Holbrook 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 Holbrook

Holbrook is an unincorporated community in New York with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, 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. Holbrook 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
  • 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 Holbrook compares

Median household income

Holbrook$144,760
New York avg$85,974
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Holbrook$2,435
New York avg$1,621
US$1,413

Median home value

Holbrook$536,200
New York avg$423,800
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Holbrook

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

To rent

$4,870

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

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $97,400 a year
  • 39% of Holbrook renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$107,240

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $53,620
  • Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 72% above US

$2,435/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,435 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 $536,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $536,200 · 39% 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

48 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction

Holbrook doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Suffolk County 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 567/100k · Policed by Suffolk County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2023 data

Getting around▲ 31% above US

34 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 34.1 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; 10% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
79%
Work from home
10%
Carpool
5.5%
Public transit
3.4%
Other
1.1%
Walk
0.7%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°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: 3.66" precipitationFeb: 3.29" precipitationMar: 4.51" precipitationApr: 4.06" precipitationMay: 3.28" precipitationJun: 4.00" precipitationJul: 3.26" precipitationAug: 4.24" precipitationSep: 3.60" precipitationOct: 3.97" precipitationNov: 3.41" precipitationDec: 4.71" precipitation25°JJan: high 39°F, low 25°FFFeb: high 41°F, low 26°FMMar: high 48°F, low 32°FAApr: high 58°F, low 41°FMMay: high 68°F, low 51°FJJun: high 77°F, low 61°F83°JJul: high 83°F, low 67°FAAug: high 81°F, low 66°FSSep: high 75°F, low 59°FOOct: high 64°F, low 47°FNNov: high 54°F, low 38°FDDec: high 44°F, low 30°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforceNear US average

34% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 34% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

4 public schools inside the boundary

There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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 (8 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Holbrook'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 ($2,435/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.

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