Population
Hershey
14,334
Beacon
14,629
Median Income
Hershey
$78,750
Beacon
$93,347
Home Value
Hershey
$339,300
Beacon
$422,000
Rent
Hershey
$1,241
Beacon
$1,675
Crime Rate
Hershey
N/A
Beacon
1.11
Cost of Living
Hershey
125.6
Beacon
160.4
Avg Temp
Hershey
N/A
Beacon
N/A
Unemployment
Hershey
4.4%
Beacon
4.8%
How Similar Are Hershey & Beacon?
Beacon is Hershey's #23 most similar city
5 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Hershey
14,334
Beacon
14,629
Both cities have similar populations — Hershey at 14,334 and Beacon at 14,629.
Political Leaning
Hershey
46.5%
Beacon
47.3%
Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 2% difference.
Unemployment
Hershey
4.4%
Beacon
4.8%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 9% difference.
Median Income
Hershey
$78,750
Beacon
$93,347
Beacon has a 16% higher median income than Hershey.
Home Values
Hershey
$339,300
Beacon
$422,000
Beacon has a 20% higher home values than Hershey.
Education
Hershey
35.2%
Beacon
33.7%
Both cities have similar education — just a 4% difference.
Demographics
Hershey
73.0%
Beacon
68.3%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 6% difference.
Cost of Living
Hershey
125.6
Beacon
160.4
Beacon has a 22% higher cost of living than Hershey.
5 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Hershey and Beacon share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Hershey
0
Beacon
Hershey leads in 5 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Hershey leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDHershey scores 83.8 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 145.7 in Beacon. Hershey has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,493 vs $1,979 in Beacon (25% lower). Hershey scores 159.6 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 210.7 in Beacon.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Hershey leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSHershey has a vacancy rate of 3.4% compared to 5.1% in Beacon. Hershey has a median property tax of $4,755 vs $6,639 in Beacon (28% lower). Hershey has a median rent of $1,241 vs $1,675 in Beacon (26% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Hershey leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSHershey: 13 min vs Beacon: 33 min for mean commute. Beacon has a median household income of $93,347 vs $78,750 in Hershey (16% higher). Hershey has a unemployment rate of 4.4% compared to 4.8% in Beacon.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety
Source: FBI UCRViolent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauBeacon has a high school diploma or higher of 49.7% compared to 46.9% in Hershey. Hershey has a bachelor's degree or higher of 35.2% compared to 33.7% in Beacon.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBeacon has a population of 14,629, about 1x the size of Hershey (14,334). Beacon skews younger with a median age of 41.6 vs 45.2.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Hershey
Beacon
Healthcare — Hershey leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareHershey: 4.5 vs Beacon: 3.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Hershey: 5 vs Beacon: 4 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Hershey leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBeacon has a public transit of 8.3% compared to 0.5% in Hershey. Hershey has a bicycle of 0.8% compared to 0.5% in Beacon. Hershey: 13 min vs Beacon: 33 min for mean commute time.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Hershey, PA
Compare Hershey against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.