North Bay Shore 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 North Bay Shore

Living in North Bay Shore means embracing suburban Long Island life with genuine diversity and surprisingly solid access to the water and open space—if you're willing to drive for it. This is a solidly middle-class, family-oriented community where about half of all households have kids under 18, and the Latino community makes up roughly two-thirds of the population, giving the area real cultural texture in its food, local businesses, and neighborhood character. The median household income sits around $142k, which is healthy for the region, though housing still isn't cheap—median home values hover near $498k and rentals run about $1,664 monthly, so you're paying the Long Island premium.

North Bay Shore at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

35.5 yrs

Poverty Rate

6.8%

Foreign-Born

39.1%

Broadband Internet

89.3%

of households

Population Growth

-5.4%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

North Bay Shore$141,915
New York avg$85,974
US$80,734

Demographics39.1% foreign-born, most often from El Salvador

Who lives in North Bay Shore: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin

In North Bay Shore, the largest foreign-born group is from El Salvador (38.9%), and 59.3% of residents speak Spanish at home.

Under 18

23.5%

of residents

65 and Older

11.2%

of residents

Households with Kids

47.4%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

11.1%

of households

Married Couples

53.1%

of households

Avg Household Size

4.46

people

Race & Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino72.2%
Black9.8%
White9.5%
Asian4.6%
Two or more races2.3%
Other1.6%

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

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

El Salvador38.9%
Dominican Republic11.0%
Honduras8.9%
Guatemala5.4%
Colombia4.7%
Peru4.7%
India4.2%
Ecuador3.5%
Jamaica3.0%
Haiti2.9%

Languages Spoken at Home

Spanish59.3%
English only33.1%
Other Indo-European4.3%
French/Haitian1.9%
Russian/Slavic0.4%
German/Germanic0.4%
Other0.2%
Korean0.1%

Cost of Livingrent about average for NY

Rent, home values, and income in North Bay Shore

In North Bay Shore, home values are 17% above the NY average.

Median rent (per month)

North Bay Shore$1,597
New York avg$1,621
US$1,413

Median home value

North Bay Shore$497,600
New York avg$423,800
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

40.3%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

15.0%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

112.6

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Median Property Tax

$8,478

per year, owner-occupied homes

Homeowners

83.8%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1967

median year built

Vacant Homes

5.2%

of housing units

Home Value Trend

$496,853
$629,854
202120222023202420252026

Latest: $629,854 (September 2026)

Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.8 pts below NY average

Unemployment in North Bay Shore and typical pay across the metro area

Unemployment in Suffolk County, which includes North Bay Shore, is 0.8 percentage points lower than the NY average.

Unemployment rate

North Bay Shore3.5%
New York avg4.3%
US4.3%

North Bay Shore: 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

North Bay Shore is about 1% of Suffolk County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

What North Bay Shore Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry

Education & health care22.2%
Retail14.7%
Manufacturing11.7%
Professional & business services11.2%
Arts, hospitality & food service10.4%
Construction9.1%
Transportation & utilities7.8%
Other services4.7%

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

Commute26.5 min avg

How North Bay Shore residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In North Bay Shore, most residents drive alone to work (69%), and 66% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone69.0%
Carpool16.2%
Public transit3.6%
Walk0.5%
Work from home2.2%
Other8.4%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min25.6%
15–29 min40.8%
30–44 min19.7%
45–59 min6.7%
60+ min7.1%

Nearest airports · with airline service

  • Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP)

    Small hub790k passengers boarded in 2025

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

    Major hub30.8M passengers boarded in 2025

    28 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 North Bay Shore, 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 North Bay Shore, 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

North Bay Shore 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 North Bay Shore, 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

North Bay Shore 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

North Bay Shore 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

48.1"

Annual Snowfall

31.8"

Hot Days/Year

9

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

88

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

120

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
10°30°50°70°90°4"Jan: 2.69" precipitationFeb: 2.03" precipitationMar: 3.46" precipitationApr: 3.61" precipitationMay: 3.18" precipitationJun: 3.45" precipitationJul: 3.05" precipitationAug: 3.25" precipitationSep: 3.66" precipitationOct: 3.37" precipitationNov: 2.93" precipitationDec: 3.60" precipitation25°JJan: high 39°F, low 25°FFFeb: high 41°F, low 26°FMMar: high 48°F, low 33°FAApr: high 58°F, low 42°FMMay: high 68°F, low 51°FJJun: high 77°F, low 61°F83°JJul: high 83°F, low 68°FAAug: high 82°F, low 67°FSSep: high 75°F, low 60°FOOct: high 64°F, low 48°FNNov: high 53°F, low 38°FDDec: high 44°F, low 31°F
Show month-by-month table ↓
MonthHighLowPrecip
Jan39°F25°F2.69"
Feb41°F26°F2.03"
Mar48°F33°F3.46"
Apr58°F42°F3.61"
May68°F51°F3.18"
Jun77°F61°F3.45"
Jul83°F68°F3.05"
Aug82°F67°F3.25"
Sep75°F60°F3.66"
Oct64°F48°F3.37"
Nov53°F38°F2.93"
Dec44°F31°F3.60"

Healthcare

Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in North Bay Shore

Uninsured

12.9%

of residents

No hospitals inside North Bay Shore's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles

Ns/lij Hs Southside Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 2.7 mi away · Bay Shore

Pilgrim Psychiatric Center

Psychiatric · 2.9 mi away · West Brentwood

Not rated

Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.8 mi away · West Islip

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity34.2%US 36.8%
Diabetes11.4%US 12.6%
High blood pressure28.5%US 37.1%
Current smoking10.9%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity33.2%US 26.6%
Depression14.2%US 23.0%
Asthma9.9%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year77.5%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.

Education13.4:1 student/teacher ratio

Schools and degree attainment in North Bay Shore

North Bay Shore's student/teacher ratio is 13.4:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 13.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Public Schools

2

within city limits

Private Schools

0

within city limits

College Degree Rate

13.3%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

Student/Teacher Ratio

13.4:1

National avg 16:1

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

Colleges Near North Bay Shore (within 15 miles)

Suffolk County Community College

12.4 mi away

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

Farmingdale State College

8.7 mi away

Public · 4-year · 9,552 students · in-state tuition $8,626 · 62% graduate · median earnings $75,278 (10 yrs after entry)

Five Towns College

6.1 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, 14 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for North Bay Shore

North Bay Shore has 8 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Fire Island National Seashore (14 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Fire Island National Seashore

National Seashore

14 mi away

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

National Historic Site

15 mi away

Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site

National Historic Site

31 mi away

Hamilton Grange National Memorial

National Memorial

36 mi away

Weir Farm National Historical Park

National Historical Park

36 mi away

Gateway National Recreation Area

National Recreation Area

37 mi away

General Grant National Memorial

National Memorial

37 mi away

Lower East Side Tenement Museum National Historic Site

National Historic Site

38 mi away

Cities Near North Bay Shore

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to North Bay Shore?

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

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North Bay Shore FAQ

Is North Bay Shore, New York affordable?⌄

North Bay Shore's median rent is $1,597/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $141,915/year. Median home value is $497,600.

Is North Bay Shore, New York safe?⌄

North Bay Shore 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 North Bay Shore, New York?⌄

Suffolk County, which includes North Bay Shore, 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 North Bay Shore, New York?⌄

The cost of living in North Bay Shore is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,597/month and median household income is $141,915/year. The median home value is $497,600. About 40% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in North Bay Shore, New York?⌄

The average commute in North Bay Shore is 27 minutes, which is about 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