Beachwood and Hawthorne receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Beachwood
Hawthorne
Opportunity
65 · Top 32%
vs67 · Top 28%
Growth
48 · Bottom 46%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
64 · Bottom 32%
vs65 · Bottom 35%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 45%
vs75 · Bottom 41%
Schools
44 · Bottom 40%
vs51 · Top 50%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs93 · Top 46%
Economic stability
77 · Top 13%
vs78 · Top 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Beachwood | Hawthorne | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,088 | 19,628 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $106,858 | $110,237 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,332 | $52,062 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,013/sq mi | 5,916/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $352,600 | $533,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,335 | $1,830 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 92.5% | 69.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.5% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.5% | 47.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.5% | 4.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 20 | 37 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -9.1% | -17.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 22°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 52.0" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 38 mi | 18 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.1 min | 27.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.5 | 42.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.70 | 10.54 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 12.4% | 10.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.7% | 49.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 46.6% | 43.6% | 2024-25 school 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Beachwood
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, coastal flooding, hurricane.
Hawthorne
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: Beachwood, NJ · Hawthorne, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology