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Living in
Melville.
The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.
Melville 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.
About
Life in Melville
Living in Melville means settling into a prosperous Long Island community where the economy is genuinely stable—this is a major employment hub for Suffolk County, home to U.S. headquarters for Canon, Nikon, Henry Schein, Leviton, and other substantial corporations that keep the job market strong and the unemployment rate well below the national average. The median household income here sits at $159,922, and most residents are established professionals; about 62% hold college degrees, and the median age is just under 51, reflecting a mature, stable population where roughly 58% of households are married couples. The trade-off is that this stability comes at a price—median home values hover around $788,900, and rent runs $3,501 monthly, so you're looking at a genuinely affluent enclave where housing costs reflect the demand from people who work locally and want to stay put.
Melville at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
49.8 yrs
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Foreign-Born
13.0%
Broadband Internet
96.7%
of households
Population Growth
+8.3%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics13.0% foreign-born, most often from India
Who lives in Melville: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Melville, the largest foreign-born group is from India (11.9%), and 8.9% of residents speak Other Indo-European at home.
Under 18
16.3%
of residents
65 and Older
28.8%
of residents
Households with Kids
23.1%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
28.0%
of households
Married Couples
57.6%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.65
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 116% above NY average
Rent, home values, and income in Melville
In Melville, rent runs 116% above the NY average, and home values are 86% above the NY average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
68.7%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
22.6%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
112.6
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Homeowners
88.1%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1983
median year built
Vacant Homes
3.1%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $955,768 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.8 pts below NY average
Unemployment in Melville and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Suffolk County, which includes Melville, is 0.8 percentage points lower than the NY average.
Unemployment rate
Melville: Suffolk County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Suffolk County (county-wide) · Annual averages
Melville is about 1% of Suffolk County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
What Melville Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA metro area
Commute33.3 min avg
How Melville residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Melville, most residents drive alone to work (67%), and 59% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 16 mi
Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP)
Small hub790k passengers boarded in 2025
- 22 mi
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Major hub30.8M passengers boarded in 2025
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 Melville, 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).
Suffolk County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Suffolk County, which includes Melville, the most common type is high wind, with 19 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 | High Wind | $17,500 |
| 2024 | 21 | High Wind | $10.7M |
| 2023 | 8 | Flash Flood | $51,000 |
| 2022 | 23 | Thunderstorm Wind | $205,800 |
| 2021 | 25 | High Wind | $5.4M |
| 2020 | 28 | High Wind | $2.6M |
| 2019 | 37 | Thunderstorm Wind | $1.8M |
| 2018 | 42 | Winter 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
Melville is about 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 Melville, 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
Melville is about 1% of Suffolk County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Climate81°F summers, 27°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Melville has warm summers (avg high 81°F) and cold winters (avg low 27°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
58°/42°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
81°/65°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
64°/49°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
41°/27°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
38.3"
Annual Snowfall
18.5"
Hot Days/Year
9
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
88
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
120
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 25°F | 2.69" |
| Feb | 41°F | 26°F | 2.03" |
| Mar | 48°F | 33°F | 3.46" |
| Apr | 58°F | 42°F | 3.61" |
| May | 68°F | 51°F | 3.18" |
| Jun | 77°F | 61°F | 3.45" |
| Jul | 83°F | 68°F | 3.05" |
| Aug | 82°F | 67°F | 3.25" |
| Sep | 75°F | 60°F | 3.66" |
| Oct | 64°F | 48°F | 3.37" |
| Nov | 53°F | 38°F | 2.93" |
| Dec | 44°F | 31°F | 3.60" |
Healthcare1 hospital
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Melville
Melville has 1 hospital.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
0.5%
of residents
Sagamore Childrens Psychiatric Center
Psychiatric
Nearby hospitals · within 15 miles
Plainview Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 3.5 mi away · Plainview
Chsli St Joseph Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 5.7 mi away · Bethpage
Ns/lij Hs Huntington Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 6 mi away · Huntington
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
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.
Education10.6:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Melville
Melville's student/teacher ratio is 10.6:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 61.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
3
within city limits
Private Schools
1
within city limits
College Degree Rate
61.7%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
10.6:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in Melville
Public · 4-year · 9,552 students · in-state tuition $8,626 · 62% graduate · median earnings $75,278 (10 yrs after entry)
Nearby Colleges (within 15 miles)
Public · 2-year · 10,630 students · in-state tuition $6,545 · 34% graduate · median earnings $53,866 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 6,488 students · in-state tuition $59,960 · 66% graduate · median earnings $76,540 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 5,276 students · in-state tuition $52,050 · 71% graduate · median earnings $80,969 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,162 students · in-state tuition $41,380 · 75% graduate · median earnings $86,212 (10 yrs after entry)
Private for-profit · 4-year · 547 students · in-state tuition $31,100 · 44% graduate · median earnings $46,311 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 106 students · in-state tuition $65,160 · 84% graduate
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, 8 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Melville
Melville has 8 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (8 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
National Historic Site
8 mi awayFire Island National Seashore
National Seashore
23 mi awaySaint Paul's Church National Historic Site
National Historic Site
23 mi awayHamilton Grange National Memorial
National Memorial
28 mi awayGeneral Grant National Memorial
National Memorial
29 mi awayTheodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
National Historic Site
30 mi awayAfrican Burial Ground National Monument
National Monument
31 mi awayGateway National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
31 mi awayPublic Libraries in Melville
Half Hollow Hills Community Library
510 Sweet Hollow Road, Melville
Cities Near Melville
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Melville?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Melville FAQ
Is Melville, New York affordable?⌄
Melville's median rent is $3,500+/month, which is significantly above the national average. The median household income is $159,922/year. Median home value is $788,900.
Is Melville, New York safe?⌄
Melville 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 Melville, New York?⌄
Suffolk County, which includes Melville, 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 Melville, New York?⌄
The cost of living in Melville is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $3,500+/month and median household income is $159,922/year. The median home value is $788,900. About 69% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Melville, New York?⌄
The average commute in Melville is 33 minutes, which is 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