Hampton Bays is an unincorporated community in Suffolk County, NY. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in Hampton Bays

Hampton Bays is an unincorporated community in New York with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Hampton Bays deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.

The good

  • Low unemployment in the county
  • Higher-than-average incomes
  • Highly educated workforce
  • Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

  • Rent well above the national average
  • High home prices
  • Above-average commute times
  • Cold winters
  • Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Hampton Bays compares

Median household income

Hampton Bays$134,216
New York avg$85,974
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Hampton Bays$2,392
New York avg$1,621
US$1,413

Median home value

Hampton Bays$735,400
New York avg$423,800
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Hampton Bays

Based on Hampton Bays's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$4,784

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $95,680 a year
  • 37% of Hampton Bays renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$147,080

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $73,540
  • Homes cost 5.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 69% above US

$2,392/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,392 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $735,400. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $735,400 · 37% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.5% county unemployment

Unemployment in Suffolk County is 3.5%, 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.

Suffolk County (county-wide)

Safety

39 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction

Hampton Bays doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Southampton Town Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.

Property crime 556/100k · Policed by Southampton Town Police Department (township-wide rate) · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 32% above US

34 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 34.2 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% take public transit; 10% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
70%
Carpool
10%
Work from home
9.5%
Public transit
5.9%
Walk
3.8%
Other
0.4%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
10°30°50°70°90°5"Jan: 3.19" precipitationFeb: 2.72" precipitationMar: 4.28" precipitationApr: 3.79" precipitationMay: 3.31" precipitationJun: 3.50" precipitationJul: 2.88" precipitationAug: 3.74" precipitationSep: 3.75" precipitationOct: 4.65" precipitationNov: 3.48" precipitationDec: 4.17" precipitation20°JJan: high 39°F, low 20°FFFeb: high 40°F, low 21°FMMar: high 47°F, low 28°FAApr: high 57°F, low 36°FMMay: high 66°F, low 46°FJJun: high 75°F, low 56°F81°JJul: high 81°F, low 63°FAAug: high 80°F, low 61°FSSep: high 74°F, low 54°FOOct: high 63°F, low 43°FNNov: high 53°F, low 34°FDDec: high 45°F, low 26°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 31% above US

47% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 47% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

3 public schools inside the boundary

There are 3 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1, 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 Fire Island National Seashore (28 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Hampton Bays'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 ($2,392/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.

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