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Riverhead, NY
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
35,980
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
52.1
years ∙ half population younger than 52.1, half older
Diversity Index
49%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
16.2%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Riverhead is a town in Suffolk County, New York, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC40.974041° N, 72.714717° W
DMS40° 58′ 26.55″ N, 72° 42′ 52.98″ W
Population Density & area
533.8/sq mi
(206.1/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
50.5%
male
Male
50.5%
Female
49.5%
males per 100 females
Riverhead
102.1
Suffolk County
98.4
New York
95.5
Nativity
16.2%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Riverhead
16.2%
Suffolk County
16.8%
New York
22.8%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
52.1
years ∙ half population younger than 52.1, half older
Dependency ratio
79.1
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Riverhead
79.1
Suffolk County
63.1
New York
62.3
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Riverhead | Suffolk County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 15.4% | 20.8% | 20.5% |
| Working age (18-64) | 55.8% | 61.3% | 61.6% |
| Senior (65+) | 28.8% | 17.9% | 17.9% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 79.1 | 63.1 | 62.3 |
| Child dependency ratio | 27.6 | 33.9 | 33.2 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 51.6 | 29.2 | 29.1 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
49%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Riverhead
49%
Suffolk County
55.6%
New York
65.4%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Riverhead population
| Riverhead | Suffolk County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.5% | 22.8% | 19.8% |
| Mexican | 2.3% | 1.5% | 2.6% |
| Puerto Rican | 0.3% | 4.3% | 5.1% |
| Cuban | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 16.7% | 16.5% | 11.8% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 80.5% | 77.2% | 80.2% |
| One race | 77.4% | 74.2% | 76.4% |
| White | 68.3% | 62% | 52.8% |
| Black or African American | 6% | 6.9% | 13.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 1.8% | 4.4% | 9% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Some Other Race | 1.2% | 0.7% | 1% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 3.1% | 3% | 3.8% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
66.2%
family
Family
66.2%
Non family
33.8%
% family households
Riverhead
66.2%
Suffolk County
72.3%
New York
61.4%
Average household size
2.48
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Riverhead population
| Riverhead | Suffolk County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 14,202 | 512,565 | 7,722,646 |
| Average houshold size | 2.48 | 2.93 | 2.49 |
| Family households | 9,403 | 370,597 | 4,738,075 |
| Average family size | 3.04 | 3.42 | 3.16 |
| Married couple family | 7,314 | 287,663 | 3,279,487 |
| Other families | 2,089 | 82,934 | 1,458,588 |
| Male householder | 776 | 25,826 | 398,169 |
| Female householder | 1,313 | 57,108 | 1,060,419 |
| Non-family households | 4,799 | 141,968 | 2,984,571 |
| One-person households | 4,180 | 114,090 | 2,398,170 |
| Male householder | 1,566 | 47,069 | 1,045,868 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 1,098 | 19,555 | 332,696 |
| Female householder | 2,614 | 67,021 | 1,352,302 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 1,432 | 41,935 | 673,031 |
| Other living arrangements | 619 | 27,878 | 586,401 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
16,498
housing units
Riverhead
16,498
Suffolk County
580,772
New York
8,585,241
Occupancy status
86.1%
occupied
Occupied
86.1%
Vacant
13.9%
vacancy rate
Riverhead
13.9%
Suffolk County
11.7%
New York
10%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
76.9%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1985
Half of houses were built before 1985, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Riverhead | Suffolk County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.8 | 6.4 | 5 |
| 1–3 rooms | 12.2% | 9% | 24.3% |
| 4–6 rooms | 51.3% | 43.8% | 48.4% |
| 7+ rooms | 36.4% | 47.2% | 27.2% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 2.1% | 1.6% | 5.4% |
| 1 bedroom | 7.7% | 8% | 19% |
| 2 bedrooms | 31.2% | 17.1% | 26.6% |
| 3 bedrooms | 35.9% | 37.3% | 31.1% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 23.2% | 35.9% | 17.9% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1985 | 1969 | 1959 |
| Total housing units | 16,498 | 580,772 | 8,585,241 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
79.8%
owners
Renter-occupied
20.2%
Owner-occupied
79.8%
homeownership rate
Riverhead
79.8%
Suffolk County
82.2%
New York
54.3%
Average household size
2.39
Owner-occupied
2.82
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Riverhead
2.39
Suffolk County
3.02
New York
2.66
