Primary-Home Exclusion
Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.
1031 Like-Kind Exchange
A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.
Depreciation Recapture
Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).
Mortgage Interest Deduction
Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).
Opportunity Zones
Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.
Rental Income (Resident)
Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.
1031 State Conformity
The state conforms to the federal 1031 like-kind exchange rules.
Foreign buyers (non-residents)5
FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)
FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.
Non-Resident Capital Gains
Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.
Non-Resident Rental Tax
Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).
Estate Tax (Non-Resident)
Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.
ITIN Requirement
Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.
Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor
FIRPTA, ITIN & North Carolina property-tax guidance for foreign buyers
Bethesda Real Estate FAQ
Bethesda in Durham, North Carolina has gross yield of 5.7, prices 14% below Durham, and prices 14% below North Carolina. The Red Flag score is 74, and values are down 5.2% over the past year, so the profile is driven by lower pricing but weaker recent momentum.
Neighborhoods near Bethesda
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