The Town Files

Middle Island, New York

Community in Suffolk County · population 10,546 (2020 Census)

Map: where Middle Island is in New YorkMiddle Island
Median home
$383,500
Household income
$85,480
Jan low / Jul high
26° / 83°
Snow a year
32 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
43.9

Middle Island is a community of 10,546 people in Suffolk County, New York. The median home is worth $383,500, above the typical New York town ($217,700). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 92% of New York towns, better for young professionals than 71% of New York towns, more vibrant than 71% of New York towns.

How Middle Island ranks

Percentile among New York towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New York towns.

Middle Island lifestyle rankings vs other New York townsRetirement68th pctFamilies14th pctQuiet34th pctWalkability43rd pctFirst-time buyers92nd pctYoung professionals71st pctVibrancy71st pctHip & trendy67th pctCollege town44th pctUpscale66th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit56th pctDriving46th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Middle Island is worth $383,500, above the typical New York town ($217,700). Homes cost about 4.5 times the median household income of $85,480, which is more affordable than 16% of New York towns. Median rent is $1,868 a month. 69.2% of households own their home.

Middle Island vs Suffolk County vs typical New York townMiddle IslandSuffolk CountyTypical New York townHome value$383,500$578,400$217,700Household income$85,480$130,686$80,740Monthly rent$1,868$2,255$1,080
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New York towns with 500+ people.
HousingMiddle IslandTypical New York town
Median home value$383,500$217,700
Median rent$1,868$1,080
Median household income$85,480$80,740
Home value ÷ income4.5×2.8×
Homeownership69.2%79.5%
Median year built19791965
Seasonal / vacation homes2.2%—

Who lives in Middle Island

PeopleMiddle IslandTypical New York town
Median age43.943.5
Age 65 and over23.3%20.4%
Under 1820.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher32.0%30.4%
Below the poverty line13.0%9.3%
Veterans7.0%—
Born outside the U.S.9.4%—
Work from home7.8%11.1%
Average commute31.5 min26.0 min
Homes with broadband90.4%91.1%

Weather in Middle Island

July highs average 83.1°F and January lows 26.3°F. About 48.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 32.2 inches of snow (typical New York town: 62.9 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 79 nights at or below freezing.

Middle Island monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing41°26°Jan43°28°Feb50°33°Mar64°43°Apr72°51°May78°61°Jun83°68°Jul82°67°Aug75°61°Sep65°49°Oct56°40°Nov46°32°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.79.93.29.74.76.64.40.73.93.93.94.04.34.23.70.64.64.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Mt Sinai station (4.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Middle Island since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New York town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on November 13, 2021 about 7.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 13, 2021.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Middle Island by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s41990s02000s12010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 21 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 4, 2015.

Severe weather in Suffolk County since 1996

Storm events in Suffolk County since 1996 by typeHail94Drought32Blizzard42High Wind254Lightning37Heavy Snow161Flash Flood234Strong Wind123
NOAA Storm Events Database, Suffolk County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 63 deaths recorded.

Suffolk County has been included in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 21, 2024Severe StormDR-4839: Severe Storm And Flooding
August 25, 2024Severe StormEM-3613: Severe Storm And Flooding
March 15, 2023SnowstormDR-4694: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
September 5, 2021HurricaneDR-4615: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida
September 2, 2021HurricaneEM-3572: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida

Jobs and pay in Suffolk County

Suffolk County had 679,594 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $79,121 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Middle Island itself the ACS puts it at 5%.

Largest industries in Suffolk CountyHealth care & social assistan…101,618 jobs · $74,532Retail73,514 jobs · $49,088Hotels & restaurants55,158 jobs · $34,481Manufacturing50,905 jobs · $86,925Administrative & support48,759 jobs · $67,574Construction47,437 jobs · $88,821
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Suffolk County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Suffolk 3.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Middle Island

4 public schools with 6,319 students, about 13.5 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
LONGWOOD HIGH SCHOOL9-122,99313.3
LONGWOOD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL7-81,33613.0
LONGWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL5-61,30314.6
WEST MIDDLE ISLAND SCHOOLK-468713.7

Towns near Middle Island

Middle Island questions

Is Middle Island, New York a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Middle Island scores better for retirees than 68% of New York towns and quieter than 34%. 23.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.9).

How much does a house cost in Middle Island?

The median owner-occupied home in Middle Island is valued at $383,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,480, so homes cost about 4.5 times income. Median rent is $1,868 a month.

What is the weather like in Middle Island?

July highs average 83.1°F and January lows 26.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.5 inches of precipitation a year and 32.2 inches of snow.

Does Middle Island get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Middle Island since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on November 13, 2021. The typical New York town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Middle Island's Census boundary (GEOID 3646976). Comparisons use the median of New York towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.