Moving to Centereach, New York

by btobers · Published June 30, 2019 · Updated November 18, 2024

Centereach is a hamlet located in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York. It is situated on Long Island’s North Shore, near the communities of Selden and Lake Grove. Centereach is a predominantly residential community, and has a population of around 31,000.

The area was originally inhabited by the Setalcott Indians who lived in small villages along the shoreline and fished for their livelihood. The land was later purchased by English settlers in 1655, who established farms and planted apple orchards. The hamlet of Centereach was established in 1873 as part of the Town of Brookhaven when it split from Smithtown. Centereach was named after its central location between Stony Brook to the west and Port Jefferson to the east.

Centereach offers a variety of housing options ranging from single-family homes to condominiums and townhouses. There are several parks located in Centereach including Hawkins Park, which features ball fields and playgrounds; Terryville Park, which offers trails for biking and hiking; and Veteran’s Memorial Park with its memorial monuments dedicated to local veterans from World War I through Desert Storm.

The hamlet also has a wide range of shopping opportunities including retail stores like Target, Kohl’s, Best Buy as well as smaller boutiques like Zara Home Goods & Décor. There are also several restaurants offering international cuisines such as Italian, Chinese, Mexican and Japanese food among others.

Centereach is home to three schools: Newfield High School (grades 9-12), Dawnwood Middle School (grades 6-8) and Coram Elementary School (K-5). The hamlet also has two libraries: Centereach Branch Library (open 7 days a week) located near Newfield High School; and Selden Free Library (open 5 days a week) located on Middle Country Road near Terryville Park.

In addition to its educational opportunities, Centereach also offers residents recreational activities such as golf courses at nearby Holbrook Country Club or Island Hills Golf Club; fishing at Stony Brook Harbor or Patchogue River; sailing on Great South Bay or Nissequogue River; canoeing/kayaking on Connetquot River or Nissequogue River; horseback riding at Pine Hollow Stables or North Shore Riding Academy; bowling at Melody Lanes Bowling Alley or AMF Southtown Lanes Bowling Alley; skating/rollerblading at Skate Safe America Skating Rink or United Skates Roller Rink; swimming at local beaches like Robert Moses State Park Beach or Cedar Beach Park Beach; tennis courts at Coram Country Club Tennis Center or Middle Country Tennis Center among other activities available within 10 miles radius of town center.

Overall, Centereach provides an ideal suburban lifestyle that combines convenience with comfortable living while being close enough to enjoy all that Long Island has to offer with its numerous beaches, parks, restaurants, shopping centers as well as recreational activities nearby making it an attractive place for families looking for quiet neighborhood life with plenty of amenities nearby.

Population: 27,285
Males: 13,538 (49.6%), Females: 13,747 (50.4%)

Suffolk County

Zip code: 11720

Demographics

Median resident age: 35.4 years
Median household income: $67,832
Median house value: $159,100

Population by Race

Races in Centereach:

White Non-Hispanic (86.7%)
Hispanic (7.1%)
Black (2.0%)
Two or more races (1.4%)
Other race (1.4%)
Chinese (1.0%)
Asian Indian (0.9%)
Filipino (0.6%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Ancestries: Italian (36.6%), Irish (24.7%), German (19.0%), Polish (6.5%), English (4.4%), United States (3.0%).

Land area: 8.0 square miles

Population by Education

For population 25 years and over in Centereach

High school or higher: 87.7%
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 21.8%
Graduate or professional degree: 8.2%
Unemployed: 3.8%
Mean travel time to work: 31.2 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Centereach CDP

Never married: 26.1%
Now married: 60.5%
Separated: 1.9%
Widowed: 5.2%
Divorced: 6.3%

9.2% Foreign born (3.3% Europe, 2.8% Latin America, 2.6% Asia).

Hospitals

Hospitals/medical centers near Centereach:

JOHN T MATHER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (about 6 miles; PORT JEFFERSON, NY)
ST CHARLES HOSPITAL (about 6 miles; PORT JEFFERSON, NY)
BROOKHAVEN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (about 9 miles; PATCHOGUE, NY)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Centereach:

LONG ISLAND MAC ARTHUR (about 7 miles; ISLIP, NY; Abbreviation: ISP)
IGOR I SIKORSKY MEMORIAL (about 20 miles; BRIDGEPORT, CT; Abbreviation: BDR)
REPUBLIC (about 25 miles; FARMINGDALE, NY; Abbreviation: FRG)

Other public-use airports nearest to Centereach:

BAYPORT AERODROME (about 9 miles; BAYPORT, NY; Abbreviation: 23N)
BROOKHAVEN (about 17 miles; SHIRLEY, NY; Abbreviation: HWV)
LUFKER (about 24 miles; EAST MORICHES, NY; Abbreviation: O00)

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to Centereach:

SUFFOLK COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE-AMMERMAN CAMPUS (about 3 miles; SELDEN, NY; Full-time enrollment: 6,992)
SAINT JOSEPHS COLLEGE-SUFFOLK CAMPUS (about 9 miles; PATCHOGUE, NY; Full-time enrollment: 2,617)
DOWLING COLLEGE (about 10 miles; OAKDALE, NY; Full-time enrollment: 3,747)
SUFFOLK COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE-WESTERN CAMPUS (about 13 miles; BRENTWOOD, NY; Full-time enrollment: 3,485)
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY (about 24 miles; FAIRFIELD, CT; Full-time enrollment: 4,197)
SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY (about 25 miles; FAIRFIELD, CT; Full-time enrollment: 4,120)
SUNY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AT FARMINGDALE (about 27 miles; FARMINGDALE, NY; Full-time enrollment: 3,831)

Schools

Public high school in Centereach:

CENTEREACH HS (Students: 1,665; Location: 14 43RD ST; Grades: 09 – 12)

Private high school in Centereach:

OUR SAVIOR NEW AMERICAN SCHOOL (Students: 387; Location: 140 MARK TREE ROAD; Grades: PK – 12)

Public primary/middle schools in Centereach:

DAWNWOOD MS (Students: 1,380; Location: 10 43RD ST; Grades: 06 – 08)
SELDEN MS (Students: 1,335; Location: 22 JEFFERSON AVE; Grades: 06 – 08)
UNITY DRIVE PRE-K CTR (Students: 677; Location: 11 UNITY DR; Grades: PK – KG)
JERICHO ES (Students: 544; Location: 34 N COLEMAN RD; Grades: 01 – 05)
OXHEAD ROAD SCHOOL (Students: 472; Location: 144 OXHEAD RD; Grades: 01 – 05)
HOLBROOK ROAD SCHOOL (Students: 435; Location: 170 HOLBROOK RD; Grades: 01 – 05)
NORTH COLEMAN ROAD SCHOOL (Students: 382; Location: 197 N COLEMAN RD; Grades: 01 – 05)

Libraries

Library in Centereach:

MIDDLE COUNTRY PUBLIC LIBRARY (Operating income: $9,226,352; Location: 101 EASTWOOD BOULEVARD; 399,175 books; 15,714 audio materials; 62,025 video materials; 1,835 serial subscriptions)