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Islip Town Hall
New York›Suffolk County
Photo: DanTD · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo of Islip

Islip, NY · Photo: DanTD · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗

What is it like to live in Islip?

For a city of 340,867, Islip does well: it grades A−, ranked 178th of 745 in New York. The median household earns $130K and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 82% of the country. The trade-off: the typical home is worth about $675K, 6.8 years of the New York metro’s $99K median household income. Islip’s median rent is $2,209 a month, against $1,098 a month in New York’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include MODESTY (Sloop) and Rudolph Oyster House. Only 73 of New York’s 1,216 towns score higher on the outdoors.

What makes Islip stand out

Where Islip beats most towns.

MODESTY (Sloop)
MODESTY (Sloop) · National Register of Historic Places
Islip’s story

343 years in pictures

MODESTY (Sloop) is one of 3 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1683, comes before those of 95% of the New York towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 609 in 1790, 339,938 in 2020. The archive holds 54 old photos and papers going back to 1873 and 5 maps from 1902 on.

28 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • 1683Islip is settled
Explore the history →

How Islip grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New York), ordered by how far Islip is from typical.

How grading works

Its grades run from A for hazard risk (better than 92% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 4%), so the A− overall blends very different results.

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Yankee Stadium and 170 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Islip. Close and well known come first.

All 548 attractions →
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Yankee Stadium: Matt Boulton, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Citi Field: Chris6d, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Etihad Park: Bananza76, CC0 · The Cloisters: Paweł Drozd on Wiki Drozdpl cropped by Beyond My Ken (talk) 17:05, 27 December 2, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum: iMatthew // talk //, Public domain · Flushing Meadows–Corona Park: Flapane, Public domain

Getting set up

Moving to Islip: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Islip, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
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 & dumpEvery other week, WedCurbside recyclingTown site
SchoolsConnetquot Central School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereSuffolk County Board of ElectionsSuffolk County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2024
ZIP codes11706, 11717, 11722, 1179511706 19% · 11717 18% · 11722 11% · 11795 7%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 Islip.

Islip trades workers with New York City and other neighbors, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of New York and has a long record of flood insurance claims.

OutdoorsA+

13.8% of Islip is conserved land

137 miles of trail in 98 parks and preserves. Fire Island National Seashore, at 4,736 acres with 14 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Islip’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile.

#159for trails in NY
13.8%
conserved · 14,314 of 103,643 acres
137 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Connetquot River State Park Preserve39.4 mi3,447
2. Fire Island National Seashore14 mi4,736
3. Heckscher State Park13.2 mi1,533

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

SchoolsA−

Public schools in Islip beat 78% of New York districts

Three of its 87 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

78%of NY districts it outscoresA−School Grade
SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Bay Shore Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8Grades 6–81,258C
Brentwood High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12Grades 9–124,816B+
East Islip High SchoolTop results in townGrades 9–12Grades 9–121,170A+

NCES · EDFacts · graded within NY on state tests and graduation

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A

Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Islip

4,791 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 547 properties have flooded more than once.

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 4,791 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Islip.

12risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
12Very low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingHurricanesCoastal flooding
4,791
paid flood claims since 1978
12
federal disasters paid out here

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HealthA−

Islip earns an A− for health

Against the 4,532 U.S. towns with household incomes like Islip’s, it is healthier than 50%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.

16% of Islip adults have been diagnosed with depression. Islip beats the New York average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 9.8% of Islip adults smoke cigarettes.

82%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
IslipNew York townsU.S. towns
Depression (CDC PLACES)16%21%23%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)9.8%13%14%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)31%34%35%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)15%16%17%
32 measures vs. New York
8 better24 too close to call0 worse
What stands outIslipNY
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth9.7%12.8%
Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off6.8%8.2%
NS/Lij HS Southside Hospital
2.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
68th
percentile among NY towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

HousingCost of living grade D−

Islip earns a D− for cost of living

At 6.8 years of the New York metro’s $99K median household income, the typical home (about $675K) costs more against local pay than in 85% of New York towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.

Typical home values rose 5.9% in the year to September 2026. 56% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent in Islip.

