Elwood is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 11,426 at the 2020 census.
The hamlet, given its location in the center of the Town of Huntington, is referred to as "The Heart Of Huntington."
History
Elwood historically had its own post office, and was orginally known as Northern Dix Hills. How it got the name Elwood is somewhat of a mystery. The first settlers came to Elwood, NY in the mid to late 1800's. A post office was established in North Dix Hills (the area north of Jericho Turnpike) on June 7, 1870, officially operating under the name Elwood. By 1871, the original Dix Hills Post Office was discontinued and all mail was transferred there. This historic, 19th-century Elwood Post Office was permanently discontinued on October 31, 1902. There was a book published in 1874 about Suffolk County, New York. In that book it makes the first mention of the name Elwood, it states that "Elwood was described as a one-and-a-half-mile area southeast of a section called Cuba."
In 1902, the Elwood closed post office closed.
There are revolutionary soldier Graves and their families. So, it is believed that they've been here longer than mid 1800s.
There were large farmlands owned by a few farmers. Many people who were farmers came to Elwood to work, grow, and produce food, because of the level land and Long Island's rich soil. Elwood may have gotten its name from an early settler named Elkanah Wood; however, this is only a theory. As the Elwood community started to grow, there were few students in the schools due to families deciding that farm life and chores came before education. The need for education became more apparent with families wanting their children to go to school. In 1894 a law in New York state was passed so that every child from 8-16 was required to attend school.
Geography and public service
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all land.
Since Elwood's post office closed. Elwood uses either the East Northport postal service 11731, the Huntington postal service 11743 and the Greenlawn postal service or the 11730. The East Northport post office still considers Elwood as an acceptable mailing alternative
Elwood is served by the Greenlawn Fire Department to the west, the East Northport Fire Department to the Northwest and Commack to the South East.
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Elwood had a population of 11,426. The median age was 44.8 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.5 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,730 households in Elwood, of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 66.8% were married-couple households, 10.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 19.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 13.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
Housing and socioeconomic data
Housing in Elwood was predominantly owner-occupied (97.7%). The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $574,000, and median gross rent was $1,417. However, a small section of the hamlet's southwestern extreme is located within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the South Huntington Union Free School District.