About

Life in Lake Grove

Lake Grove is a community of 11,050 people in New York. The median household income is $118,311, median rent runs about $2,184 per month, and median home values are around $598,900. Unemployment is low at 3.4%, suggesting a relatively healthy local job market.

Lake Grove at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

40.1 yrs

Poverty Rate

8.1%

Foreign-Born

15.1%

Broadband Internet

96.4%

of households

Population Growth

+1.2%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

Lake Grove$118,311
New York avg$85,974
US$80,734

Demographics15.1% foreign-born, most often from Pakistan

Who lives in Lake Grove: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin

In Lake Grove, the largest foreign-born group is from Pakistan (12.8%), and 7.7% of residents speak Other Indo-European at home.

Under 18

22.5%

of residents

65 and Older

17.6%

of residents

Households with Kids

31.9%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

22.0%

of households

Married Couples

53.3%

of households

Avg Household Size

2.91

people

Race & Ethnicity

White71.4%
Hispanic or Latino11.7%
Asian11.0%
Two or more races3.5%
Black1.4%
Other1.0%

Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

Pakistan12.8%
India10.0%
China8.0%
Korea7.2%
Bangladesh6.3%
Philippines5.7%
Egypt5.3%
Ecuador4.3%
Romania4.0%
Guyana3.3%

Languages Spoken at Home

English only82.2%
Other Indo-European7.7%
Spanish2.6%
Chinese1.6%
Arabic1.4%
Korean1.1%
Other Asian/Pacific1.0%
Russian/Slavic0.8%

Cost of Livingrent 35% above NY average

Rent, home values, and income in Lake Grove

In Lake Grove, rent runs 35% above the NY average, and home values are 41% above the NY average.

Median rent (per month)

Lake Grove$2,184
New York avg$1,621
US$1,413

Median home value

Lake Grove$598,900
New York avg$423,800
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

65.0%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

40.3%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

112.6

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Homeowners

77.3%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1970

median year built

Vacant Homes

1.8%

of housing units

Home Value Trend

$536,306
$731,889
202120222023202420252026

Latest: $731,889 (September 2026)

Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.8 pts below NY average

Unemployment in Lake Grove and typical pay across the metro area

Unemployment in Suffolk County, which includes Lake Grove, is 0.8 percentage points lower than the NY average.

Unemployment rate

Lake Grove3.5%
New York avg4.3%
US4.3%

Lake Grove: Suffolk County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average

Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend

4.5%
4.5%
3.9%
3.6%
8.3%
4.7%
3.2%
3.3%
3.4%
3.5%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Suffolk County (county-wide) · Annual averages

Lake Grove is less than 1% of Suffolk County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

What Lake Grove Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry

Education & health care31.7%
Professional & business services10.5%
Construction9.1%
Retail8.4%
Public administration6.6%
Transportation & utilities6.4%
Finance & real estate6.4%
Arts, hospitality & food service6.4%

City residents, wherever they work

Median Salary by Occupation · metro area

Management$165,760
Computer & Math$126,960
Healthcare$101,090
Business & Finance$100,940
Education$76,250
Office & Admin$50,760
Sales$46,160
Transportation$44,800

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA metro area

Commute38.7 min avg

How Lake Grove residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In Lake Grove, most residents drive alone to work (75%), and 51% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone75.1%
Carpool6.1%
Public transit4.3%
Walk0.2%
Work from home11.7%
Other2.5%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min13.1%
15–29 min37.6%
30–44 min21.4%
45–59 min5.9%
60+ min22.1%

Nearest airports · with airline service

  • Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP)

    Small hub790k passengers boarded in 2025

    4 mi
  • John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

    Major hub30.8M passengers boarded in 2025

    38 mi

Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.

Safetyviolent crime 88% below national average

Crime rates for 2023

Older dataThe latest complete year reported to the FBI is 2023. It's compared with the national rate for 2023.

Violent crime in the area policed by the Suffolk County Police Department, which covers Lake Grove, runs 88% below the national average.

Violent Crime Rate

47.6

per 100,000 residents

Below average (386 national, 2023)

Property Crime Rate

566.7

per 100,000 residents

Below average (1,951 national, 2023)

Policed by Suffolk County Police Department (county-wide rate)

Natural DisastersHigh Wind most common — 19 events in 2025

Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index

Relatively High

97.3 / 100

Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).

Coastal flooding · Very HighIce storm · Very HighLightning · Very HighWinter weather · Very HighCold wave · High

Suffolk County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025

In Suffolk County, which includes Lake Grove, the most common type is high wind, with 19 recorded events in 2025.

