Stony Brook 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 Stony Brook

Stony Brook 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. Stony Brook deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.

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
  • High rent burden for renters
  • Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Stony Brook compares

Median household income

Stony Brook$174,872
New York avg$85,974
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Stony Brook$3,500+
New York avg$1,621
US$1,413

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

Median home value

Stony Brook$623,300
New York avg$423,800
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Stony Brook

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

To rent

$7,002

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

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $140,040 a year
  • 60% of Stony Brook renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$124,660

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $62,330
  • Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingCensus top category

$3,500+/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $3,500+ 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 $623,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $623,300 · 60% 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

Stony Brook 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▲ 14% above US

30 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 29.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 20% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
71%
Work from home
20%
Carpool
4.7%
Public transit
2.0%
Other
1.5%
Walk
1.3%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°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: 3.71" precipitationFeb: 3.20" precipitationMar: 4.65" precipitationApr: 4.42" precipitationMay: 3.89" precipitationJun: 3.93" precipitationJul: 3.88" precipitationAug: 4.02" precipitationSep: 4.30" precipitationOct: 4.24" precipitationNov: 3.70" precipitationDec: 4.56" precipitation26°JJan: high 41°F, low 26°FFFeb: high 43°F, low 28°FMMar: high 50°F, low 33°FAApr: high 64°F, low 43°FMMay: high 72°F, low 51°FJJun: high 78°F, low 61°F83°JJul: high 83°F, low 68°FAAug: high 82°F, low 67°FSSep: high 75°F, low 61°FOOct: high 65°F, low 49°FNNov: high 56°F, low 40°FDDec: high 46°F, low 32°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▲ 90% above US

68% 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

2 public schools inside the boundary

There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. 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 (17 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Stony Brook'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. It tends to suit remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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