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Riverhead | Suffolk County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 14,202 | 512,565 | 7,722,646 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 16.9% | 15.5% | 20.5% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 36% | 32.6% | 36.5% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 21.9% | 20.2% | 17.8% |
| 1999 or earlier | 25.1% | 31.6% | 25.2% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 96.5% | 97.2% | 94.7% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 2.2% | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| 1.51 or more | 1.4% | 0.9% | 2.2% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 6.7% | 5.1% | 29.2% |
| 1 vehicle | 32.3% | 27.1% | 33.6% |
| 2 vehicles | 37.4% | 39.1% | 25.4% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 23.5% | 28.8% | 11.8% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 41.5% | 45.1% | 64% |
| Electricity | 7.3% | 9.2% | 15.4% |
| Solar | 0% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 48.5% | 44% | 16.1% |
| All other fuels | 2.2% | 1.2% | 2.8% |
| No fuel used | 0.6% | 0.4% | 1.6% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| No telephone service available | 0.3% | 0.7% | 0.9% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$486,600
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
46.4%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Riverhead | Suffolk County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $486,600 | $578,400 | $423,800 |
| Under $100,000 | 6.9% | 2.9% | 9.5% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 6.4% | 1.9% | 15% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 8% | 3.6% | 13.2% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 31.7% | 29.4% | 19.7% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 39.2% | 51.4% | 30.1% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 7.8% | 10.6% | 12.6% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 47.7% | 62.4% | 57.8% |
| Without a mortgage | 52.3% | 37.6% | 42.2% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $2,944 | $3,320 | $2,555 |
| Without a mortgage | $1,364 | $1,478 | $958 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $1,974 | $2,255 | $1,621 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
29.4%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Riverhead
29.4%
Suffolk County
40.2%
New York
40.2%
Adults without a high school diploma
12.1%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Riverhead
12.1%
Suffolk County
9.6%
New York
12%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
6,085
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
40.3%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Riverhead | Suffolk County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 6,085 | 357,306 | 4,642,703 |
| Nursery / preschool | 4.8% | 5.5% | 6.1% |
| K–12 | 70.9% | 66.2% | 64.1% |
| Kindergarten | 3.8% | 4.5% | 4.9% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 23.1% | 18.2% | 18.7% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 18.8% | 21% | 20.1% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 25.3% | 22.5% | 20.4% |
| College or graduate school | 24.3% | 28.4% | 29.8% |
| College, undergraduate | 20.1% | 21.5% | 22.5% |
| Graduate, professional school | 4.1% | 6.9% | 7.3% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 40.3% | 48.4% | 48.5% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 86.2% | 85.1% | 74.7% |
| Private school | 13.8% | 14.9% | 25.3% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
27,628
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Riverhead | Suffolk County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 27,628 | 1,075,649 | 14,017,184 |
| Less than 9th grade | 7.5% | 5.4% | 6% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 4.6% | 4.2% | 6% |
| High school diploma or GED | 30.2% | 24.8% | 24.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 16.8% | 15.9% | 14.6% |
| Associate's degree | 11.5% | 9.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.4% | 40.2% | 40.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 16.4% | 21.6% | 22.4% |
| Graduate or professional | 13% | 18.6% | 17.9% |
| High School or higher | 87.9% | 90.4% | 88% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$60,632
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
5.7%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Riverhead | Suffolk County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $60,632 | $66,805 | $57,966 |
| Less than high school graduate | $53,826 | $41,300 | $31,511 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $48,542 | $48,316 | $40,549 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $54,375 | $60,250 | $49,306 |
| Bachelor's degree | $80,049 | $83,098 | $76,052 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $109,107 | $105,047 | $95,435 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 9.7% | 12.9% | 28.1% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 10% | 9.6% | 16.8% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 8.6% | 5% | 11.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.7% | 3.2% | 5.3% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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