$675KZillow home value
IslipNew York townsU.S. towns
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent56%49%48%
Households that own their home81%75%73%

Typical home value

Islip$675K
New York$525K
Market temperature
BalancedA seller's marketBuyer’sSeller’s
27
days on market
107.1%
sale-to-list price
+5.9%
value change, 1 year
9
homes sold in May

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Climate

Islip has four seasons and pleasant summers

Islip has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 26° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.

32″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter28–42°
Spring41–58°
Summer64–81°
Fall49–65°
Nov 2
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+2.3°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commuteJobs & income grade A

About one in four working residents works right in Islip

Islip has about as many jobs (144,366) as working residents, but only 45,692 people both live and work here.

About one in 4 of Islip’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Islip is 28 minutes. The top destinations are New York (18%), Brookhaven (10%) and Smithtown (8%).

28%work in town
IslipNew York townsU.S. towns
Working residents who work in town28%10%8%
Median household income$130,000$82,000$80,000
Average trip to work28 minutes25 minutes25 minutes
Below the poverty line6.4%9.5%9.6%

Where working residents work

In Islip28%
New York18%
Brookhaven10%
Smithtown8%
Babylon8%
11 mi
median commute distance
144,366
jobs based in Islip
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 80% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Who lives here

An age mix much like New York’s

The median household earns $130,132, against $85,974 across New York, one input to its A for jobs and income.

33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.

39.2median age · NY 39.8
IslipNew York townsU.S. towns
Aged 65 or older15%20%18%
Median age39.2 years43 years40.5 years
Under 1822%20%22%
IslipNew YorkUnited States

Ages · share of residents

Education · adults 25 and older

No diploma15%
High school27%
Some college16%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate14%

Women and men · all residents

49.8% women, 50.2% men

That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±0.5 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Median age: women 40.7, men 37.9.

Ages and education in Islip
IslipNYU.S.
Under 1011.9%11%11.6%
10 to 1710.4%9.5%10.3%
18 to 248.9%8.9%9.1%
25 to 3413.4%14.2%13.7%
35 to 4413.3%13%13.2%
45 to 5413.4%12.2%12.2%
55 to 6413.5%13.3%12.7%
65 to 748.7%10.3%10.2%
75 and older6.5%7.6%7%
No diploma15.2%12%10.4%
High school26.6%24.3%26%
Some college16.4%14.6%19.1%
Associate’s9.2%8.8%8.8%
Bachelor’s18.3%22.4%21.6%
Graduate14.3%17.9%14.1%

U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Islip

19pages on Islip
After high school

Colleges nearby

4 within 15 miles of the center of Islip

By the sea

Islip lives by the ocean

Coastal flooding makes up 11% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.

11%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
96thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
4,791paid flood-insurance claims since 1978
11storm & flood disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap

Landmarks

28 places in Islip on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Famous people from Islip

16 notable people were born in Islip.

See all 16 →

About Islip

Town in New York, United States

Official town website ↗

Islip ( EYE-slip) is a town in Suffolk County, New York, United States, on the South Shore of Long Island. The population was 339,938 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the fourth most populous city or town in the New York metropolitan area. The Town of Islip also contains a smaller, unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place named Islip, which serves as the town seat.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1683
Area
163 sq mi
Elevation
7 ft
ZIP code
11751
Area code
631

Islip’s neighbors

10 towns share a border with Islip.

Explore the map →
How the neighbors grade
TownNY rankOverallCostSafetySchoolsHealth
Islip#178A−D−—A−A−
Brookhaven#295BD−—BA−
Babylon——D−——A−
West Islip——————
Babylon#97AD−—A−A
Smithtown#76AD−—AA
Bayport——————
Great River——————

Islip, Brookhaven, Babylon, Babylon and Smithtown report no FBI crime data of their own. Babylon, West Islip, Bayport and Great River aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Islip with a neighbor →

Questions about Islip

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Islip, NY a good place to live?

By most measures, yes. Islip grades A− overall, better than 78% of U.S. towns and #178 of 745 in New York. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.

What is Islip, NY known for?

16 notable people were born here, including Tobias Harris and Michael Plumb.