Population 21,210 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rockaway Park
Household size in Rockaway Park
| Period | Rockaway Park | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.92 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 3.00 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 3.03 | 2.82 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.60 | 2.88 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.17 | −0.03 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
At 2.60 people per household, Rockaway Park sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is smaller than in Queens overall, where it has 2.88 people. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.44, even as the national average fell.
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 Rockaway Park
| Period | Rockaway Park | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.0 | 37.8 | 38.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.2 | 38.4 | 38.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.0 | 39.9 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.9 | 41.4 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.9 | +3.7 | +2.4 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
Rockaway Park skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.9, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has crept up from 45.0 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Rockaway Park
| Period | Rockaway Park | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 13.3% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 12.9% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 11.7% | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in twelve households in Rockaway Park (9.2%), below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.0 points, even as the national share fell.
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 Rockaway Park
Renters in Rockaway Park
| Period | Rockaway Park | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.5% | 54.5% | 47.1% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 45.6% | 56.2% | 48.7% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.6% | 55.2% | 48.8% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 48.2% | 55.1% | 48.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +0.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Rockaway Park than nationally: 48.2% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Locally, though, renters make up a smaller share here than in Queens as a whole (55.1%). Just over four in ten owners (42.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 6.7 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Rockaway Park
| Period | Rockaway Park | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.7% | 8.4% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 8.2% | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 10.1% | 9.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.8% | 8.4% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −0.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Rockaway Park than nationally: 11.8%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 2.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Rockaway Park
| Period | Rockaway Park | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1952 | 1950 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1954 | 1952 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1953 | 1952 | 1959 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1957 | 1955 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Rockaway Park is a place of older homes: half were built before 1957, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1952 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the south.
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 Rockaway Park
| Period | Rockaway Park | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,205 | $1,239 | $1,268 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,401 | $1,385 | $1,377 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,567 | $1,637 | $1,645 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,861 | $2,042 | $2,060 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$655 | +$803 | +$792 | +$698 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Rockaway Park costs $1,861 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in Queens as a whole ($2,042). Rent has climbed $655 a month since 2006–10, up 54%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.6% of the typical renter's income, just under 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 Rockaway Park
Bachelor's degrees in Rockaway Park
| Period | Rockaway Park | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.1% | 29.0% | 35.0% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.2% | 29.9% | 36.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 43.8% | 31.8% | 39.9% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 48.0% | 36.1% | 43.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Rockaway Park: 48.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 9.8 points, as it has nationally.
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 Rockaway Park
| Period | Rockaway Park | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.3% | 79.6% | 83.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.1% | 80.0% | 84.6% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.3% | 81.7% | 86.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.4% | 82.3% | 86.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +2.8 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Rockaway Park is a bit above the national rate: 91.4% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 3.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Rockaway Park has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five Queens neighborhoods.
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 Rockaway Park
| Period | Rockaway Park | Queens | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 8.7% | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 7.2% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −1.4 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Rockaway Park: 7.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Rockaway Park compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockaway Park | 2.60 | 45.9 | 9.2% | 48.2% | 11.8% | 1957 | $1,861 | 48.0% | 91.4% | 7.0% |
| Arverne | 2.87 | 35.7 | 22.8% | 67.3% | 5.0% | 1980 | $1,656 | 23.2% | 83.1% | 12.2% |
| Breezy Point | 2.39 | 51.4 | 3.2% | 0.8% | 31.2% | 1975 | $1,956 | 54.5% | 95.3% | 2.8% |
| Far Rockaway | 3.05 | 37.6 | 19.8% | 69.2% | 5.8% | 1967 | $1,464 | 26.4% | 78.3% | 10.4% |
| Bergen Beach | 2.97 | 42.4 | 4.9% | 25.5% | 17.9% | 1966 | $1,840 | 46.2% | 91.8% | 3.5% |
| Canarsie | 2.87 | 42.5 | 17.7% | 49.4% | 15.2% | 1957 | $1,761 | 29.4% | 88.4% | 8.8% |
| Paerdegat | 2.80 | 44.6 | 15.5% | 46.0% | 19.3% | 1959 | $1,876 | 30.0% | 86.6% | 7.8% |
| Manhattan Beach | 2.52 | 57.3 | 3.0% | 35.0% | 9.6% | 1947 | $1,693 | 59.7% | 92.2% | 4.5% |
| Howard Beach | 2.96 | 44.3 | 13.9% | 25.8% | 7.5% | 1962 | $2,084 | 33.0% | 85.4% | 8.4% |
| Sheepshead Bay | 2.59 | 43.5 | 8.0% | 54.0% | 7.9% | 1949 | $1,804 | 43.5% | 86.9% | 5.7% |
| Brighton Beach | 2.13 | 48.7 | 7.2% | 77.2% | 7.4% | 1954 | $1,625 | 44.4% | 90.6% | 6.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Au-Tenleytown, Washington, DC · Wicker Park, Chicago, IL · Whiskey Point, Chicago, IL · City Heights West, San Diego, CA · Canyon Crest, Riverside, CA · Beverly, Chicago, IL · Baker-Zachary Area, Baker, LA · Bario Logan, San Diego, CA · South Southwest, San Antonio, TX · Southwest, Columbus, OH
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 Rockaway Park. 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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