Farmingdale, New York

Farmingdale is an incorporated village located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on Long Island, New York, United States. It is considered the anchor community of the Greater Farmingdale area. The population was 8,466 at the time of the 2020 census.

The Incorporated Village of Farmingdale is located approximately to the southeast of Midtown Manhattan.

History

The first European settler in the area was Thomas Powell, who arrived in 1687. On October 18, 1695, he purchased a tract of land from three Native American tribes. This is known as the Bethpage Purchase and includes what is now Farmingdale – in addition to Bethpage, Melville, North Massapequa, Old Bethpage, Plainedge, and Plainview. One of two houses he erected in the area (built c. 1738) still stands on Merritts Road within Farmingdale.

In the 1830s, anticipating construction of the Long Island Rail Road, land developer Ambrose George purchased a large tract of land between a community then known as Bethpage (now Old Bethpage) and an area in Suffolk County known as Hardscrabble. He built a general store in the western part of this property which he named Farmingdale. When the LIRR started service to the area in October 1841, it named its new station in the community as Farmingdale, on the line it was building to Greenport. Stagecoaches took people from the Farmingdale station to Islip, Babylon, Patchogue, Oyster Bay South, and West Neck (Huntington area).

In 1886 a fire department was organized, and in 1899, Mile-a-Minute Murphy rode a bicycle along the Long Island Rail Road's Central Branch through the Farmingdale area at a mile a minute. For many years, the town celebrated its birth with the annual Hardscrabble Fair, with music, food and games. It was normally held in May. The 1920s-built Lenox Hills section and later, adjacent subdivisions – located between the Bethpage State Park golf courses and the Long Island Railroad trackage, encompassing rolling hills and a wide boulevard – are known as the more upscale part of Farmingdale Village.

Geography

left|thumb|U.S. Census map of Farmingdale

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.

Between the 1990 Census and the 2000 census, the village gained territory.

The Lenox Hills section of the village is adjacent to Bethpage State Park. The rest of the municipality is within a fifteen-minute drive thereto.

Additionally, Farmingdale is split between the Massapequa Creek and Seaford Creek drainage areas, and is located within the larger Long Island Sound/Atlantic Ocean Watershed.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Farmingdale has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Farmingdale was on July 6, 2010, and July 22, 2011, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 4, 2014.

| source 2 = National Weather Service

Greater Farmingdale area

Farmingdale is also associated with several unincorporated areas outside the village limits, including South Farmingdale (also in the Town of Oyster Bay), and East Farmingdale (in the Town of Babylon, within Suffolk County). Many nearby places not within the village limits have Farmingdale as their postal address and the same 11735 ZIP code. Residents of East Farmingdale must use Farmingdale as their mailing address, while residents of South Farmingdale can use either Farmingdale or South Farmingdale. Bethpage State Park, which is mostly in Old Bethpage, also has a Farmingdale mailing address. Farmingdale Union Free School District (UFSD 22) includes parts of both Nassau County and Suffolk County and the southernmost part of Bethpage State Park, where the clubhouse is located. Farmingdale State College and Republic Airport are in East Farmingdale, both with Farmingdale mailing addresses.

| align = right

| align-fn = center

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Farmingdale village, New York – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|6,789

|6,315

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6,019

|80.83%

|77.12%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |71.10%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|116

|199

|style='background: #ffffe6; |280

|1.38%

|2.43%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.31%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |9

|0.05%

|0.07%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.11%

|Asian alone (NH)

|311

|445

|style='background: #ffffe6; |618

|3.70%

|5.43%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.30%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|Other race alone (NH)

|26

|23

|style='background: #ffffe6; |61

|0.31%

|0.28%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.72%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|97

|79

|style='background: #ffffe6; |188

|1.15%

|0.96%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.22%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|1,056

|1,122

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,291

|12.57%

|13.70%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |15.25%

|Total

|8,399

|8,189

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,466

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Farmingdale had a population of 8,466. The median age was 45.0 years. 15.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.2 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,627 households in Farmingdale, of which 21.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.0% were married-couple households, 21.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The population of the village was 88.2% White, 71.1% Non-Hispanic White, 2.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 4.7% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.7% of the population.

