Beach Park receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Beach Park
Hammond
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 39%
vs53 · Bottom 43%
Growth
37 · Bottom 27%
vs49 · Bottom 47%
Climate
60 · Bottom 15%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 23%
vs81 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs85 · Top 42%
Access
84 · Bottom 28%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
64 · Top 41%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Beach Park | Hammond | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,115 | 76,768 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $85,664 | $55,504 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,156 | $28,736 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,995/sq mi | 3,376/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $245,800 | $159,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,254 | $1,134 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 86.8% | 62.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 17.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.5% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 27 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 100.0% | 42.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.3" | 34.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.1 min | 27.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.7 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Your best match
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Beach Park
68
Your Score
66
Area Score
Hammond
59
Your Score
58
Area Score
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Full profiles: Beach Park, IL · Hammond, IN · How this is calculated: methodology