CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.83° N · 73.11° W · GEOID 3640838

Lake Ronkonkoma

Suffolk County, New York · part of the New York, NY metro

New YorkLake Ronkonkoma, NYLake RonkonkomaLake Ronkonkoma

The short answer

Lake Ronkonkoma is home to 18,221 people. Median household income is $101,633 a year and median rent is $2,170 a month, 25.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $525,000, about 5.2x annual median household income.

The story in Lake Ronkonkoma is how fast things are changing. Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 21.4% to 25.6% of income. Also notable: Owning with a mortgage costs about $977 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 86% of places its size.

22OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Lake Ronkonkoma scores better than 22% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 292nd of 340 in New York.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%19
Economy 20%49
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%46
Education 10%54
Commute 10%31
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$2,170
59% above the median place
Median household income
$101,633
27% above the median place
Median home value
$525,000
64% above the median place
Unemployment
6.2%
26% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Lake Ronkonkoma

  • Life nearbyOpenStreetMap shows 0 libraries per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 86% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 340 New York places we track.
  • HousingHomeowners pay a median of about 1.8% of home value a year in property tax, more than in 85% of the 2,101 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Lake Ronkonkoma

Suffolk County loses about 5.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in38,900
Moved out46,266
Net−7,366

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Nassau County, NY11,6446,378+5,266
Queens County, NY7,4222,716+4,706
Kings County, NY3,0521,722+1,330
New York County, NY2,2542,429−175
Palm Beach County, FL4371,145−708
Broward County, FL263537−274

Within New York, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within New YorkOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$116K
Leavers$121K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Suffolk County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
2.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.7% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Suffolk County report $116,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $120,700.
Income you would need
$86,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,170 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,147 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $525,000.
Getting to work
28 minutes each way on average; 9.7% work from home; 3.7% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Valley Falls, RI matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
2.6%
54% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$120,653
72% above the median place
Moved from another state1
0.7%
66% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLake RonkonkomaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year12.6%54% below
Moved from another state1County figure0.7%66% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-5.5below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$116,08664% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$120,65372% above
02

What it costs to live here

63% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 88% of the 2,222 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Lake Ronkonkoma25.6%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$86,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
25.6%
25% above the median place
Home price to income
5.2x
36% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
26%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$72,200
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Lake Ronkonkoma, $2,170 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Lake Ronkonkoma, but easier on the budget

Places that match Lake Ronkonkoma on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Valley Falls, RI9717.6% vs 25.6%$3,700Compare
Abington, MA9516.5% vs 25.6%$32,800Compare
Attleboro, MA9419.3% vs 25.6%$6,900Compare
Hilo, HI9420.9% vs 25.6%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Lake Ronkonkoma.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Lake Ronkonkoma? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$9,509
191% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$3,147
68% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
62.5%
24% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureLake RonkonkomaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,17059% above
Rent to income125.6%25% above
Property tax rate11.8%99% above
Home price to income15.2x36% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure112.612% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,68967% above
HUD area median income4County figure$164,30053% above
Property tax paid (median)1$9,509191% above
Median home value1$525,00064% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.4%70% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.5%6% above
Homeownership169.6%5% above
Renters paying 30%+162.5%24% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,14768% above
Vacant homes15.6%20% below
Median year built119700% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 3.7%, 338% above the median place.

Commutes by transit1
3.7%
338% above the median place
Unemployment1
6.2%
26% above the median place
Median household income1
$101,633
27% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute28 min +14%
Income per person$48,549 +21%
Poverty rate7.8% −27%
Works from home9.7% −22%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLake RonkonkomaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$101,63327% above
Income per person1$48,54921% above
Unemployment16.2%26% above
Average annual pay6County figure$81,11923% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.5%32% below
Jobs6County figure689,858358% above
Poverty rate17.8%27% below
Mean commute128 min14% above
Works from home19.7%22% below
Commutes by transit13.7%338% above
04

Who lives here

Median age is 42.6, 9% above the median place.

