Suffolk County, NY

County

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2024 Population

1.53M

US Senator

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Party

US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

6.42%

0.761% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$130,686

1.84% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$578,400

7.21% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

781,693

0.258% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Suffolk County, NY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

93.1% of the residents in Suffolk County, NY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Suffolk County, NY are Stony Brook University (8,089 degrees awarded in 2023), Suffolk County Community College (2,884 degrees), and Farmingdale State College (1,957 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Suffolk County, NY was $578,400, and the homeownership rate was 82.2%.

Most people in Suffolk County, NY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 31.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Suffolk County, NY was 2 cars per household.

Suffolk County, NY borders Fairfield County, CT, Middlesex County, CT, New Haven County, CT, New London County, CT, Nassau County, NY, and Washington County, RI.

Photo by Taber Andrew Bain

United States New York New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

Population & Diversity

Suffolk County, NY is home to a population of 1.53M people, from which 93.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 16.8% of Suffolk County, NY residents were born outside of the country (257k people).

In 2024, there were 6.79 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (949k people) in Suffolk County, NY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 140k Other (Hispanic) and 125k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.1%

2024 Citizenship

93.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.1% of Suffolk County, NY residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Suffolk County, NY was 93.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Suffolk County, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Suffolk County, NY

White (Non-Hispanic)
949k ± 1.71k
Other (Hispanic)
140k ± 5.36k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
125k ± 5.21k

22.8%

Hispanic Population

349k people

22.8% of the people in Suffolk County, NY are hispanic (349k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Suffolk County, NY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New York.

Most Common Origin

Dominican Republic
493,200 ± 17,027 people
China
410,969 ± 15,575 people
Jamaica
234,174 ± 11,811 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New York was Dominican Republic, the natal country of 493,200 New York residents, followed by China with 410,969 and Jamaica with 234,174.

Foreign-Born Population

16.8%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

257k people

16.5%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

252k people

As of 2024, 16.8% of Suffolk County, NY residents (257k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Suffolk County, NY was 16.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Suffolk County, NY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
18,240 ± 876
Gulf War (2001-)
7,974 ± 833
Gulf War (1990s)
5,110 ± 638

Suffolk County, NY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.29 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Suffolk County, NY.

Economy

The economy of Suffolk County, NY employs 782k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Suffolk County, NY were Health Care & Social Assistance (128,667 people), Educational Services (94,522 people), and Retail Trade (82,545 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($120,225), Utilities ($110,323), and Finance & Insurance ($102,857).

Employment

Occupations

782k

2024 Value

± 7,505

−0.258%

1 Year decline

± 1.35%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Suffolk County, NY declined at a rate of −0.258%, from 784k employees to 782k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Suffolk County, NY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (87,921 people), Management Occupations (87,719 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (76,105 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Suffolk County, NY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New York (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

782k

2024 Value

± 7,505

−0.258%

1 Year decline

± 1.35%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Suffolk County, NY declined at a rate of −0.258%, from 784k employees to 782k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Suffolk County, NY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (128,667 people), Educational Services (94,522 people), and Retail Trade (82,545 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Suffolk County, NY, though some of these residents may live in Suffolk County, NY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$71,983

Median earning men ± $1,118

$52,491

Median earning women ± $815

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($113,625), Public Administration ($107,244), and Information ($99,034).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($74,634), Public Administration ($73,342), and Information ($62,766).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New York.

Y-Axis

2.74%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 9.56M people employed in New York. This represents a 2.74% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 19.7%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New York.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

5,780
Construction
4,569
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
3,362
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$7.79M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$4.19M
Finance and Insurance
$3.9M
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Suffolk County, NY awarded 14,392 degrees. The student population of Suffolk County, NY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 27,872 male students and 29,862 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Suffolk County, NY are White (5,776 and 44.5%), Hispanic or Latino (2,657 and 20.5%), Asian (2,160 and 16.7%), and Black or African American (1,087 and 8.38%).

The largest universities in Suffolk County, NY by number of degrees awarded are Stony Brook University (8,089 and 56.2%), Suffolk County Community College (2,884 and 20%), and Farmingdale State College (1,957 and 13.6%).

The most popular majors in Suffolk County, NY are General Studies (1,199 and 8.33%), General Business Administration & Management (1,122 and 7.8%), and General Psychology (787 and 5.47%).

The median tuition cost in Suffolk County, NY for a public four year colleges is $7,070 for in-state students and $21,920 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Suffolk County, NY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 52.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 17.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 57,734 (48.3% men and 51.7% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 57,734 students enrolled in Suffolk County, NY, 48.3% men and 51.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 21,592 records, of which 50.6% were women and 49.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
616 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
585 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
802 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Suffolk County, NY was General Psychology with 616 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Suffolk County, NY according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Stony Brook University
8,089 degrees awarded
Suffolk County Community College
2,884 degrees awarded
Farmingdale State College
1,957 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Stony Brook University with 8,089 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 6,591 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Suffolk County, NY, which is 0.845 times less than the 7,801 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 5,776 degrees mean that there were 2.17 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 2,657 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($28,450) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,498) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Suffolk County, NY was $578,400 in 2024, which is 1.74 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $539,500 to $578,400, a 7.21% increase. The homeownership rate in Suffolk County, NY is 82.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Suffolk County, NY have an average commute time of 31.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Suffolk County, NY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 19.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Suffolk County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.18%.

Housing

Property

$578,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$2,887

$421,146

Median Property Taxes

±$4,402

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Suffolk County, NY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Suffolk County, NY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

82.2%

Homeownership

2024

60%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 82.2% of the housing units in Suffolk County, NY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 81.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Suffolk County, NY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$130,686

Median Household Income

± $1,707

513k

Number of Households

± 5,456

In 2024, the median household income of the 513k households in Suffolk County, NY grew to $130,686 from the previous year's value of $128,329.

The following chart displays the households in Suffolk County, NY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Suffolk County, NY is from New York.

0.493

2023 Wage GINI in New York

0.494

2022 Wage GINI in New York

In 2023, the income inequality in New York was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0797% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New York was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in New York in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New York across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (72.1%)
Worked At Home (12%)
Carpooled (7.52%)

In 2024, 72.1% of workers in Suffolk County, NY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12%) and those who carpooled to work (7.52%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

31.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Suffolk County, NY have a longer commute time (31.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 6.54% of the workforce in Suffolk County, NY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Suffolk County, NY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Suffolk County, NY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Suffolk County, NY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 19.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Suffolk County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.18%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

6.42% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Suffolk County, NY (96.5k out of 1.5M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 75+ and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Suffolk County, NY is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 8.6% of the children was living in poverty in Suffolk County, NY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 124 in Suffolk County, NY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 37.6 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

95.3% of the population of Suffolk County, NY has health coverage, with 54.9% on employee plans, 12.8% on Medicaid, 13.3% on Medicare, 13.8% on non-group plans, and 0.457% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Suffolk County, NY see 1,403 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,403 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1234 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 302 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,403 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Suffolk County, NY

Primary care physicians in Suffolk County, NY see an average of 1,403 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,403 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Suffolk County, NY in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.2% under 18 years, 19.9% between 18 and 34 years, 40.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.73%

Uninsured

54.9%

Employer Coverage

12.8%

Medicaid

13.3%

Medicare

13.8%

Non-Group

0.457%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Suffolk County, NY grew by 2.26% from 4.63% to 4.73%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Suffolk County, NY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 34 in Suffolk County, NY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Suffolk County, NY.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 29.8% in Suffolk County, NY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Suffolk County, NY.