Fire Island, New York Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 352, Fire Island's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Fire Island is a small community located in New York, within Suffolk County. The total population is 352. It ranks as the 1135th most populous out of 1,289 Census-designated places in New York.

Age Demographics

The median age in Fire Island is 49.7 years. This is 25% higher than the state median of 39.8 years. 15.1% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Fire Island is $84,688. This is 1% lower than the state median of $85,974. It is also 5% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 6.6%. This is 53% lower than the state poverty rate of 14.0%. The survey records no unemployed residents in Fire Island, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $784,100. Housing costs are 85% higher than the state median of $423,800. The home-value-to-income ratio of 9.3x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 80.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 48% higher than the state average of 54.4%.

Race & Ethnicity

Fire Island is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 39.5%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (20.4% vs 13.4%). The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (39.5% vs 19.8%).

Education

26.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 33% lower than the state rate of 40.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 77.1%. Notably, 21.6% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Fire Island, New York is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against New York state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,289 Census-designated places in New York. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.