Jobs and the daily commute in West Islip
Commuters spend 30 minutes getting to work on average; the New York average is 33, the U.S. 26. About one in ten work in West Islip; the top destination outside it is Islip (25%, 5 miles). There are 8,731 jobs in West Islip, against 13,082 working residents.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
The work figures that set West Islip apart
The commute from West Islip, by distance
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Who works in West Islip, and who works elsewhere
On a workday 11,859 residents head out to work, 1,223 work right here, and 7,508 people come in from elsewhere.
About 23,000 people are in West Islip on a workday afternoon, 16% fewer than live here.
0.67 jobs for every working resident, so most people commute out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Commuting out of West Islip: the destinations
Where West Islip clocks in
25% of workers
20% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
65% of the jobs in West Islip pay over $3,333 a month
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in West Islip, 2013 → 2023: 8,947 → 8,731. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs West Islip’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Getting to work from West Islip takes about 30 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 9.7 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of West Islip workers work from home, vs 15% across New York. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 12,999 commuters (the 13% who work from home are left out). Across New York: 57% drive alone, 25% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
West Islip and its neighbors: 13% work next door
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | West Islip workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Islip | – | — | — | 30 min | $176,281 |
| Babylon | 13% | A | A | 31 min | $128,108 |
| Babylon | under 1% | A+ | A+ | 33 min | $140,820 |
| West Bay Shore | under 1% | — | — | 32 min | — |
| North Babylon | under 1% | — | — | 35 min | — |
| Baywood | under 1% | — | — | 26 min | — |
| Bay Shore | under 1% | — | — | 26 min | — |
Same-state neighbors only. West Bay Shore, North Babylon, Baywood and Bay Shore: Census-designated places inside larger towns, graded as part of them. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
The biggest share goes to Babylon. Darker towns draw more of West Islip’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in West Islip: questions
What is the median household income in West Islip?
$176,281 (±$13,483) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $85,974 across New York and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in West Islip?
2.7%, against 14.0% across New York and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from West Islip?
30 minutes each way on average, against 33 across New York and 26 nationally. 13% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in West Islip work?
9% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Islip (25%, 5 mi), New York City (20%, 34 mi), Babylon (13%, 4 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around West Islip without a car?
5% of commuters take transit and 2% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from West Islip, from the people who make the trip.
More of West Islip
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.