Is Fire Island, NY a Good Place to Live?
Fire Island is a small town of 298 in New York, with a median household income of $108,750 . Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Fire Island stands out for solid school ratings (A).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes. Whether Fire Island is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Fire Island city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 112.5Fire Island's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Fire Island costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Fire Island, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $467,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,583 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 68.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $108,750 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeFire Island's violent crime rate is 81.3 per 100,000 residents — 79% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Fire Island is served primarily by FIRE ISLAND UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT. The student-to-teacher ratio is 4.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Fire Island, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | FIRE ISLAND UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 4.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 29.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 84.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Fire Island sees average highs of 38.6°F in January and 79.6°F in July, with 49.9 inches of annual precipitation and 31.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Fire Island, NY |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 38.6°F |
| Average High — July | 79.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 31.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Fire Island, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 298 | — |
| Median Age | 48.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 37.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 68.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 20.8% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Fire Island
Fire Island, NY is covered by 1 ZIP code: