City profile · New York · Census ACS 2023

West Hempstead, NY

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

20,762
Residents
$160,280
Median income
$626,100
Median home
$2,747
Median rent (state)

West Hempstead - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, West Hempstead lands in the 95th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

95th
percentile, household income
90th
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: West Hempstead, NY

20,762 people live in West Hempstead, New York - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $160,280 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.2%. Typical homes in West Hempstead are valued around $626,100, and the median resident age is 37.6 years. About 49.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 4 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

New York carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, New York scores 107.9 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,747 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in New York run around $285, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 31.9 minutes, with 63.7% driving alone and 14.4% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 97.1 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

20,762 residents

Census ACS 2023 - New York

Median Household Income

$160,280 /yr

Poverty 2.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

107.9 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, New York average

How does West Hempstead compare to other US cities?

West Hempstead measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 95% higher than other cities
Home value 90% 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

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below West Hempstead's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in New York, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

95thIncome percentile

95th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How West Hempstead's home value compares nationally

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

$626,100 10th percentile more affordable than 10% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. West Hempstead $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 - West Hempstead, NY West Hempstead, NY's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not West Hempstead, 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 West Hempstead, NY median $160,280/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%
West Hempstead, 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 West Hempstead, NY. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 49.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.2%

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

Population
20,762
Median Income
$160,280
Median Home Value
$626,100
Median Age
37.6
Poverty Rate
2.2%
Labor force participation
59.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
49.8%

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
31.9 minutes
Drive Alone
63.7%
Carpool
7.1%
Public Transit
11.2%
Walk
1.7%
Work from Home
14.4%
Other
1.9%

Based on 9,341 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 West Hempstead 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
97.1 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in New York

Hauppauge
20,772 people
Niskayuna
20,774 people
North Bellmore
20,776 people
Lockport
20,699 people
Eastchester
20,519 people
North Bay Shore
20,501 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to West Hempstead's 20,762 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Fate, TX
20,757 people
Midway CDP (Santa Rosa County), FL
20,745 people
North Liberty, IA
20,782 people
Louisville, CO
20,788 people
Hammond, LA
20,790 people
Grayslake, IL
20,707 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to West Hempstead's $160,280 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Gillette, NJ
$160,272 median income
Heeia, HI
$160,294 median income
El Sobrante CDP (Riverside County), CA
$160,331 median income
Cumming, IA
$160,357 median income
Prestbury, IL
$160,370 median income
Johns Creek, GA
$160,185 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - West Hempstead, 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 West Hempstead, NY - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 60.9% 10.4% 14.2% 8.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 25.2% White 60.9% Black or African American 10.4% Asian 5.2% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 14.2% Two or more races 8.9% 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 West Hempstead 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
West Hempstead (this city) 20,762 $160,280
Hauppauge 20,772 $145,987
Niskayuna 20,774 $128,346
North Bellmore 20,776 $183,250
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NY NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about West Hempstead, NY?

What is the population of West Hempstead, NY? +

20,762 people live in West Hempstead, NY according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in West Hempstead, NY? +

West Hempstead households earn a median of $160,280 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in West Hempstead? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for West Hempstead; 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 West Hempstead, NY? +

The median home value in West Hempstead is $626,100, 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 Editorial

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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.