Madison receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Madison
Bayonne
Opportunity
79 · Top 8%
vs65 · Top 32%
Growth
27 · Bottom 14%
vs45 · Bottom 41%
Climate
65 · Bottom 35%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
57 · Bottom 49%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs61 · Bottom 22%
Schools
93 · Top 2%
vs37 · Bottom 32%
Access
97 · Top 30%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
80 · Top 7%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Madison | Bayonne | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,447 | 71,553 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $171,471 | $83,887 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $89,692 | $42,565 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,814/sq mi | 12,292/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $943,200 | $460,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,253 | $1,682 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.8% | 36.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 74.1% | 39.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.2% | 14.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 16 | 97 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 1.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -36.0% | -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 | 14 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.7 min | 36.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.2 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.94 | 11.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 54.8% | 12.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 65.8% | 34.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 8.9% | 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
Madison
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Bayonne
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Madison, NJ · Bayonne, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology