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Beacon’s story
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13 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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BeaconNY
A town of 14,834. A typical home worth about $570K.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Mahopa assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
14,834
−11.4% since 2010
Typical home
$570K
+6.7% in a year
Household income
$108K
median
Median age
42.0
years
Jobs based here
4,714
Balanced
What makes Beacon stand out
The 3 things Beacon does most differently from other towns.
$570Ktypical home
Housing
$570K typical home
8% above the NY typical home
Up 6.7% in a year.
Outdoors
#42 most trails in NY
8.7 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves
23.7% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● Beacon
Health
Healthier than 88%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than NY on 11 measures, worse on 0.
A shrinking town
Beacon has shrunk 11.4% since 2010
15,541 people in 2010; 14,834 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Beacon’s report card
Housing$570K8% above the NY typical homeOutdoors9 mi#42 for trails in NYCommute17 miHalf of commuters travel lessHealthAHealthier than 88% of U.S. townsSchoolsA−Beats 82% of NY districtsSafetyA−Less crime than 75% of U.S. townsClimate86°/19°Summer high · winter low · 36″ snowHazards66/100High risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Beacon
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Beacon is #687 of 699 in NY for “Coolest summers”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Beacon’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →61°
Cloudy
H 0° · L 55°
Local news
All →- Beloved Beacon Cafe Closing After 18 Years on Main Streethudsonvalleycountry.com · Sep 22
- A visit to Beacon, NY, a one-time ‘hat capital’Times Leader · Aug 8
- Hudson Valley residents react to wildfire-smoke-filled airWAMC · Jul 16
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Beacon. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Beacon home is worth about $570K
The typical Beacon home is worth about $570,000, up 6.7% in a year, 8% above the New York typical home.
$570KZillow home value
Typical home value
Beacon$570K
New York$527K
Market temperature
27
days on market
101.9%
sale-to-list price
+6.7%
value change, 1 year
6
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
23.7% of Beacon is conserved land
8.7 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves.
#42for trails in NY
23.7%
conserved · 737 of 3,105 acres
8.7 mi
of trails · 1.8 per sq mi
#47
most conserved land in NY
#115
most walkable in NY
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hudson Highlands State Park | 1.6 mi | 188 |
| 2. Long Dock Park | 1.6 mi | 21 |
| 3. Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park | 0.7 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Work & commute
About one in seven working residents works right in Beacon
Most working residents leave Beacon for work: only 15% work in town. The top destinations are New York (16%), Fishkill (5%) and Poughkeepsie (4%). Half commute less than 17 miles.
15%work in town
Where working residents work
In Beacon15%
New York16%
Fishkill5%
Poughkeepsie4%
Wappinger4%
17 mi
median commute distance
4,714
jobs based in Beacon
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Beacon beats the New York average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
AHealth Grade
32 measures vs. New York
11 better21 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Beacon | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.9% | 12.8% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.8% | 17.2% |
Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall
2.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
83rd
percentile among NY towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Beacon’s public schools outperform 82% of New York districts
The public schools Beacon’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 82% of New York’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sargent School | PK–5 | 285 | D− |
| South Avenue School | PK–5 | 244 | D− |
| J V Forrestal Elementary School | PK–5 | 234 | C+ |
| Hudson Hills Academy Private | PK–8 | 102 | |
| Rombout Middle School | 6–8 | 592 | B |
| Beacon High School | 9–12 | 831 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 75% of U.S. towns
Beacon reports less crime per resident than 75% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade. New York has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Beacon sits closer to the middle.
A−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Beacon0.9
New York3.7
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Beacon5.3
New York15.7
U.S.15.5
75th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
54th
percentile among NY towns
14
violent crimes reported in 2025
82
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Beacon has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–39°
Spring39–60°
Summer62–83°
Fall43–64°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities.
66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
25
paid flood claims since 1978
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Get outside
9 miles of trails in Beacon
23.7% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Landmarks
13 places in Beacon on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Beacon
City in New York, United States
Beacon is a city located on the Hudson River in Dutchess County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 13,769. Beacon is part of the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area as well as the larger New York metropolitan area. Beacon was so named to commemorate the historic beacon fires that blazed forth from the summit of the Fishkill Mountains to alert the Continental Army of British troop movements. Originally an industrial city along the Hudson, Beacon experienced a revival beginning in 2003 with the arrival of Dia Beacon, one of the largest modern art museums in the United States. Recent growth has generated debates on development and zoning …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 13,769
- Area
- 4.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 138 ft
- ZIP code
- 12508
- Area code
- 845
More about Beacon
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