Kearny 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
Kearny
Bayonne
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs65 · Top 32%
Growth
50 · Bottom 49%
vs45 · Bottom 41%
Climate
71 · Top 48%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
29 · Bottom 23%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 14%
vs61 · Bottom 22%
Schools
34 · Bottom 28%
vs37 · Bottom 32%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
61 · Top 49%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Kearny | Bayonne | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,614 | 71,553 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $79,154 | $83,887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $36,305 | $42,565 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,592/sq mi | 12,292/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $459,400 | $460,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,720 | $1,682 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 42.9% | 36.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.6% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.6% | 39.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.5% | 14.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 75 | 97 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.8 | 1.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 74.4% | -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 | 5 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.2 min | 36.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.0 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.53 | 11.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 9.4% | 12.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.0% | 34.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 70.9% | 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
Kearny
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, coastal flooding.
Bayonne
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Kearny, NJ · Bayonne, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology