Is Shelter Island Heights, NY a Good Place to Live?
Shelter Island Heights is a small town of 1,056 in New York, with a median household income of $81,463 and a 1.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Shelter Island Heights stands out for a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices. Whether Shelter Island Heights is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Shelter Island Heights 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: 112.5Shelter Island Heights's overall cost of living index is 112.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Shelter Island Heights costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Shelter Island Heights, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $967,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | N/A | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 100.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $81,463 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeShelter Island Heights'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
| Metric | Shelter Island Heights, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 55.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Shelter Island Heights sees average highs of 39.2°F in January and 81.9°F in July, with 49.8 inches of annual precipitation and 26.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Shelter Island Heights, NY |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 39.2°F |
| Average High — July | 81.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 26.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Shelter Island Heights, NY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,056 | — |
| Median Age | 65.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 20.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 87.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 3.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 0.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 54.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Shelter Island Heights
Shelter Island Heights, NY is covered by 1 ZIP code: