Population 3,179 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Brightwaters
Household size in Brightwaters
| Period | Brightwaters | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.91 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.91 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.85 | 2.82 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.03 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Brightwaters are large by national standards, averaging 3.03 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.91, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Brightwaters
| Period | Brightwaters | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.7 | 38.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.2 | 38.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.5 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.2 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +2.4 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
Brightwaters skews older than the country: its median age is 43.2, against 40.1 nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Brightwaters
| Period | Brightwaters | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.9% of households in Brightwaters, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Brightwaters
Renters in Brightwaters
| Period | Brightwaters | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 47.1% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 48.7% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 48.8% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 48.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Brightwaters is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 3.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly a quarter of owners (23.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Brightwaters
| Period | Brightwaters | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.9% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 0.7% | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.5% | 9.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Brightwaters than nationally: 11.7%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Brightwaters
| Period | Brightwaters | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1944 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1944 | 1959 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1944 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Brightwaters is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1944, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Brightwaters
| Period | Brightwaters | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,190 | $1,268 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,288 | $1,377 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,295 | $1,645 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,719 | $2,060 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$529 | +$792 | +$698 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Brightwaters costs $1,719 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in the wider New York area ($2,060). The typical renter here spends 18.6% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Brightwaters
Bachelor's degrees in Brightwaters
| Period | Brightwaters | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.3% | 35.0% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 56.8% | 36.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 60.9% | 39.9% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 63.0% | 43.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Brightwaters is highly educated: just over six in ten adults 25 and older (63.0%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Brightwaters
| Period | Brightwaters | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.1% | 83.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.6% | 84.6% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.7% | 86.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 99.2% | 86.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Brightwaters: 99.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Brightwaters
| Period | Brightwaters | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.4% | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Brightwaters runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Brightwaters compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brightwaters | 3.03 | 43.2 | 3.9% | 3.6% | 11.7% | 1944 | $1,719 | 63.0% | 99.2% | 4.4% |
| Bay Shore | 3.33 | 37.7 | 15.0% | 30.2% | 6.4% | 1962 | $2,173 | 30.5% | 85.5% | 6.2% |
| West Islip | 3.12 | 39.0 | 7.7% | 5.1% | 2.4% | 1961 | $2,650 | 49.5% | 95.2% | 3.6% |
| Baywood | 3.98 | 38.6 | 13.9% | 13.8% | 7.0% | 1962 | $2,692 | 24.8% | 78.8% | 5.9% |
| North Bay Shore | 4.74 | 34.8 | 19.6% | 16.2% | 7.4% | 1971 | $1,761 | 13.8% | 70.2% | 4.1% |
| Islip | 2.84 | 45.7 | 6.4% | 17.1% | 6.4% | 1963 | $2,466 | 36.2% | 89.7% | 5.7% |
| North Babylon | 3.06 | 42.0 | 4.5% | 12.6% | 3.0% | 1962 | $2,310 | 35.2% | 91.8% | 4.4% |
| Babylon | 2.68 | 44.7 | 6.2% | 20.7% | 8.4% | 1957 | $2,333 | 50.9% | 96.0% | 3.5% |
| Deer Park | 3.24 | 37.8 | 8.8% | 18.4% | 5.6% | 1965 | $2,135 | 37.5% | 92.1% | 1.9% |
| East Islip | 2.95 | 44.7 | 8.3% | 15.2% | 4.4% | 1962 | $2,734 | 44.6% | 93.6% | 1.6% |
| Brentwood | 2.93 | 41.7 | 7.7% | 17.8% | 11.7% | 1970 | $2,255 | 40.2% | 0.0% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: National Park, NJ · Warner, OK · Thorsby, AL · Chimayo, NM · Crandall, GA · Westport, IN · Schoharie, NY · Saluda, NC · New Hampton, NY · Mattapoisett Center, MA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Brightwaters. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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