Beacon receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Woodbury
Beacon
Opportunity
66 · Top 29%
vs70 · Top 23%
Growth
30 · Bottom 18%
vs67 · Top 20%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs62 · Bottom 20%
Physical resilience
75 · Top 31%
vs68 · Top 39%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 30%
vs84 · Top 45%
Access
98 · Top 20%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
69 · Top 32%
vs69 · Top 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Woodbury | Beacon | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,334 | 14,834 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $121,221 | $107,859 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,714 | $58,996 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 319/sq mi | 3,130/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $452,200 | $471,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,868 | $1,658 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 89.2% | 61.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.8% | 48.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.6% | 9.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 71 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 4.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -84.1% | 184.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.0" | 41.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 44.9 min | 41.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.2 | 42.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.49 | 10.07 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.6% | 41.1% | 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
Woodbury
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Beacon
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Woodbury, NY · Beacon, NY · How this is calculated: methodology