Interview with Tom Betz, History 150  Spring 2023, conducted by Austin Betz, March 27, 2023

Overview to social change interview:

Potomac, Maryland is located right by the Potomac River, about 14 miles from Washington, DC with a population of about 46,000. Maryland has gone through significant social change since my father has been living there. My dad, Tom, who is a realtor in Maryland, goes on to talk about these changes in depth throughout the interview. With the drastic changes that the area has experienced it is very beneficial to interview someone who has lived in the area and experienced these transformations first hand. Potomac, Maryland has transformed from a predominantly rural community to a more suburban area with its increasing development and diversity. 

The demographic throughout the area is something that has changed heavily. Potomac was not very diverse and racial segregation was very prevalent in many areas. However, as time went on the demographic began to change.  

Potomac development and population growth brought lots of change for the community. Lots of buildings and housing results in an increase in population. As the years went on, Potomac experienced a significant increase in population resulting in it becoming a very popular place for families to live. Potomac is currently growing at a rate of 1.37% annually and its population has increased by 1.37% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 46,256 in 2020. Since he was a realtor, I discussed the change in housing prices and sales as well. With the population increasing, the market increased as well resulting in more houses and the cost of houses rising. 

In my interview, my father, Tom Betz,  will discuss the changes that have taken place in Potomac, Maryland throughout his years and explain the impacts it had on the community and its people.

 

Biography:  Tom Betz has lived in the same home for about 45 years. He lived in Potomac, Maryland and moved out after college, then following the passing of his mother, he moved back in and started his family there. Located just outside of DC, Potomac is the 20th most populated city in Maryland. Tom is also a realtor and has lots of background knowledge of how housing works and how the population has increased over the years. 

Research:

Potomac, Maryland has experienced signifcant changes throughout the years in terms of population, the demographics and crime rates.  The current population of Potomac, Maryland is around 46,000 and attracts  families. Potomac is growing at a rate of 1.37% annually.

Transcript:

All right. All right. So lets just hop on in My name is Austin Betz, and for my interview, I chose to interview my dad. would you like to Introduce yourself.

Hi , My name is Tom Betz. Austins father.

And would you like to give like a background of yourself, like, how long you have lived in the same house (area)?

moved into this house in 1970, when I was nine years old, lived in it for all of my childhood moved away when I got married, and moved back here in 2004. and been here ever since.
Alright well, First question is, what was it like to raise three children in the same town that you grew up in?
Town?

Yeah. Like, how did you see it? Like, how is it different from the way you grew up?

There there’s a lot more. I guess, outside influences on children these days with social media. We didn’t have any of that. We didn’t have Xbox. We didn’t have Nintendo. We didn’t have PlayStation, things like that. The actual upbringing was the same. It’s just outside influences. Right

Yeah. Second question here is more recently With the pandemic, how would you say how would you say the pandemic impact you and the town?

(dad misheard me, repeated question)

How would you say that or pandemic impacted the town or area?

was basically shut the area down for that. The 2020 2021 It started opening again. And then it was bounced back and forth between brief shutdowns if there’s a spike and opening back up if there wasn’t mass policies, but yeah, I think that was that was the same pretty much everywhere.

Right, And then you’re a realtor, a realtor, and I’m gonna ask I have the houses
How have they changed over the past five years and  since  you’ve been a realtor?

Well, the market is changed, the house has obviously havent The market has obviously greatly increased since 1970s 80s 90s. With the with the up markets, obviously, they take a little bit of a hit down the markets. But it always seems to work out positively for the, for the real estate industry.You know, as far as there’s a lot more building around this area now a lot more traffic congestion getting bigger and bigger houses. As far as that goes, there’s less open land and more houses, townhouses, condos, everything.

Right I was gonna ask, how would you say like, the diversity of the population has changed over the years?

I think it’s become more diverse, obviously, close as we are to Washington, DC.
There’s quite a diverse crowd of jobs in Washington DC. Right. So people as they move out from the, from the city limits, it becomes more diverse.

Right. I noticed it. in just like my time,

yeah,

But, um, and the question was about, like, the geographical aspect, like, buildings being built more parks, how like, it’s just bringing in more people bringing in more like crowds.
How’s that been impacting? More recently? It’s impacting mostly traffic and congestion. And,you know, obviously, the more people the more crime we would we would walk to school in areas that I would never let any yall walk.

Right.

Because it wasn’t an issue it is now

yeah, going to follow up with that. How would you say the crime rates gone up or down? Over the years?

I would say it’s gone up, and that more than I don’t know whether it’s local committing the crime or criminal traveling to outside areas to? I don’t know.
And that’s just because more people coming anytime.
Yeah, I think more people, there’s more.the more the more people that are here, the more percentage of good people and the more percentage of bad people are here. You’re just increasing numbers of everybody.
Right. I also wanted to ask, education wise, like, have you noticed more schools throughout the years as like, since you were a kid, more school has been built?

Now?There’s been a couple more, but other than that. I mean, obviously, when you were in high school, and Lindsey and Kristen, the first things, you know, you get there, and you’re immediately in the portable, because it’s crowded.

because there is just not the room to build them?

Just older, more houses, its in an older established area, you know, so you can’t build schools that need a large acreage to build on the majority. You can’t build any more Country Club or sense golf courses unless you go out there and just go out.
yeah, alright well we answered about all the questions I have. I really just wanted to interview you, because I’ve find it interesting how you lived basically in the same neighborhood all your life.
Yeah.

A lot of people and a lot of other people that I went to school with, have moved back into neighborhoods, right, in the houses that their parents had grown up with.

Right. Is that just because you liked the neighborhood?

Well, I think it’s it’s a very convenient neighborhood for DC, Northern Virginia, people that work in DC and Northern Virginia. Schools are very highly rated. So people want the best education for their children with highly rated,

have they always been highly rated?

Yep. They’ve always been highly rated here. So people are willing to, you know, buy in an older neighborhood to get better schools and convenient jot. Things like that.

All right, well, thank you again for doing the interview.

No problem.

And I’ll see you later.

goodbye

see ya