What it's like to live in Beacon
Beacon is a small city in New York with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Beacon deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, long average commutes, and cold winters.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Long commutes
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
- Above-average rainfall
How Beacon compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Beacon
Based on Beacon's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,316
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,320 a year
- 43% of Beacon renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$94,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $47,160
- Homes cost 4.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 17% above US
$1,658/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,658 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $471,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $471,600 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Dutchess County is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Dutchess County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 73% below US
90 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 540/100k · Beacon Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 59% above US
41 min average commute
Commutes run long, averaging 41.4 minutes, and that's just the average, meaning a lot of people are doing significantly more. This isn't a city where living far from the office is a comfortable bet. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% take public transit; 21% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 36% above US
49% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 49% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (18 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Beacon's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,658/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (21% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
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