Living in Brookhaven, NY
Big city in New York
Brookhaven is a big city in New York, home to about 488,000 people, with 2.2 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly houses with yards.
Is Brookhaven a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 10 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 80°F
- Easy flying: JFK is 45 mi away
- Low natural disaster risk: 14 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Higher taxes: about $3,080 state income tax per resident, 2.18% property tax
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $675k, and rent is $3,560 a month
- Few dog parks: 5 within 9 mi
- Fewer graduates: 36% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Brookhaven ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Brookhaven: common questions
What is the cost of living in Brookhaven?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $675k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,560 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 113, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Brookhaven?
New York collects about $3,080 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 2.18% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Brookhaven safe?
Brookhaven isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.
How are the schools in Brookhaven?
Public schools in Brookhaven test above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 14 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Brookhaven?
Brookhaven has cold winters: winter days average around 41°F and summer days around 80°F, with roughly 32″ of snow a year.
Does Brookhaven get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and hurricanes: 14 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.2 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Brookhaven?
The nearest major airport is JFK, about 45 mi away.
How Brookhaven scores
Each bar compares Brookhaven with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Brookhaven
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in New York.
Is Brookhaven right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.