Central Islip (also known locally by its initials as CI) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, Central Islip had a population of 36,714.
History and overview
Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the Secatogue tribe of Algonquin native-American people lived in the area now known as Central Islip.
In 1842, the Long Island Rail Road's eastward expansion reached the area, and the Suffolk County Station was opened up. The Suffolk County Station, became the commercial center for housing. With that being done the name Central Islip was thus born, and applied to a new station built in 1873 further to the east. The modern Central Islip station is in a different location from all of its predecessors.
In 1889, what became the Central Islip Psychiatric Center opened. By 1955, it housed over 10,000 patients. It closed in 1996.
In the mid-1990s, Central Islip began a resurgence, with new housing developments, commercial properties, and government complexes. A new federal courthouse complex opened, claimed to be the second largest in the country. On part of the site of the former Central Islip Psychiatric Center's campus. In 2000, the baseball stadium for Independent league team Long Island Ducks opened up.
Housing developments in Central Islip include:
- College Woods
- Park Row
- Bella Casa Estates
- Islip Landing
- Courthouse Commons
- Waddington Estates
- Hawthorne Court (Home Properties)
- Coventry Village
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Central Islip had a population of 36,714. The median age was 35.6 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.0 males age 18 and over.
There were 9,870 households in Central Islip, of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.8% were married-couple households, 18.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 8,176 || 22.3%
|-
| Black or African American || 7,463 || 20.3%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 608 || 1.7%
|-
| Asian || 1,122 || 3.1%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 18 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 13,346 || 36.4%
|-
| Two or more races || 5,981 || 16.3%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 21,856 || 59.5%
|}
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 34,450 people, 8,792 households, and 6,813 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 9,189 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 43.6% White, 25.0% African American, 3.4% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 5.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.1% of the population. Foreign-born residents comprised 34.7% of the population.
There were 8,792 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 8.0% were persons under the age of 5, 3.5% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.56 and the average family size was 3.87.
- 43.6% White
- 25.0% Black
- 0.9% Native American
- 3.4% Asian
- 0.0% Native Hawaiian
- 0.4% Some other race
- 5.9% Two or more races
In addition, 52.1% was of Hispanic origin.
Schools
The Central Islip Union Free School District operates public schools.
- Pre-K and K
- Early Childhood Center (Alfano)
- Grades 1–6
- Andrew T. Morrow Elementary
- Francis J. O'Neil Elementary
- Marguerite Mulvey Elementary
- Cordello Ave. Elementary
- Mulligan Elementary
- Anthony Alfano Elementary
- Grades 7–8
- Ralph G. Reed Middle School
- Grades 9–12
- Central Islip Senior High School
Central Islip was home to NYIT (the New York Institute of Technology) and Touro Law Center, located next to the local New York Supreme Court building.
Churches
- Central Islip Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 143 Caleb's Path
- Central Islip Church of Christ
- First Spanish Baptist Church, 51 Hawthorne Avenue
- The First United Methodist Church (Dating back to 1869) on Wheeler Rd.
- Iglesia Fuente de Agua Viva, 100 East Suffolk Ave Central Islip NY 11722
- Iglesia Bíblica TorreFuerte (Pastores: Bayardo & Ady Delgadillo)
- Iglesia Evangelica Resurreccion
- Ministerio Jesu Cristo Vive, 1417 Islip Avenue
- Lighthouse Tabernacle Church of God
- St. John of God Roman Catholic Church (one of the oldest churches in Central Islip)
- The Episcopal Church of The Messiah; {Episcopal Church}
- Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 268 Suffolk Avenue
- Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 105 Fig Street
- Restoring Grace Ministries
Transportation
thumb|A birds eye view of Central Islip LIRR parking area from foot over bridge.
Roads
Major roads within the hamlet of Islip are:
- , also known as Carleton Avenue through most of the community and Wheeler's Road north of Suffolk Avenue, runs parallel to NY 111 (Islip Avenue) from its southern terminus at NY 27A in Islip to its northern terminus at NY 111 near the Long Island Expressway at Exit 56 in Hauppauge.
- , also known as the Long Island Motor Parkway runs along the northern edge of the community.
- , also known as Suffolk Avenue, is the main west-to-east route through the community, running from Suffolk County Road 13 in Brentwood to NY 454 in Islandia.
- (Exit 43A) runs within nearby Islip Terrace but is close enough to the Islip Terrace/Central Islip border.
Airport
Islip Terrace is west of Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma.
Train
Central Islip Station is located along the Ronkonkoma Branch of the Long Island Rail Road.
Buses
There are many bus stops going through Central Islip along the 4, 6, 17, 52A and weekday-only 52B routes on Suffolk County Transit. Buses are operated and maintained by the local Suffolk Transportation Service, Inc.
Sports
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|- style="background:#adadad;"
| style="width:150px;"|Club
| style="width:120px;"|Sport
| style="width:270px;"| League
| style="width:180px;"| Venue
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|Long Island Ducks
|Baseball
|Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
|Fairfield Properties Ballpark
|Link to file
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Notable people
- Roy Barker, football player
- Matt Chulis, soccer player and coach
- Anthony Cumia, shock jock
- K-Solo, rapper
- Rick Kittles, biologist
- Chrisette Michele, singer
- Keith Murray, rapper
- R.A. the Rugged Man, rapper
- Mike Tice, football player and coach