Merrick Road (House)
Babylon’s story
196 years in pictures
Census counts: 4,739 in 1880, 218,223 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1888 and 6 maps from 1901 on.
- 1830Babylon is settled
Population
12,281
2025 Census estimate · +1% since 2020
Median home value
$659K
Census ACS
Household income
$141K
median
Median age
45.5
years
Jobs based here
4,261
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#97 of 745 in NY
Is Babylon a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Babylon grades A overall, 97th of 745 graded towns in New York. The median household earns $141K and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 94% of the country. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $658K, 6.6 years of the New York metro’s $99K median household income. Babylon’s median rent is $2,427 a month, against $1,098 a month in New York’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 98 of New York’s 1,216 towns do better. Babylon's schools outperform 83% of the state's.
What makes Babylon stand out
Where Babylon beats most towns.
By the sea
Babylon lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 28% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
28%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
99thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
1,645paid flood-insurance claims since 1978
8storm & flood disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
How Babylon grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Babylon is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 2%), so the A overall blends very different results.
Cost of livingD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 12.5 of 20; 3.4% of households have no carA+Open →Jobs & income4,261 jobs based hereA+Open →HealthGood Samaritan Hospital Medical Center 1.7 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 37% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 8% conserved landA−Open →History6 notable people born hereA−Open →Civic life4.6 library visits per resident; 5.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 568 attractions →Central Park and 462 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Babylon. Close and well known come first.
Big draw34 mi GardenCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw35 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw34 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a year
Big draw40 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw35 mi BeachConey IslandSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Central Park: Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Madison Square Garden: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0 · MetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · Coney Island: OptimumPx, Public domain
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Babylon: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Babylon, and how to reach them.
PowerPSEG Long Island26.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSuffolk County Water AuthorityNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpEnCon Industries CorpTrash haulerTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSuffolk County Board of ElectionsSuffolk County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2024
ZIP codes11702, 1170411702 99% · 11704 1%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Babylon.
Babylon has less food insecurity than most of New York, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of New York and has a long record of flood insurance claims.
HealthA
Babylon’s grade for health is an A
Its widest gap with New York is food insecurity: 8.5% of its 9,741 adults worry about having enough food, against 17.2% statewide.
28% of adults feel lonely in Babylon. Babylon beats the New York average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 17% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Babylon.
94%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Babylon | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 21% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New York
19 better12 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Babylon | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.5% | 17.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.5% | 12.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9% | 7.7% |
Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center
1.7 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
88th
percentile among NY towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A+
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Babylon’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Babylon for work: only 8% work in town. Babylon’s average trip to work is 33 minutes. The top destinations are Babylon (21%), New York (21%) and Islip (13%).
8%work in town
| Babylon | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $141,000 | $82,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 20% | 12% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.5% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Babylon8%
Babylon21%
New York21%
Islip13%
Hempstead9%
13 mi
median commute distance
4,261
jobs based in Babylon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Babylon has four seasons and pleasant summers
Babylon has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 25° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–42°
Spring41–59°
Summer64–81°
Fall48–65°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Apr 6
typical last frost
+2.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in Babylon, with inland flooding at the top
1,645 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 231 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 1,645 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Babylon.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCoastal floodingHurricanes
1,645
paid flood claims since 1978
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsA−
8.4% of Babylon is conserved land
0.8 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Belmont Lake State Park, at 77 acres.
8.4%conserved
| Babylon | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.4% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
8.4%
conserved · 150 of 1,778 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Belmont Lake State Park | 0.5 mi | 77 |
| 2. Argyle Park | — | 32 |
| 3. Sampawams Point Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade D−
A home in Babylon sells for about $750K at the median
At 6.6 years of the New York metro’s $99K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 84% of New York towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
$750Kmedian sale price
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Babylon
19pages on Babylon
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Babylon
Farmingdale State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Farmingdale6.8 mi$8,626 in-state tuitionFive Towns CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Dix Hills7.3 mi$30,250 tuitionNassau Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Garden City14.3 mi$6,330 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Babylon residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across New York.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Babylon for work
Where Babylon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4,261jobs based in Babylon
8%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Babylon
6 notable people were born in Babylon.
L
Leo FishelAmerican baseball player and lawyer · 1877–1960S
Stephanie ColónPuerto Rican soccer player · born 1992R
Robert K. SweeneyAmerican politician · born 1949About Babylon
Town in New York, United States
The Town of Babylon is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Its population was 218,223 as of the 2020 census. Parts of Jones Beach Island, Captree Island and Fire Island are in the southernmost part of the town. It borders Nassau County to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. At its westernmost point, it is about 20 miles (32 km) from New York City at the Queens border, and about 30 miles (48 km) from Manhattan. The village of Babylon is also within the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 114 sq mi
- Elevation
- 13 ft
- Area code
- 631
Babylon’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Babylon.
BabylonWest IslipIslipWest BabylonNorth BabylonBabylon
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babylon | #97 | A | D− | — | A− | A |
| Babylon | — | — | D− | — | — | A− |
| West Islip | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Islip | #178 | A− | D− | — | A− | A− |
| West Babylon | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Babylon | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Babylon, Babylon and Islip report no FBI crime data of their own. Babylon, West Islip, West Babylon and North Babylon aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Babylon with a neighbor →
Questions about Babylon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Babylon, NY a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Babylon grades A overall, better than 89% of U.S. towns and #97 of 745 in New York. It grades A for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Babylon, NY expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $659,000, 25% above the New York typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
What is Babylon, NY known for?
6 notable people were born here, including Rodney Dangerfield and Greg Cochrane.