Median age1
42.6
9% above the median place
No health insurance1
4.5%
30% below the median place
Household size1
2.7
6% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher94.3% +2%
Born abroad12.4% +40%
Homes with broadband92.8% +1%
Bachelor's or higher34.1% +6%
All 8 people measures
MeasureLake RonkonkomaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population118,2212526th largest
Median age142.69% above
Bachelor's or higher134.1%6% above
High school or higher194.3%2% above
Household size12.76% above
Born abroad112.4%40% above
No health insurance14.5%30% below
Homes with broadband192.8%1% above
05

Life in Lake Ronkonkoma

18 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 87% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

347 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 12 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents9.9 −3%
Playgrounds per 10k4.4 −53%
Grocery stores per 10k3.8 +81%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k12.6 +13%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −90%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.7 3.1×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Fire Island National Seashore 12 miles
  • Sagamore Hill National Historic Site 21 miles
  • Weir Farm National Historical Park 35 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars25.6 +23%
Shops39.7 +31%
Arts, recreation and fitness6.6 +61%
Doctors' offices and clinics24.4 +21%
Child care centers2.7 +17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools12
3
67% below the median place
Students per teacher12
11.8
23% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site10
11.5
63% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureLake RonkonkomaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12367% below
Public school students123,39631% below
Students per teacher1211.823% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure25.623% above
Shops per 10k8County figure39.731% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure6.661% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure24.421% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.717% above
Parks per 10k99.93% below
Playgrounds per 10k94.453% below
Grocery stores per 10k93.881% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k912.613% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.290% below
Transit stops per sq mi90.7214% above
Nearest National Park Service site1011.563% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1018above (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure347above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 96.8, 37% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Lake Ronkonkoma. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk14
96.8
37% above the median place
July average high13
82°F
5% below the median place
Natural hazard risk14
97.3
5% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureLake RonkonkomaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure82°F5% below
January average low13County figure24°F5% below
Average temperature13County figure53°F4% below
Annual precipitation13County figure45.5 in4% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure97.35% above
Hurricane risk14County figure96.837% above
Tornado risk14County figure74.88% below
Wildfire risk14County figure73.420% above
Heat wave risk14County figure94.75% above
Median air quality index15County figure415% below
Good air days15County figure72.6%6% above
08

Lake Ronkonkoma in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 26% of the median income in 2030, up from 26% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Lake Ronkonkoma does better than 19% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 41%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,170/mo (2024)$2,770/mo$2,280 to $3,380/mo+4.2%
Median household income$101,633 (2024)$127,000$107,500 to $150,500+3.8%
Median home value$525,000 (2024)$748,000$543,000 to $1,031,000+6.1%

The median home would be worth 5.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.2 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Lake Ronkonkoma

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Randolph Town, MA$2,103$109,573Compare
East Patchogue, NY$2,045$108,397Compare
Silverdale, WA$2,143$105,483Compare
Bogota, NJ$1,941$103,299Compare
Bogota, NJSilverdale, WAEast Patchogue, NYRandolph Town, MALake Ronkonkoma, NYRandolph TownSilverdaleBogotaRandolph TownSilverdaleBogota

Places built like Lake Ronkonkoma

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Lake Ronkonkoma performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Lake Ronkonkoma, NY25.6%1.3%/yrn/a
East Patchogue, NY22.6%5.8%/yrn/aCompare
Hammonton, NJ24.8%1.3%/yr2.4%Compare
Wyandanch, NY28.0%14.1%/yrn/aCompare
Old Bridge, NJ15.6%1.2%/yrn/aCompare
Coram, NY28.4%4.6%/yrn/aCompare
Middle Island, NY26.2%1.8%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Lake Ronkonkoma a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 22 out of 100, better than 22% of the places we rate and 292nd of 340 in New York. OpenStreetMap shows 0 libraries per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 86% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 340 New York places we track. Homeowners pay a median of about 1.8% of home value a year in property tax, more than in 85% of the 2,101 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 58 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Lake Ronkonkoma expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 25.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $525,000.

What salary do you need to live in Lake Ronkonkoma?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $86,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Lake Ronkonkoma?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Randolph Town, MA, East Patchogue, NY, Silverdale, WA and Bogota, NJ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Lake Ronkonkoma with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Lake Ronkonkoma itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/lake-ronkonkoma-new-york

Citytistics. “Lake Ronkonkoma, New York.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/lake-ronkonkoma-new-york/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.