Elizabeth and Bayonne 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
Elizabeth
Bayonne
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 27%
vs65 · Top 32%
Growth
66 · Top 22%
vs45 · Bottom 41%
Climate
71 · Top 48%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
49 · Bottom 41%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
46 · Bottom 8%
vs61 · Bottom 22%
Schools
27 · Bottom 19%
vs37 · Bottom 32%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
57 · Bottom 43%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Elizabeth | Bayonne | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 137,302 | 71,553 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,555 | $83,887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,969 | $42,565 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 11,146/sq mi | 12,292/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $449,300 | $460,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,523 | $1,682 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 25.6% | 36.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.6% | 39.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.7% | 14.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 319 | 97 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 175.0% | -31.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.6" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.9 min | 36.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.8 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 37 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.39 | 11.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 8.8% | 12.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 29.0% | 34.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 83.0% | 66.1% | 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
Elizabeth
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Bayonne
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Elizabeth, NJ · Bayonne, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology