Stony Brook is a somewhat small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of New York. With a population of 13,467 people and five associated neighborhoods, Stony Brook is the 145th largest community in New York.

Stony Brook home prices are not only among the most expensive in New York, but Stony Brook real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

And if you like science, one thing you'll find is that Stony Brook has lots of scientists living in town - whether they be life scientists, physical scientists (like astronomers), or social scientists (like geographers!). So, if you're scientific-minded, you might like it here too.

Also of interest is that Stony Brook has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 17.34% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Because of many things, Stony Brook is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Stony Brook a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Stony Brook has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Stony Brook’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

Stony Brook is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

One downside of living in Stony Brook, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 31.68 minutes every day commuting to work. However, local public transit is widely used. For those who would prefer to avoid driving entirely and leave their car at home, it may be an option to use the transit instead.

Even though Stony Brook is a smaller town, it has many people who hop on public transportation – mostly the train for their daily commute to work. Typically, these people are commuting to good jobs in the surrounding cities.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Stony Brook. 66.81% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Stony Brook in 2022 was $72,008, which is wealthy relative to New York and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $288,032 for a family of four.

Stony Brook is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Stony Brook home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Stony Brook residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Stony Brook include Italian, Irish, German, Polish, and English.

The most common language spoken in Stony Brook is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Spanish.