Population 2,415 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Shelter Island
Household size in Shelter Island
| Period | Shelter Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.15 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.45 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.36 | 2.82 | 2.69 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.83 | 2.79 | 2.65 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.68 | −0.00 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Shelter Island average 2.83 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. The New York area as a whole looks much the same. Household size has climbed from 2.15 in 2006–10, 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 Shelter Island
| Period | Shelter Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.6 | 38.0 | 38.3 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.6 | 38.7 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.7 | 39.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.0 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −7.6 | +2.4 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 48.0, Shelter Island is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Shelter Island
| Period | Shelter Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.3% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Shelter Island: 7.7% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Shelter Island
Renters in Shelter Island
| Period | Shelter Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 47.1% | 44.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 48.7% | 46.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.5% | 48.8% | 46.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 48.6% | 45.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | +1.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Shelter Island is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 8.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among owners, 46.4% have paid off their mortgages, 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 Shelter Island
| Period | Shelter Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 52.8% | 9.1% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 60.2% | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 53.1% | 9.1% | 11.0% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 53.0% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Shelter Island: 53.0% of homes are empty, 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 Shelter Island
| Period | Shelter Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1957 | 1956 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1958 | 1957 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1959 | 1958 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1962 | 1961 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Shelter Island are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in the wider New York area, where the median home dates to 1962.
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 Shelter Island
| Period | Shelter Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,295 | $1,268 | $1,095 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,350 | $1,377 | $1,201 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,618 | $1,645 | $1,426 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,255 | $2,060 | $1,794 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$960 | +$792 | +$698 | +$606 |
The median renter in Shelter Island pays $2,255 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 34.5% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Shelter Island
Bachelor's degrees in Shelter Island
| Period | Shelter Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.2% | 35.0% | 31.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 56.6% | 36.7% | 33.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.9% | 39.9% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 60.7% | 43.6% | 39.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +24.4 pts | +8.6 pts | +8.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Shelter Island is highly educated: about six in ten adults 25 and older (60.7%) 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 Shelter Island
| Period | Shelter Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.9% | 83.7% | 84.0% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.4% | 84.6% | 84.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.5% | 86.2% | 86.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.3% | 86.9% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +3.3 pts | +3.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Shelter Island never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The New York area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Shelter Island
| Period | Shelter Island | New York area | New York | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.3% | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.0% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 6.0%, unemployment in Shelter Island is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the wider New York area (6.9%). 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).
Shelter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelter Island | 2.83 | 48.0 | 7.7% | 8.7% | 53.0% | 1976 | $2,255 | 60.7% | 87.3% | 6.0% |
| Shelter Island Heights | 1.69 | 69.7 | 7.7% | 0.0% | 60.9% | 1982 | $2,255 | 72.8% | 93.3% | 11.5% |
| Dering Harbor | 1.81 | 71.5 | 7.7% | 0.0% | 74.8% | 1985 | $2,255 | 90.5% | 98.8% | 0.6% |
| Greenport West | 2.05 | 42.9 | 5.1% | 40.7% | 32.3% | 1972 | $1,921 | 47.0% | 88.0% | 1.9% |
| Greenport | 2.37 | 52.9 | 9.6% | 39.7% | 33.5% | 1955 | $2,088 | 42.4% | 85.5% | 7.1% |
| North Haven | 2.30 | 59.0 | 1.9% | 8.3% | 47.9% | 1989 | $3,501 | 63.8% | 98.6% | 2.3% |
| East Marion | 2.00 | 68.1 | 7.7% | 12.6% | 41.9% | 1961 | $2,088 | 51.0% | 98.6% | 2.5% |
| Southold | 2.59 | 49.8 | 6.1% | 16.9% | 35.7% | 1972 | $2,288 | 56.1% | 93.1% | 4.3% |
| Sag Harbor | 2.32 | 54.2 | 3.8% | 16.8% | 47.4% | 1965 | $3,438 | 66.1% | 97.6% | 0.4% |
| Noyack | 2.42 | 53.1 | 5.2% | 16.4% | 40.1% | 1975 | $2,589 | 45.8% | 88.6% | 5.3% |
| Orient | 1.79 | 64.1 | 7.7% | 3.4% | 47.6% | 1972 | $2,088 | 56.5% | 99.0% | 7.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Burlington, MI · Newburg, WI · Redkey, IN · Ravenna, NE · Rankin, PA · Poseyville, IN · Port Carbon, PA · Port Austin, MI · Plainfield, WI · Pilot, VA
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 Shelter 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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