So, you are thinking about moving to Washington DC with your family. If that is the case, you should really pay attention when choosing a neighborhood. Because, while there are many good Washington DC family neighborhoods to choose from, there are some that aren’t really the best suited for families with kids. To help you make the right choice, some of the best movers DC area has prepared a list of the best Washington DC family-friendly neighborhoods and suburbs that you and your family will surely like.
Is Washington DC a good place to raise a family?
As you probably already know, Washington DC is the capital of the United States. It has a population of 701,974 and it is located in the District of Columbia County. It offers its residents an urban feel with a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, museums, and parks, which is why it is considered one of the best places to live in the country. Washington DC, however, is mostly known as a good place to find a job. Actually, it is considered the 4th best place for young professionals in the country. But it is also a good place for young families. If you decide to hire interstate moves DC and move to this place, you and your kids will certainly enjoy clean streets, a safe environment, free museums, a variety of food options, great transportation, and numerous national parks in the surrounding area.
Cost of living in Washington DC
The cost of living in Washington DC for one person with rent is around $3593. For a family of four, you will need roughly around $8594 per month. The median home value in Washington DC in 2022 was around $635K, much higher than the national average. The median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in January 2023 was $2,363, for a 2-bedroom apartment $3,039, for a 3-bedroom apartment 3,680, and for a 4-bedroom apartment around $4,445. However, like everywhere else, housing costs here differ a lot depending on the neighborhood. And the good thing is that because of the high wages (median household income in Washington is $90,842), most people here do not have problems affording expensive properties and rents. Now that you know all this, it is time to find out what are the best Washington DC neighborhoods to live in.
The best Washington DC family neighborhoods that you should consider
According to the D.C. Office of Planning, there are 131 neighborhoods in Washington DC. This means that finding a perfect one won’t be an easy task. Luckily for you, some of the best local movers DC has to offer prepared a short list of the best Washington DC family neighborhoods to narrow things down for you and make the process of searching for a perfect place to live quicker and simpler. According to the best local movers in town, here are the 5 neighborhoods that you should consider:
- Bethesda
- North Bethesda
- Potomac
- South Kensington
- North Potomac
Bethesda
We will start our list of the best Washington DC family neighborhoods at number 5 – Bethesda. According to some of the best DC apartment movers, this is one of the best Washington DC family neighborhoods but also one of the places for retirees and one of the best places to live in Maryland. It is located in Montgomery County and has a population of 65,092. It offers an urban feel with a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, stores, and parks. But most importantly, it has highly rated public schools, it is diverse and safe. Bethesda is also an area reserved for people with higher incomes. The median household income here is $172,873. The only problem with this great neighborhood is home prices. Even though they went down by approximately 5% between 2021 and 2022, they are still pretty expensive.
Housing prices in Bethesda
The median home value in Bethesda in 2022 was $990K, which is double the national average. When it comes to renting, things are a little bit complicated. Some prices went up and some went down depending on the size of the home. So, for a 2-bedroom apartment now you have to pay 17% less than in 2021. The median price for this type of apartment at the end of 2022 was $3,150. Prices for 3-bedroom apartments also went down, but only by around 2%. Now, the average price is $3,631. If you are looking for an even larger home, we have some bad news. Prices for 4-bedroom apartments in Bethesda went up 20% between 2021 and 2022. Now, the average price for this type of apartment is $5,200.
North Bethesda
The next place on our list is reserved for North Bethesda. North Bethesda is located in Montgomery County north of Bethesda and south of Rockville. It has a population of 49,719 and it is considered one of the best places to live in the state of Maryland. It offers an urban feel with a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. But is also a place known for its highly rated schools, safety, and plenty of job opportunities. If you are considering between Bethesda and North Bethesda know that North Bethesda is way more affordable. Unfortunately, this is also portrayed in the average income. Even though Bethesda has an average household income that is considerably higher than the national average ($111,694), it is still, way lower than those found in its southern counterpart. The good thing is that housing costs are much more affordable here.
Housing prices in North Bethesda
The median home value in North Bethesda rose between 2021 and 2022 by more than 30%. At the end of 2022, the median home value in North Bethesda was around $606,000. Now, we understand that, at first glance, the rise in property prices doesn’t look good for you. However, it is also a clear indicator of the popularity of this place and things that you can expect in the future regarding home appreciation rates and the value of your investment.
