Is Beacon, NY a Good Place to Live?
Beacon is a small city of 13,876 in New York, with a median household income of $96,891 and a 3.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 106 (US average = 100), which is 6% above the national average.
Strengths: Beacon stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes. Whether Beacon is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Beacon city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 105.6Beacon's overall cost of living index is 105.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Beacon costs roughly 6% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Beacon, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $391,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,605 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 61.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $96,891 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeBeacon's violent crime rate is 111.4 per 100,000 residents — 71% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Beacon is served primarily by BEACON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Beacon, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | BEACON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 4 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 10.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 45.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Beacon sees average highs of 35.8°F in January and 85.2°F in July, with 49.2 inches of annual precipitation and 35.7 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Beacon, NY |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 35.8°F |
| Average High — July | 85.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 35.7" |
Demographics
| Metric | Beacon, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,876 | — |
| Median Age | 41.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 41.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 68.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 15.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Beacon
Beacon, NY is covered by 1 ZIP code: