Suffern receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Suffern
Elizabeth
Opportunity
76 · Top 12%
vs45 · Bottom 27%
Growth
26 · Bottom 13%
vs66 · Top 22%
Climate
65 · Bottom 35%
vs71 · Top 48%
Physical resilience
84 · Top 19%
vs49 · Bottom 41%
Housing affordability
79 · Bottom 47%
vs46 · Bottom 8%
Access
87 · Bottom 34%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
73 · Top 22%
vs57 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Suffern | Elizabeth | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,441 | 137,302 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $104,607 | $66,555 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,242 | $28,969 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,456/sq mi | 11,146/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $382,100 | $449,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,091 | $1,523 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.4% | 25.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.2% | 14.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.1% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 319 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 2.3 | 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 | 27 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.7 min | 28.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.7 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Suffern
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Elizabeth
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Suffern, NY · Elizabeth, NJ · How this is calculated: methodology