CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.96° N · 73.11° W · GEOID 3666465

Setauket

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

Limited data population under 5,000

New YorkSetauket, NYSetauketSetauket

The short answer

Setauket is home to 4,069 people. Median household income is $221,771 a year and median rent is $3,501 a month, 18.9% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $755,600, about 3.4x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$3,501
156% above the median place
Median household income
$221,771
176% above the median place
Median home value
$755,600
137% above the median place
Unemployment
5.2%
5% 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 Setauket

  • Median rent is $3,501 a month, higher than in 98% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 340 New York places.
  • Only 23% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 97% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 309 New York places.
  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $170,900 a year left, more than in 96% of places its size.
  • 70% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 94% of places its size.
  • The median home is valued at $755,600, more than in 91% of places its size.
01

Moving to Setauket

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
3.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.7% from another state. County figure.
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
$140,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $3,501 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $4,001 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $755,600.
Getting to work
26 minutes each way on average; 22.3% work from home; 4.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
North Oaks, MN matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving out7
$120,653
72% above the median place
Moved from another state1
0.7%
66% below the median place
Income of households moving in7
$116,086
64% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSetauketAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure3.1%45% 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

Renters paying 30%+ is 22.9%, 55% below the median place.

Setauket18.9%
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
$140,040
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
18.9%
7% below the median place
Home price to income
3.4x
10% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
19%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$171,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Setauket, $3,501 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 Setauket, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Blackwells Mills, NJ15.4% vs 18.9%$30,200Compare
Lowes Island, VA15.4% vs 18.9%$15,400Compare
Belterra, TX15.5% vs 18.9%$27,600Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Setauket? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
22.9%
55% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$4,001
114% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$10,001
206% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureSetauketAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$3,501156% above
Rent to income118.9%7% below
Home price to income13.4x10% below
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$10,001206% above
Median home value1$755,600137% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.4%70% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.5%6% above
Homeownership180.0%20% above
Renters paying 30%+122.9%55% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$4,001114% above
Vacant homes1County figure11.7%66% above
Median year built119651% below
03

Work and pay

Median household income is $221,771, 176% above the median place.

Median household income1
$221,771
176% above the median place
Income per person1
$90,297
125% above the median place
Works from home1
22.3%
79% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate6.1% −43%
Unemployment5.2% +5%
Mean commute26 min +2%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSetauketAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$221,771176% above
Income per person1$90,297125% above
Unemployment15.2%5% above
Average annual pay6County figure$81,11923% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.5%32% below
Jobs6County figure689,858358% above
Poverty rate16.1%43% below
Mean commute126 min2% above
Works from home122.3%79% above
Commutes by transit1County figure4.8%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 98.9%, 7% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
98.9%
7% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
70.1%
119% above the median place
High school or higher1
97.8%
6% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.8 +13%
Median age42.4 +9%
Born abroad11.7% +32%
All 8 people measures
MeasureSetauketAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population14,0696646th largest
Median age142.49% above
Bachelor's or higher170.1%119% above
High school or higher197.8%6% above
Household size12.813% above
Born abroad111.7%32% above
No health insurance1County figure4.7%27% below
Homes with broadband198.9%7% above
05

Life in Setauket

4 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 12 of them National Historic Landmarks.

  • Thompson House listed 1988
  • Frank Melville Memorial Park listed 2010
  • Bethel Christian Avenue Historic District listed 2017
  • Old Field Point Light Station listed 2024

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents19.7 +93%
Playgrounds per 10k19.7 2.1×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9.8 −12%
Libraries per 10k4.9 5.7×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

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.

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 schools11
2
78% below the median place
Students per teacher11
11.4
26% below the median place
Public school students11
1,250
74% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureSetauketAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11278% below
Public school students111,25074% below
Students per teacher1111.426% 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 10k919.793% above
Playgrounds per 10k919.7109% above
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k99.812% below
Libraries per 10k94.9above (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10469% below
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 Setauket. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk13
96.8
37% above the median place
July average high12
82°F
5% below the median place
Natural hazard risk13
97.3
5% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSetauketAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure82°F5% below
January average low12County figure24°F5% below
Average temperature12County figure53°F4% below
Annual precipitation12County figure45.5 in4% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure97.35% above
Hurricane risk13County figure96.837% above
Tornado risk13County figure74.88% below
Wildfire risk13County figure73.420% above
Heat wave risk13County figure94.75% above
Median air quality index14County figure415% below
Good air days14County figure72.6%6% above
08

Setauket in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 19% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 19% 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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$3,501/mo (2024)$4,370/mo$3,590 to $5,330/mo+3.8%
Median household income$221,771 (2024)$279,500$236,000 to $330,500+3.9%
Median home value$755,600 (2024)$1,059,000$769,000 to $1,459,000+5.8%

The median home would be worth 3.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.4 now.

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

09

Places like Setauket

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

PlaceRentIncome
North Oaks, MN$3,501$231,742Compare
Heath, TX$3,501$220,828Compare
Scaggsville, MD$3,501$207,220Compare
Wakefield, VA$3,501$237,975Compare
Wakefield, VAScaggsville, MDHeath, TXNorth Oaks, MNSetauket, NYSetauketNorth OaksHeathScaggsvilleWakefieldSetauketNorth OaksHeathScaggsvilleWakefield

Common questions

Is Setauket a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Median rent is $3,501 a month, higher than in 98% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 340 New York places. Only 23% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 97% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 309 New York places. On cost, space and class size it scores 93 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Setauket expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 18.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $755,600.

What salary do you need to live in Setauket?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $140,040 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Setauket?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are North Oaks, MN, Heath, TX, Scaggsville, MD and Wakefield, VA.

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 Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. 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); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

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

Citytistics. “Setauket, New York.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/setauket-new-york/

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