Benjamin King Woodhull House, 1750
Wading River’s story
201 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1750.
- 1825Wading River is settled
Wading RiverNY
6 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Team jib · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
8,359
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$754K
+4.4% in a year
Household income
$137K
median
Median age
46.7
years
Jobs based here
1,431
A commuter town
Is Wading River a good place to live?
Wading River’s median household income is $137,000, against $82,000 in New York’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. 22% of the land in Wading River is conserved, against 5.2% in New York’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Wildwood State Park, at 766 acres with 9.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. We don’t grade Wading River yet; the figures below are still real.
What makes Wading River stand out
Where Wading River beats most towns.
By the sea
Wading River lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 11% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
11%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
97thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
58paid flood-insurance claims since 1979
81stpercentile for hurricane risk
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Getting set up
Moving to Wading River: who provides what
Wading River is unincorporated, so Suffolk County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPSEG Long Island26.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRiverhead Water District1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSuffolk CountySuffolk County provides services here
SchoolsShoreham-Wading River Central School DistrictRiverhead Central School District2 districts serve Wading River; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 codes11792, 1193311792 93% · 11933 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 Wading River.
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Wading River
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 97% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 58 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wading River.
3risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesCoastal flooding
58
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
More of Wading River’s households own their home than in the typical New York or U.S. town
95% of Wading River households own their home. The typical Wading River home is worth about $754,000, up 4.4% in a year, 44% above the New York typical home.
$754KZillow home value
Typical home value
Wading River$754K
New York$525K
Market temperature
33
days on market
101.8%
sale-to-list price
+4.4%
value change, 1 year
8
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Wading River has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Wading River for work: only 6% work in town. The average trip to work in Wading River is 33 minutes. Since 2013, Wading River has lost 105 jobs, to 1,431 in 2023.
6%work in town
| Wading River | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.4% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 17% | 12% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.6% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Wading River6%
Brookhaven25%
Riverhead16%
New York15%
Islip12%
20 mi
median commute distance
1,431
jobs based in Wading River
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 21.8% of Wading River
21 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Wading River’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile.
21.8%conserved
21.8%
conserved · 1,734 of 7,964 acres
21 mi
of trails · 1.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest | 10.7 mi | 187 |
| 2. Wildwood State Park | 9.1 mi | 766 |
| 3. Police Officers Memorial Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Wading River
Wading River has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 23° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–42°
Spring40–58°
Summer63–80°
Fall47–64°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Wading River is
Wading River beats the New York average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 18% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Wading River.
| Wading River | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 21% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 35% |
32 measures vs. New York
10 better20 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Wading River | NY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.6% | 17.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.5% | 14.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 7.7% |
Peconic Bay Medical Center
9.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Fewer children than New York overall
Children under 18 are 16% of residents (21% statewide). 42% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across New York.
46.7median age · NY 39.8
| Wading River | New York towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 16% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 46.7 years | 43 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 32% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 20% | 18% |
Wading RiverNew YorkUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school23%
Some college18%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate23%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.4 points. Across New York, 51.2% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 75% are men (NY 50%).
| Wading River | NY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.5% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.2% | 9.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.8% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.1% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.8% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.7% | 13.3% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.1% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.8% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.3% | 12% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.3% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.1% | 14.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.5% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.9% | 22.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 22.8% | 17.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Nearby attractions
All 219 attractions →Calverton National Cemetery and 62 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wading River. Close and well known come first.
in town LandmarkCalverton National Cemetery
26 mi Stadium & arenaYale Bowl
35 mi National Historic SiteSagamore Hill National Historic Site122K visitors a year
39 mi MuseumGlass House
38 mi State parkGillette Castle State Park
7 mi Park & preserveLong Island Central Pine BarrensSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Calverton National Cemetery: United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Public domain · Yale Bowl: Kenneth Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sagamore Hill National Historic Site: Unknown, Public domain · Glass House: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Gillette Castle State Park: Original uploader was Kevinpepin at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Long Island Central Pine Barrens: Americasroof, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wading River
16pages on Wading River
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wading River
About 6 of every 100 Wading River residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New York.
A commuter town
94% of working residents leave Wading River for work
Where Wading River’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,431jobs based in Wading River
6%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Wading River
Hamlet and census-designated place in New York, United States
Wading River is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, United States, on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the 2020 census, Wading River had a population of 7,731. It is adjacent to Shoreham and shares a school district. Most of Wading River lies within the Town of Riverhead, but a small portion is in the Town of Brookhaven. The name of the hamlet comes from the original Algonquian name for the area, Pauquaconsuk, meaning "the place where we wade for thick, round-shelled clams". It was also previously known as “Lonsefekwa”. "Wading in the River" or Wading River was adopted by the first English colonists.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 9.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 92 ft
- ZIP code
- 11792
Wading River’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Wading River.
RiverheadBrookhavenEast ShorehamCalvertonBaiting HollowRidgeWading River
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NY rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wading River | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Riverhead | #649 | C− | D− | C | C− | B |
| Brookhaven | #295 | B | D− | — | B | A− |
| East Shoreham | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Calverton | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Baiting Hollow | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ridge | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Brookhaven reports no FBI crime data of its own. Wading River, East Shoreham, Calverton, Baiting Hollow and Ridge aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Wading River with a neighbor →
Questions about Wading River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wading River, NY a good place to live?
We don’t grade Wading River yet; the figures below are still real.