Chapter 3 - New York Metropolitan Transportation Council

Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan for NYMTC Region • FinalN E W Y O R K M E T R O P O L I T A N T R A N S P O R T A T I O N C O U N C I L• L O N G I S L A N DPopulation DensitySuffolk County is much less densely populated than Nassau County, but still much more so thanthe state of New York as a whole. In the year 2000, there were 1,556 persons per square mile ofland area in Suffolk County, 2,297 persons per square mile on all of Long Island, and 402persons per square mile in the state of New York. The Town of Babylon was the densestmunicipality, with 4,073 persons per square mile, on 52 square miles of land. Islip and thePoospatuck Reservation each contained more than 3,000 persons per square mile; Huntingtonand Smithtown more than 2,000 persons per square mile; and Brookhaven more than 1,500persons per square mile. East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Shinnecock Reservation,Southampton, and Southold each had less than 500 persons per square mile. Figure 3-20provides an overview of the same information.Figure 3-20Suffolk County Population Density by Municipality2000PopulationLand Area(Sq. Mi.)Density (Personsper Sq. Mi.)Town of Babylon 211,792 52 4,073Town of Brookhaven 448,248 259 1,731Town of East Hampton 19,719 74 266Town of Huntington 195,289 94 2,078Town of Islip 322,612 105 3,073Poospatuck Reservation 271 0.09 3,011Town of Riverhead 27,680 67 413Town of Shelter Island 2,228 12 186Shinnecock Reservation 504 1.31 385Town of Smithtown 115,715 54 2,143Town of Southampton 54,712 139 394Town of Southold 20,599 54 382Suffolk County 1,419,369 912 1,556Source: US Census (2000); figures are rounded estimatesPopulation Age DistributionThe median age of residents of the state of New York in the year 2000 was 35.9. In SuffolkCounty, the median age was similar, 36.5. In 2000, children under the age of 18 made up 26percent of the total population of Suffolk County and adults age 18 – 64 made up 62 percent.Older adults comprised 12 percent of the population of Suffolk County, although those resultswere somewhat skewed by outlying communities. Older adults were 29 percent of the totalpopulation on Shelter Island and 23 percent in the Town of Southold. Conversely, only sixpercent of the population of the Poospatuck Reservation was over the age of 65. Figure 3-21below provides greater detail.Page 3-17