CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.82° N · 73.43° W · GEOID 3680258

West Hills

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

New YorkWest Hills, NYWest HillsWest Hills

The short answer

West Hills is home to 5,369 people. Median household income is $185,745 a year and median rent is $2,939 a month, 19.0% 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 $741,900, about 4.0x annual median household income.

The story in West Hills is how fast things are changing. Housing became more affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 24.3% to 19% of income. Also notable: Home value growth is 2.4% a year, against 5.6% a year in its closest peers.

75OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

West Hills scores better than 75% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 72nd of 340 in New York.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%53
Economy 20%85
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%47
Education 10%93
Commute 10%7
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
$2,939
115% above the median place
Median household income
$185,745
131% above the median place
Median home value
$741,900
132% above the median place
Unemployment
3.9%
21% below 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 West Hills

  • AffordabilityThe median household earns $185,745 a year, more than in 96% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to West Hills

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, 0.0% 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
$117,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,939 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,796 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $741,900.
Getting to work
35 minutes each way on average; 22.1% work from home; 12.0% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Martinsville, NJ matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving out7
$120,653
72% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$116,086
64% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWest HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure3.1%45% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
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

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $143,100 a year, more than in 93% of the 1,875 places under 10,000 people we track.

West Hills19.0%
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
$117,560
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.0%
7% below the median place
Home price to income
4.0x
5% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
19%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$143,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in West Hills, $2,939 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 West Hills, but easier on the budget

Places that match West Hills 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
Martinsville, NJ9112.7% vs 19.0%$27,100Compare
Hillsdale, NJ9111.3% vs 19.0%$14,300Compare
Basking Ridge, NJ903.5% vs 19.0%$29,700Compare
The Village of Indian Hill, OH8913.7% vs 19.0%$65,900Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to West Hills? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
95.0%
43% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$3,796
103% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$10,001
206% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureWest HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,939115% above
Rent to income119.0%7% below
Home price to income14.0x5% 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$10,001206% above
Median home value1$741,900132% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.4%70% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.5%6% above
Homeownership195.0%43% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure58.8%16% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,796103% above
Vacant homes1County figure11.7%66% above
Median year built119611% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 12.0%, above the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
12.0%
above the median place (median 0.8%)
Median household income1
$185,745
131% above the median place
Income per person1
$84,854
112% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate3.9% −64%
Mean commute35 min +40%
Works from home22.1% +77%
Unemployment3.9% −21%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureWest HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$185,745131% above
Income per person1$84,854112% above
Unemployment13.9%21% below
Average annual pay6County figure$81,11923% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.5%32% below
Jobs6County figure689,858358% above
Poverty rate13.9%64% below
Mean commute135 min40% above
Works from home122.1%77% above
Commutes by transit112.0%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 48.7, 25% above the median place.

Median age1
48.7
25% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
66.3%
107% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
97.4%
6% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad16.4% +86%
Household size2.7 +10%
No health insurance4.8% −25%
High school or higher94.1% +2%
All 8 people measures
MeasureWest HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,3696376th largest
Median age148.725% above
Bachelor's or higher166.3%107% above
High school or higher194.1%2% above
Household size12.710% above
Born abroad116.4%86% above
No health insurance14.8%25% below
Homes with broadband197.4%6% above
05

Life in West Hills

About 20 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, more than in 97% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

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

  • Chichester's Inn listed 1985
  • Everit, John, House listed 1985
  • Halsey Estate-Tallwood listed 1985
  • Harrison, Wallace K., Estate listed 1985
  • Oakley, John, House listed 1985
  • Smith, Jacob, House listed 1985

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents13.0 +28%
Playgrounds per 10k7.5 −21%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k11.2 +0%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails20 km 9.9×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi2.2 10.7×

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

  • Sagamore Hill National Historic Site 6 miles
  • Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site 21 miles
  • Fire Island National Seashore 25 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.

Nearest National Park Service site10
5.6
82% below the median place
Public school students12
222,431
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools12
342
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureWest HillsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure342above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure222,431above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure11.426% 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 10k913.028% above
Playgrounds per 10k97.521% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k911.20% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails919.8above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi92.2above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site105.682% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1019above (median 2)
National Register listings11931% 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 West Hills. 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
MeasureWest HillsAmong 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

West Hills 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. On projected 2030 affordability, West Hills does better than 58% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 2%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,939/mo (2024)$3,700/mo$3,030 to $4,500/mo+3.9%
Median household income$185,745 (2024)$237,000$200,000 to $280,500+4.1%
Median home value$741,900 (2024)$1,007,000$731,000 to $1,388,000+5.2%

The median home would be worth 4.3 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.0 now.

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

09

Places like West Hills

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

PlaceRentIncome
Troy Hills, NJ$3,108$183,707Compare
Lakeway, TX$2,981$190,060Compare
Lincolnshire, IL$2,858$185,580Compare
Watchung, NJ$2,738$173,672Compare
Watchung, NJLincolnshire, ILLakeway, TXTroy Hills, NJWest Hills, NYWest HillsTroy HillsLakewayLincolnshireWatchungWest HillsTroy HillsLakewayLincolnshireWatchung

Places built like West Hills

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 West Hills performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
West Hills, NY19.0%6.5%/yrn/a
Mountainside, NJ19.9%12.2%/yr4.4%Compare
Emerson, NJ14.6%4.0%/yr1.2%Compare
Centerport, NY21.5%5.7%/yrn/aCompare
Linwood, NJ16.8%7.5%/yr1.3%Compare
Stony Brook, NY24.0%7.7%/yrn/aCompare
Basking Ridge, NJ3.5%3.1%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is West Hills a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 75 out of 100, better than 75% of the places we rate and 72nd of 340 in New York. The median household earns $185,745 a year, more than in 96% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 92 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is West Hills expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.0% 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 $741,900.

What salary do you need to live in West Hills?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $117,560 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to West Hills?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Troy Hills, NJ, Lakeway, TX, Lincolnshire, IL and Watchung, 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); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

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

Citytistics. “West Hills, New York.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/west-hills-new-york/

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