Bethesda, Maryland

Awash in hi-tech and government jobs, Bethesda, Maryland, has one of the highest average household incomes in the United States and offers the well-to-do lifestyle you deserve.

According to the city's downtown development agency, the Bethesda Urban Partnership, the typical household in the city makes a staggering $99,000 a year, making it one of the nation's most affluent cities. While many consider Bethesda to be merely a suburb of Washington, DC, the truth is that this city of 55,277 is making it on its own. With specialized federal agencies, such as the National Naval Medical Center, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as the company headquarters of the Marriott Corporation, GEICO, the Discovery Channel, and Lockheed Martin Corporation, it's clear that Bethesda is an economic magnet. What are these companies attracted to? Well, the fact that almost 79% of the population has a college degree is definitely one factor. And with 49% of residents holding a graduate or professional degree, the city has one of the highest concentrations of educated people in the world.

But Bethesda isn't all business all the time. In the spring and summer, the city becomes one big arts fiesta. The Bethesda Art Walk, the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, the Bethesda Literary Festival, the Summer Concert Series, the Bethesda Row Arts Festival, and the Taste of Bethesda Food and Music Festival are only the most public arts events. The city is also home to 36 arts organizations and groups that hold gallery showings, plays, and concerts throughout the year. In December, the sounds ring through the streets again with the Winter Wonderland festival, a holiday event featuring a variety of musical performances and a window-decorating competition.

When you're not out at the festivals, you'll love the shopping in Bethesda. For a traditional edge, head to the Montgomery Farm Woman's Cooperative Market, an institution in the city since the Great Depression, offering fruits, furniture, flowers, antiques, and other unique products. The downtown area is home to Bethesda Row, a vibrant new development set amongst a trendy outdoor shopping complex featuring beautiful landscaping, café patios, wide sidewalks, ornate heritage architecture and a large central fountain. The distinctive stores, nightclubs, theaters, restaurants, and bars have made Bethesda Row a major destination for the city's residents, breathing new life into the downtown. Of course, if suburban shopping malls are your style, Bethesda has plenty of that, too. Chevy Chase Pavilion, White Flint, Mazza Gallerie, and Montgomery Mall are the major shopping centers in the area.

With good jobs, arts, shopping, and easy access to the nation's capital, there's no doubt that the good life is found in Bethesda.

See our 11 Jobs in Bethesda, Maryland