Population 102 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Fire Island
Household size in Fire Island
| Period | Fire Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.21 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.82 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.22 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +1.01 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Fire Island are large by national standards, averaging 3.22 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 2.21, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Fire Island
| Period | Fire Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.4 | 38.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.1 | 38.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.0 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.3 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −5.1 | +2.4 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
Fire Island skews older: half of its residents are older than 46.3, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Fire Island
| Period | Fire Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 53.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +46.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over half of households in Fire Island (53.2%), well above 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 Fire Island
Renters in Fire Island
| Period | Fire Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.3% | 47.1% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 48.7% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 48.8% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.0% | 48.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.0% of households in Fire Island rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 87.9% have no mortgage at all, well above 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 Fire Island
| Period | Fire Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.4% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 95.1% | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 96.8% | 9.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 96.6% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 96.6% of the housing in Fire Island, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Fire Island
| Period | Fire Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1956 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1963 | 1959 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Fire Island is a place of older homes: half were built before 1962, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The New York area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Fire Island
| Period | Fire Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,257 | $1,268 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,555 | $1,377 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,541 | $1,645 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,948 | $2,060 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$691 | +$792 | +$698 | +$606 |
The median renter in Fire Island pays $1,948 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are lower than in the wider New York area ($2,060). The typical renter here spends 32.5% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Fire Island
Bachelor's degrees in Fire Island
| Period | Fire Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.0% | 35.0% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 57.4% | 36.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.9% | 39.9% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.6% | 43.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | −21.4 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Fire Island as nationally: 34.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in the New York area overall (43.6%).
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 Fire Island
| Period | Fire Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.2% | 83.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.0% | 84.6% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.5% | 86.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 65.7% | 86.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | −31.5 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a third of adults in Fire Island never finished high school, well above the national share: only 65.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Fire Island
| Period | Fire Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.2% | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.7% | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Fire Island: 7.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The picture is much the same across the New York area. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Fire Island 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Island | 3.22 | 46.3 | 53.2% | 15.0% | 96.6% | 1962 | $1,948 | 34.6% | 65.7% | 7.0% |
| Saltaire | 3.35 | 43.6 | 62.5% | 14.6% | 97.8% | 1961 | $2,025 | 35.8% | 60.0% | 8.7% |
| Ocean Beach | 3.22 | 47.1 | 50.0% | 18.5% | 96.9% | 1962 | $1,993 | 32.7% | 67.4% | 6.4% |
| Oak Beach | 1.75 | 53.2 | 10.0% | 0.1% | 46.1% | 1950 | $2,907 | 81.7% | 97.8% | 0.5% |
| Great River | 2.60 | 52.0 | 1.3% | 3.8% | 9.0% | 1962 | $2,740 | 61.6% | 95.2% | 4.5% |
| East Islip | 2.95 | 44.7 | 8.3% | 15.2% | 4.4% | 1962 | $2,734 | 44.6% | 93.6% | 1.6% |
| Islip | 2.84 | 45.7 | 6.4% | 17.1% | 6.4% | 1963 | $2,466 | 36.2% | 89.7% | 5.7% |
| Brightwaters | 3.03 | 43.2 | 3.9% | 3.6% | 11.7% | 1944 | $1,719 | 63.0% | 99.2% | 4.4% |
| Oakdale | 2.56 | 47.7 | 5.1% | 15.7% | 10.2% | 1969 | $2,394 | 45.4% | 96.4% | 4.0% |
| Bay Shore | 3.33 | 37.7 | 15.0% | 30.2% | 6.4% | 1962 | $2,173 | 30.5% | 85.5% | 6.2% |
| Islip Terrace | 3.16 | 42.2 | 7.0% | 10.5% | 5.4% | 1960 | $2,635 | 30.0% | 91.2% | 1.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Pullman, WV · Mountain Lake, PA · Mountainbrook, GA · Muir Beach, CA · Murray Store, TN · Myakka Head, FL · Myrtle, MO · Nanticoke, MD · Neutral, KS · Neuville, TX
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 Fire Island. 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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