City profile · New York · Census ACS 2023

Shelter Island, NY

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Shelter Island - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

2,281
Residents
$129,410
Median income
$1,019,000
Median home
$2,747
Median rent (state)

Shelter Island - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Shelter Island lands in the 90th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

90th
percentile, household income
97th
percentile, home value
94th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Shelter Island, NY

New York's Shelter Island is a small town, with 2,281 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Shelter Island brings in $129,410 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. Home values in Shelter Island run a median of $1,019,000, and the median resident age is 40.6 years. 55.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 70.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 1 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

New York carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts New York at 107.9 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,747 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $285 across New York, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 97.3 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

2,281 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New York

Median Household Income

$129,410 /yr

Poverty 0.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

107.9 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New York average

How does Shelter Island compare to other US cities?

Where Shelter Island sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 90% higher than other cities
Home value 97% pricier than other cities
Median rent 94% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Shelter Island against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to New York only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

New York-relative analysis

Poverty Rate places Shelter Island near the bottom of New York's cities

Among the 1,246 New York cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Shelter Island ranks #1,032 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Shelter Island only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#267 of 1,205
78th percentile in New York
Median Gross Rent
#142 of 1,256
68th percentile in New York
Median Home Value
#83 of 1,202
93rd percentile in New York
Poverty Rate
#1,032 of 1,246
0th percentile in New York
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#247 of 1,254
80th percentile in New York

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within New York only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

90thIncome percentile

90th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Shelter Island's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$1,019,000 3rd percentile more affordable than 3% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. Shelter Island $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Shelter Island, NY Shelter Island, NY's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Shelter Island, NY-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Shelter Island, NY median $129,410/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Shelter Island, NY's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Shelter Island, NY. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 55.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 70.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
2,281
Median Income
$129,410
Median Home Value
$1,019,000
Median Age
40.6
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
70.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
55.0%

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
40.1%
Carpool
10.6%
Public Transit
14.8%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
34.4%

Based on 1,194 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for New York - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$90
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$65
avg/month
Total Utilities
$285
estimated/month

Estimates reflect New York state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a New York state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Shelter Island sits in

Cost of Living Index
107.9
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,747/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
97.3 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New York

Bedford Hills
2,283 people
Lake Katrine
2,284 people
Glasco
2,275 people
Fort Plain
2,274 people
Granville
2,270 people
Buchanan
2,296 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Shelter Island's 2,281 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Haynesville, LA
2,281 people
Bluewell, WV
2,281 people
Lake, AR
2,280 people
Hughesville, MD
2,280 people
North Beach Haven, NJ
2,282 people
New Miami, OH
2,280 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Shelter Island's $129,410 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Lee Vining, CA
$129,407 median income
Sturbridge, MA
$129,413 median income
Cary, NC
$129,399 median income
Prairie Heights, WA
$129,438 median income
Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
$129,442 median income
Aspen Springs, CA
$129,349 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Shelter Island, NY Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Shelter Island, NY - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 56.2% 7.1% 17.0% 10.4% 9.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 26.3% White 56.2% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 7.1% American Indian 17.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 10.4% Two or more races 9.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Shelter Island compares to nearby New York cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Shelter Island (this city) 2,281 $129,410
Bedford Hills 2,283 $102,750
Lake Katrine 2,284 $64,038
Glasco 2,275 $58,808
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NY NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Shelter Island, NY?

What is the population of Shelter Island, NY? +

2,281 people live in Shelter Island, NY according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Shelter Island, NY? +

Shelter Island households earn a median of $129,410 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Shelter Island? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Shelter Island; the closest available measure is the New York state average, a cost of living index of 107.9 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within New York vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Shelter Island, NY? +

A typical home in Shelter Island is worth $1,019,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.