Beacon receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Beacon
Woodbury
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs66 · Top 29%
Growth
67 · Top 20%
vs30 · Bottom 18%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
68 · Top 39%
vs75 · Top 31%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 45%
vs91 · Top 30%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs98 · Top 20%
Economic stability
69 · Top 31%
vs69 · Top 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Beacon | Woodbury | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,834 | 11,334 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $107,859 | $121,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,996 | $47,714 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,130/sq mi | 319/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $471,600 | $452,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,658 | $1,868 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.1% | 89.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.9% | 47.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.0% | 4.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 71 | 7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.8 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 184.0% | -84.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.9" | 41.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 41.7 min | 44.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.0 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.07 | 12.49 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.1% | 41.6% | 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
Beacon
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Woodbury
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Beacon, NY · Woodbury, NY · How this is calculated: methodology