Most common events:

High WindThunderstorm WindWinter WeatherStrong WindFlash Flood

Storm events by year

YearEventsTop TypeProperty Damage
202519High Wind$17,500
202421High Wind$10.7M
20238Flash Flood$51,000
202223Thunderstorm Wind$205,800
202125High Wind$5.4M
202028High Wind$2.6M
201937Thunderstorm Wind$1.8M
201842Winter Weather$932,750

Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.

0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year

Suffolk County, county-wide

Lake Grove is less than 1% of Suffolk County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Air Quality41 median AQI — Good

Days by air quality category (2025)

Air quality in Suffolk County, which includes Lake Grove, is typically good — 265 good-air days per year.

Median AQI

41

Good Days

265

per year

Moderate Days

95

per year

Unhealthy Days

2

per year

Suffolk County, county-wide

Lake Grove is less than 1% of Suffolk County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Climate80°F summers, 27°F winters

30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation

Lake Grove has warm summers (avg high 80°F) and cold winters (avg low 27°F).

Spring (Mar–May)

58°/41°F

avg high / low

Summer (Jun–Aug)

80°/65°F

avg high / low

Fall (Sep–Nov)

64°/48°F

avg high / low

Winter (Dec–Feb)

42°/27°F

avg high / low

Annual Precipitation

48.1"

Annual Snowfall

31.8"

Hot Days/Year

8

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

98

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

122

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
Show month-by-month table ↓
MonthHighLowPrecip
Jan39°F25°F3.66"
Feb41°F26°F3.29"
Mar48°F32°F4.51"
Apr58°F41°F4.06"
May68°F51°F3.28"
Jun77°F61°F4.00"
Jul83°F67°F3.26"
Aug81°F66°F4.24"
Sep75°F59°F3.60"
Oct64°F47°F3.97"
Nov54°F38°F3.41"
Dec44°F30°F4.71"

Healthcare

Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Lake Grove

Uninsured

4.0%

of residents

No hospitals inside Lake Grove's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles

St Catherine of Siena Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 5.4 mi away · Smithtown

John T Mather Memorial Hospital of Port Jefferson

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 6.5 mi away · Port Jefferson

St Charles Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 6.8 mi away · Port Jefferson

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity27.6%US 36.8%
Diabetes9.3%US 12.6%
High blood pressure31.2%US 37.1%
Current smoking8.9%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity22.2%US 26.6%
Depression16.2%US 23.0%
Asthma10.0%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year81.9%US 78.2%

Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.

Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.

Education12.0:1 student/teacher ratio

Schools and degree attainment in Lake Grove

Lake Grove's student/teacher ratio is 12.0:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 43.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Public Schools

3

within city limits

Private Schools

0

within city limits

College Degree Rate

43.2%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

Student/Teacher Ratio

12.0:1

National avg 16:1

Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year

Colleges Near Lake Grove (within 15 miles)

Suffolk County Community College

3.2 mi away

Public · 2-year · 14,218 students · in-state tuition $7,340 · 36% graduate · median earnings $54,024 (10 yrs after entry)

Five Towns College

13.9 mi away

Private for-profit · 4-year · 547 students · in-state tuition $31,100 · 44% graduate · median earnings $46,311 (10 yrs after entry)

Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)

Parks & Recreationclosest: Fire Island National Seashore, 13 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Lake Grove

Lake Grove has 8 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Fire Island National Seashore (13 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Fire Island National Seashore

National Seashore

13 mi away

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

National Historic Site

20 mi away

Weir Farm National Historical Park

National Historical Park

33 mi away

Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site

National Historic Site

37 mi away

General Grant National Memorial

National Memorial

44 mi away

Hamilton Grange National Memorial

National Memorial

44 mi away

Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site

National Historic Site

46 mi away

African Burial Ground National Monument

National Monument

47 mi away

Cities Near Lake Grove

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to Lake Grove?

Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.

Moving to Lake Grove →

Lake Grove FAQ

Is Lake Grove, New York affordable?⌄

Lake Grove's median rent is $2,184/month, which is significantly above the national average. The median household income is $118,311/year. Median home value is $598,900.

Is Lake Grove, New York safe?⌄

Lake Grove is policed by the Suffolk County Police Department, whose violent crime rate across its service area was 48 per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 386/100k that year. Property crime rate is 567 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.

What is the job market like in Lake Grove, New York?⌄

Suffolk County, which includes Lake Grove, has an unemployment rate of 3.5%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.

What is the cost of living in Lake Grove, New York?⌄

The cost of living in Lake Grove is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $2,184/month and median household income is $118,311/year. The median home value is $598,900. About 65% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in Lake Grove, New York?⌄

The average commute in Lake Grove is 39 minutes, which is significantly longer than average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.

Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from