When it comes to renting, the median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in North Bethesda at the start of 2023 was $1,966 – 3% more than a year before. Prices for 2-bedroom apartments went down by approximately -6% between 2021 and 2022. In January 2023, the median rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in North Bethesda was $2,403. Strangely, 3-bedroom apartment rents increased in the last year by more than 14%, so the average price in January 2023 was $3,300. Finally, the good news is that 4-bedroom apartments’ average rent went down in the last year by 12% and now they cost almost the same as 3-bedroom apartments – $3,490. This means that this is the perfect time to hire furniture movers Washington DC and rent a 4-bedroom apartment in North Bethesda.
Potomac
Going up the list of the best Washington DC family neighborhoods, we come to Potomac – one of the best places to raise a family in Maryland. However, it is also a popular place for young professionals as well as retirees. And when you see so many people of different backgrounds and profiles hiring long distance movers Washington DC and moving to the same area, you know that that place is something special. It is located in Montgomery County and has a population of 46,256. It offers a dense suburban feel with a lot of parks, restaurants, and coffee shops. But most importantly, it has some of the most highly-rated schools in the area. When it comes to affordability, Potomac is considered a high-income neighborhood, with an average household income of $189,729.
Housing costs in Potomac
As we already mentioned, Potomac is considered a wealthy neighborhood. The median home value here in 2022 was around $1.2M – 11% higher than in 2021. As far as rents are concerned, the median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment or a studio increased by 4% in the previous year. Right now, the average rent for this type of apartment is $1,600. Of course, when you are moving with a family, you will need a bigger place. Unfortunately, prices for 2, 3, and 4-bedroom apartments also increased exponentially. 2-bedroom average rent increased by 37% in the previous year and now it’s around $2,600. Rents for 3-bedroom apartments also increased, fortunately, not that much. Compared to the previous year rent prices for this type of apartment rose about 5%. Now, the average rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $3,500.
The biggest difference in rent prices can be noticed with 4-bedroom apartments. Rents for 4-bedroom apartments in Potomac rose by almost 70% since 2021. In January 2023, the average rent for this type of home is $5,900.
South Kensington
Another place that must be mentioned whenever we are talking about the best Washington DC family neighborhoods is South Kensington. It is a place located in Montgomery County with a population of 8,494, which makes it a completely different option than the abovementioned neighborhoods. It offers a sparse suburban feel that some families will love but some may not. So, before you go hire movers DC and relocate to this area, make sure that this is what you want. If everyone agrees that South Kensington is a perfect place, then, by all means, start planning your move.
There are many great restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and parks in and around South Kensington. But the biggest advantage of living here is endless opportunities for outdoor activities. South Kensington has highly rated public and private schools so you will have no trouble ensuring your offspring has access to the best education. This place is also considered a wealthy neighborhood – with an average household income of $177,946.
Housing costs in South Kensington
Naturally, when you are going through the finest neighborhoods, the biggest issues will be housing costs. And that is no different when we look at South Kensington. The good thing is that home prices here actually went down by more than 25% in the last year. At the end of 2022, the median home value here was $799K. When we look at rents, especially for homes suitable for families, we see that the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment at the end of 2022 was $1,895 – the same as the year before. Rent prices for 3-bedroom apartments went up by 18% and at the end of 2022, the average price was $2,900. Finally, rents for 4-bedroom apartments also increased, but only by around 6%. In January 2023, the average rent for a 4-bedroom apartment in South Kensington was $3,700.
North Potomac
Finally, we come to the best Washington DC family neighborhood to live in – North Potomac. It is located in Montgomery County and has a population of 24,146. It offers a sparse suburban feel with a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, stores, parks, and, most importantly, highly rated schools and low crime rates. That is all perfect, but why is North Potomac considered one of the best places to live in Maryland and the best place for families? The secret lies in the combination of plentiful job opportunities and pretty affordable housing options. The average income in North Potomac is $166,383, which is why people from all over the country, and the world, looking to move here with their families.
Housing costs in North Potomac
North Potomac is recognized as one of the best places to live in Maryland because of affordable housing (at least compared to the rest of the places on our list). The median home value in North Potomac in 2022 was $774,000. When it comes to renting prices, the average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in North Potomac in December 2022 went down by 11% compared to last year and now it is around $2,370. 3-bedroom apartment rent prices went down 13% in the same period and now it is around $2,925. Finally, rent prices for the biggest apartments increased by 14%, and now the average rent price for a 4-bedroom apartment is $3,280.
There are many good moving companies in this part of the country that can help you relocate here
This concludes our list of the best Washington DC family neighborhoods to live in. As you can see, living in this part of Maryland is not cheap. However, you and your family will have access to quality housing, highly-rated schools, and everything else a family like yours needs. The good thing is that this part of Maryland also has many good moving companies that can help you relocate here, regardless of where you are coming from. You can even find great international movers DC area that will help you move to Washington from anywhere in the world.