2000 Census

At the 2000 census there were 8,399 people, 3,216 households, and 2,051 families in the village. The population density was . There were 3,289 housing units at an average density of . The racial makup of the village was 87.03% White, 1.61% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.70% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.06% from other races, and 2.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.57%.

Of the 3,216 households 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 29.8% of households were one person and 11.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.19.

The age distribution was 21.2% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

The median household income was $58,411 and the median family income was $68,235. Males had a median income of $46,104 versus $36,021 for females. The per capita income for the village was $27,492. About 3.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Village government

thumb|The Farmingdale Municipal Building – which houses the village's local government and fire department – in 2025

As of July 2023, the Mayor of Farmingdale is Ralph Ekstrand, the Deputy Mayor is William Barrett, and the Village Trustees are Cheryl Parisi, Walter Priestley, and Craig Rosasco.

Representation in higher government

County representation

The Village of Farmingdale is located entirely within Nassau County's 17th Legislative district, which as of July 2025 is represented in the Nassau County Legislature by Rose Marie Walker (D–Hicksville).

State representation

New York State Assembly

Farmingdale is located within New York's 15th State Assembly district, which as of July 2025 is represented by Jacob Ryan Blumencranz (R–Oyster Bay).

New York State Senate

Farmingdale is located entirely within New York's 5th State Senate district, which as of July 2025 is represented by Steven Rhoads (R–Bellmore).

Federal representation

United States Congress

Farmingdale is located entirely within New York's 3rd Congressional district, which as of July 2025 is represented in the United States Congress by Thomas R. Suozzi (D–Glen Cove).

United States Senate

As with the rest of New York, Farmingdale is represented in the United States Senate by Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D) and Charles E. Schumer (D).

Politics

In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Farmingdale voters voted for Donald J. Trump (R).

Education

Schools

Farmingdale is served by the Farmingdale Union Free School District.

Greenway

A new greenway – to be known as the Long Island Greenway – is planned to be constructed from Farmingdale to Montauk.

Utilities

Natural gas

National Grid USA provides natural gas to homes and businesses that are hooked up to natural gas lines in Farmingdale.

Power

PSEG Long Island provides power to all homes and businesses within Farmingdale, on behalf of the Long Island Power Authority.

Sewage

Farmingdale is located within the Nassau County Sewage District and is connected to its sanitary sewer network.

Water

The Village of Farmingdale operates its own municipal water supply system, which provides the entirety of the village with water.

Notable people

Barbara Stern Burstin, Holocaust scholar
Gregory W. Carman, (1937–2020) US Congressman
Ryan Cruthers, professional hockey player
Canute Curtis, former American college (West Virginia) and professional football (Cincinnati Bengals) player
Matt Danowski, professional lacrosse player
Dan Domenech, theater actor
William Gaddis, U.S. novelist
Peter J. Ganci Jr. (1946–2001), Chief of Department of the New York City Fire Department; murdered in the September 11 terrorist attacks
George Hincapie, professional bicycle racer
Howard T. Hogan, New York State Supreme Court Justice
Ze'ev Jabotinsky, leader of "Revisionist" Zionism; was buried in the New Montefiore Cemetery until reburial in Jerusalem in 1964
Tom Kennedy, professional football player for the Detroit Lions
Ed Kranepool, baseball player, lived in South Farmingdale for many years
April Lawton, musician and artist, member of Ramatam
Macseal, indie rock band
SallyAnn Salsano, producer of MTV reality shows, including Jersey Shore, through her company 495 Productions (named for the interstate passing by the community)
William T. Schwendler (1904–1978), executive vice president and chairman of the board, Grumman Corporation
George F. Titterton (1904–1998), senior vice president, Grumman Corporation
Al Weis, baseball player

References

External links

Official website
Village history ()
Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society website
Farmingdale Public School District website
Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce website
Detailed Zoning Map of Village