Hawthorne receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Hawthorne
Bayonne
Opportunity
67 · Top 28%
vs65 · Top 32%
Growth
47 · Bottom 44%
vs45 · Bottom 41%
Climate
65 · Bottom 35%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
36 · Bottom 28%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs61 · Bottom 22%
Schools
51 · Top 50%
vs37 · Bottom 32%
Access
93 · Top 46%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
78 · Top 11%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Hawthorne | Bayonne | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,628 | 71,553 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $110,237 | $83,887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,062 | $42,565 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,916/sq mi | 12,292/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $533,700 | $460,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,830 | $1,682 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.1% | 36.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.6% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.0% | 39.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.0% | 14.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 37 | 97 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -17.8% | -31.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 26°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.9" | 46.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.1 min | 36.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.4 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.54 | 11.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 10.8% | 12.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 49.7% | 34.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 43.6% | 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
Hawthorne
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Bayonne
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Hawthorne, NJ · Bayonne, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology