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North Merrick.

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12,366people live here $161,554median household income▲ 100% above US $2,906median rent per month▲ 106% above US $675,800median home value▲ 103% above US

North Merrick is an unincorporated community in Nassau 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 North Merrick

North Merrick is an unincorporated community in New York with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. North Merrick deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, long average commutes, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.

The good

Low unemployment in the county
Higher-than-average incomes
Clean air
Highly educated workforce
Average class sizes
Public transit that many commuters use

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices
Long commutes
High rent burden for renters

How North Merrick compares

Median household income

North Merrick$161,554

New York avg$85,974

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

North Merrick$2,906

New York avg$1,621

US$1,413

Median home value

North Merrick$675,800

New York avg$423,800

US$332,700

What it takes to move to North Merrick

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

To rent

$5,812

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $116,240 a year
58% of North Merrick renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$135,160

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $67,580
Homes cost 4.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 106% above US

$2,906/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,906 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 $675,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $675,800 · 58% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.3% county unemployment

Unemployment in Nassau 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.

Nassau County (county-wide)

Safety

139 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction

North Merrick doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Nassau 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 963/100k · Policed by Nassau County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 39% above US

36 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 36.1 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. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% take public transit; 14% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

68%

Work from home

14%

Public transit

10%

Carpool

6.6%

Walk

0.7%

Other

0.1%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 50% above US

54% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

3 public schools inside the boundary

There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to 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 Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (14 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

North Merrick'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 ($2,906/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), people who would rather not drive, and 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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