WASHINGTON — Here in the D.C. area, we’ve got brains — that’s for sure. Three area cities have landed on the list of most educated American cities.

Using data from the 2012 census, Nerd Wallet crunched the numbers to come up with the most educated places in the country.

In its second annual list, the criteria changed a bit, with more emphasis placed on high school and college degrees versus advanced degrees like doctorates.

Bethesda, Maryland lands at the top of the list where 83 percent of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher. In addition, 27 percent have professional or doctoral degrees.

No. 1 Bethesda’s stats:

• High School Diploma/Associate Degree or Higher: 88 percent
• Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 83 percent
• Master’s Degree: 54 percent
• Doctorate Degree: 11 percent
• Professional Degree: 16 percent

Second on the list is not far away in Potomac, Maryland, where 79 percent of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Nerd Wallet’s Top 5 Smartest U.S. cities:

1. Bethesda, Md.
2. Potomac, Md.
3. Wellesley, Mass.
4. Brookline, Mass.
5. Palo Alto, Calif.
6. Newton, Mass.
7. Lexington, Mass.
8. Chapel Hill, N.C.
9. Upper Arlington, Ohio
10. North Bethesda, Md.

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