Housing data for the Town of Shelter Island, NY
The Town of Shelter Island, NY has an estimated 3,355 residents and 3,440 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Suffolk County.
5.3% of households rent.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+20.1%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 3,355 (±448)
- Housing units
- 3,440 (±300)
- Households that rent
- 5.3%
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +20.1%
What stands out in the Town of Shelter Island
Median home value: $1,104,300 (±$107,183) in the Town of Shelter Island, higher than in Suffolk County ($578,400).
Commuting by public transportation: 15.4% (±10.5 points) in the Town of Shelter Island, higher than in Suffolk County (4.8%).
Households that rent: 5.3% (±7.9 points) in the Town of Shelter Island, lower than in Suffolk County (17.8%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 0.5% (±1.9 points) in the Town of Shelter Island, lower than in Suffolk County (8.4%).
Housing in the Town of Shelter Island at a glance
- Rent burden: 100.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 5.3% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $133,967 median household income
- Home values: $1,104,300 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $3,017 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $5,949 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 0.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 84.2% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Age of homes: 49.7% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 16.1% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 78.1% heat with fuel oil or kerosene
- Commute and cars: 34.0 minutes average trip to work (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crime reported to police: 120 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +20.1% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 8.5% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 5.3% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
The Town of Shelter Island against Suffolk County, its state and the nation
| Town of Shelter Island | Suffolk County | New York | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,355 (±448) | 1,530,146 (exact) | 19,852,366 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 3,440 (±300) | 580,772 (±234) | 8,585,241 (±652) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 5.3% (±7.9 points) | 17.8% (±0.5 points) | 45.7% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | — | $2,255 (±$27) | $1,621 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $133,967 (±$47,985) | $130,686 (±$1,707) | $85,974 (±$402) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $1,104,300 (±$107,183) | $578,400 (±$2,887) | $423,800 (±$1,627) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $5,949 (±$815) | $10,000 or more | $6,582 (±$21) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 49.7% (±11.7 points) | 68.3% (±0.7 points) | 73.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 34.0 minutes (±23.0) | 31.1 minutes (±0.3) | 32.6 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 58.2% (±18.0 points) | 93.2% (±0.3 points) | 90.8% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 50.0 years (±17.3) | 41.7 years (±0.2) | 39.8 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
The Town of Shelter Island covers 12.2 square miles of land, about 275 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How the Town of Shelter Island has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,793 (±173) | 3,355 (±448) | +20.1% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 3,401 (±139) | 3,440 (±300) | +1.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Median home value | $812,200 (±$87,116) | $1,104,300 (±$107,183) | +36.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $84,643 (±$68,581) | $133,967 (±$47,985) | +58.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,648 (±$342) | $3,017 (±$421) | +13.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $4,513 (±$353) | $5,949 (±$815) | +31.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 21.1% (±11.7 points) | 5.3% (±7.9 points) | −15.8 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±11.7 points) | 16.1% (±41.8 points) | +16.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in the Town of Shelter Island
In 2025, the Shelter Island Town Police Department reported 120 violent and 539 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Suffolk County, the departments that report recorded 6 violent and 99 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in the Town of Shelter Island
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11964 | 100% | 2,906 | — | $1,078,500 | $134,620 |
| 11965 | 100% | 404 | — | $1,113,600 | — |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near the Town of Shelter Island
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Village of Dering Harbor | 2.2 mi | — | — | — |
| Village of North Haven | 2.9 mi | — | $1,916,700 | 8.3% |
| Village of Greenport | 3.5 mi | $2,104 | $961,200 | 53.7% |
| Greenport West | 3.8 mi | $1,979 | $839,900 | 26.1% |
| East Marion | 4.9 mi | — | $857,800 | 12.6% |
| Town of Southold | 5.1 mi | $2,135 | $859,300 | 18.2% |
| Village of Sag Harbor | 5.2 mi | $3,500 or more | $1,615,900 | 16.8% |
| Southold (community) | 5.7 mi | $2,237 | $844,700 | 17.8% |
HUD Fair Market Rent for the Town of Shelter Island, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,964 | $2,285 | $2,689 | $3,458 | $3,671 |
HUD income limits for the Town of Shelter Island, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $34,550 | $57,550 | $89,700 |
| 2 people | $39,450 | $65,750 | $102,500 |
| 3 people | $44,400 | $73,950 | $115,300 |
| 4 people | $49,300 | $82,150 | $128,100 |
| 5 people | $53,250 | $88,750 | $138,350 |
| 6 people | $57,200 | $95,300 | $148,600 |
| 7 people | $61,150 | $101,900 | $158,850 |
| 8 people | $65,100 | $108,450 | $169,100 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Nassau-Suffolk, NY HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $164,300.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
A New York town includes the villages and hamlets inside it, so the figures for the Town of Shelter Island include them.
The figures for the Town of Shelter Island include the places inside it that have pages of their own: Shelter Island (community), Shelter Island Heights.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Town of Shelter Island
What is the median household income in the Town of Shelter Island?
The median household income in the Town of Shelter Island is $133,967 (±$47,985) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in the Town of Shelter Island, NY?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $1,104,300 (±$107,183) for owner-occupied homes in the Town of Shelter Island (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in the Town of Shelter Island?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in the Town of Shelter Island, NY is $3,017 (±$421) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in the Town of Shelter Island?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in the Town of Shelter Island, NY is $5,949 (±$815) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in the Town of Shelter Island?
The Town of Shelter Island, NY has an estimated 3,440 (±300) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How old are most homes in the Town of Shelter Island?
49.7% of homes in the Town of Shelter Island, NY were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is the Town of Shelter Island growing?
In the Town of Shelter Island, the number of residents went from 2,793 in 2015–2019 to 3,355 in 2020–2024 (+20.1%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in the Town of Shelter Island?
The ZIP codes that cover the Town of Shelter Island are 11964, 11965.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Shelter Island town, Suffolk County, New York
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Shelter Island town, Suffolk County, New York
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Shelter Island town, Suffolk County, New York
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Shelter Island town, Suffolk County, New York
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Shelter Island town, Suffolk County, New York
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Shelter Island town, Suffolk County, New York
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Shelter Island town, Suffolk County, New York
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Nassau-Suffolk, NY HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Nassau-Suffolk, NY HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Shelter Island Town Police Department (ORI NY0515600)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Shelter Island town, Suffolk County, New York (county subdivision:66839, in state:36 county:103).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .