Signals
Preakness
Elizabeth
Opportunity
69 · Top 25%
vs45 · Bottom 27%
Climate
65 · Bottom 35%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
36 · Bottom 28%
vs49 · Bottom 41%
Housing affordability
82 · Top 49%
vs46 · Bottom 8%
Schools
79 · Top 15%
vs27 · Bottom 19%
Access
94 · Top 44%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
79 · Top 8%
vs57 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Preakness | Elizabeth | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,520 | 137,302 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $133,205 | $66,555 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $57,082 | $28,969 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,264/sq mi | 11,146/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $617,700 | $449,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,918 | $1,523 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.6% | 25.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.6% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.1% | 14.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.3% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| 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 | 17 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.4 min | 28.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.0 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 37 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.89 | 13.39 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 35.4% | 8.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 57.7% | 29.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 28.6% | 83.0% | 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
Preakness
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, earthquake.
Elizabeth
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Preakness, NJ · Elizabeth, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology