Garden City receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Garden City
Mount Vernon
Opportunity
76 · Top 12%
vs58 · Top 47%
Growth
14 · Bottom 4%
vs7 · Bottom 1%
Climate
71 · Top 46%
vs73 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
93 · Top 9%
vs85 · Top 16%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs55 · Bottom 15%
Schools
97 · Top 1%
vs36 · Bottom 30%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs92 · Top 48%
Economic stability
73 · Top 21%
vs55 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Garden City | Mount Vernon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,941 | 72,427 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $244,152 | $78,779 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $104,010 | $42,311 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,306/sq mi | 16,491/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,075,900 | $484,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $3,265 | $1,629 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 93.7% | 42.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | 0.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 75.9% | 35.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.0% | 14.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -100.0% | -100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 86°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 26°F | 29°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.3" | 45.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 38.7 min | 37.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.3 | 40.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.31 | 11.62 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 84.2% | 24.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 85.5% | 49.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 6.1% | 62.8% | 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
Garden City
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake, hurricane.
Mount Vernon
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Garden City
76
Your Score
75
Area Score
Mount Vernon
58
Your Score
56
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Garden City, NY · Mount Vernon, NY · How this is calculated: methodology