Massapequa Park is an incorporated village located within the southern portion of the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 17,109 at the time of the 2020 census.

The areas south and east of the village borders are considered the hamlet of Massapequa because they are under the jurisdiction of the Town of Oyster Bay rather than the village. The hamlet shares the same zip code, fire department and school district as the village.

History

The village located on the South Shore of Long Island shares the early Native American history of Massapequa. Then in the 19th century, families of German descent relocated from Brooklyn to what is now Massapequa Park, and the community which was formed was known as Wurtenberg or Stadtwurtemburg. The main attraction and center of activity was the Woodcastle Hotel, a rooming house built in 1868 on Front Street next to the fire department as a summer resort. It was destroyed by fire in 1952 and replaced by houses.

In 1928, The New York Times ran ads for Massapequa Park, a development built by a real estate firm owned by Michael J. Brady, Frank Cryan, and Peter Colleran. The three Irish-Americans described their project as having a bit of Old Erin; the area between Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road still has mostly Irish street names.

In 1931, Massapequa Park was incorporated as a village to ensure control of land use and other issues. Several dozen kit houses from Sears Roebuck were built in two different areas of the village. These include some of the largest model kit houses offered by Sears.

The village once had its own airport, the Fitzmaurice Flying Field, named in 1929 for James Fitzmaurice, one of a crew of three to be the first to fly a plane from east to west across the Atlantic (Baldonnel, Ireland to Greenly Island in Labrador, Canada). An estimated 100,000 people came to the dedication of the field on Spruce Street. The field was used by private planes.

The field was eventually closed and became the home for the athletic fields of the 4M Club, a popular youth athletic program founded by Larry Neusse, and supported by a wide range of local residents. Today the site is home to McKenna Elementary School (which used to be a junior high school) and the Nassau County Police Academy (which used to be Hawthorn Elementary School).

Geography

left|thumb|U.S. Census map of Massapequa Park

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

Massapequa Park is bordered by Massapequa to the west, East Massapequa to the east, North Massapequa to the northwest, and South Farmingdale to the north. To its south, the village is bordered by South Oyster Bay–a large bay separating Long Island from Jones Beach Island.

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| align-fn = center

Racial and ethnic composition

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

|+Massapequa Park village, New York – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>

!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

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

!% 2000

!% 2010

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

|-

|White alone (NH)

|16,614

|15,858

|style='background: #ffffe6; |15,105

|94.94%

|93.24%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |88.29%

|-

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|37

|52

|style='background: #ffffe6; |78

|0.21%

|0.31%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.46%

|-

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|2

|1

|style='background: #ffffe6; |12

|0.01%

|0.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.07%

|-

|Asian alone (NH)

|243

|255

|style='background: #ffffe6; |306

|1.39%

|1.50%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.79%

|-

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|0

|1

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.00%

|0.01%

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

|-

|Other race alone (NH)

|6

|4

|style='background: #ffffe6; |62

|0.03%

|0.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.36%

|-

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|72

|80

|style='background: #ffffe6; |311

|0.41%

|0.47%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.82%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|525

|757

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,235

|3.00%

|4.45%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |7.22%

|-

|Total

|17,499

|17,008

|style='background: #ffffe6; |17,109

|100.00%

|100.00%

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

|}

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 17,109 people living in Massapequa Park. The median age was 43.1 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.8% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.0 males.

There were 5,759 households, of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18. Of all households, 68.9% were married-couple households, 9.3% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 19.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 15.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 5,731 households, out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.7% were headed by married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 14.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.31.

Government

As of April 2026, the Mayor of Massapequa Park is Daniel M. Pearl, and the Village Trustees are Dana M. Durso, Tina Schiaffino, Todd A. Svec, and Christine M. Wiss.

The Mayor and members of the Board of Trustees are each elected to two-year terms, and the village elections are held in March.

Parks and recreation

The Village of Massapequa Park owns and operates three parks main: Brady Park, Colleran Park, and Mansfield Park. It also owns and maintains several memorials and associated parks which are located throughout the village.

Education

The village is primarily located within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Massapequa Union Free School District.

Transportation

The Long Island Rail Road's Massapequa Park station on the Babylon Branch is located in the village.

Major roads within the village include Merrick Road (CR 27) and Sunrise Highway (NY 27).

Notable people

<!--This list is for people who lived in MASSAPEQUA PARK, not any other place with "Massapequa" in its name.-->

  • Phil Baroni, mixed martial arts fighter
  • Matt Bennett, actor known for Victorious
  • Candy Darling, Warhol superstar
  • Roy DeMeo, mafioso in the Gambino crime family
  • Michael Durso, member of the New York State Assembly
  • Carlo Gambino, late don of the Gambino crime family
  • Rex Heuermann, serial killer and architect
  • Anthony Ingrassia, American playwright, producer, and director
  • Ron Kovic, author of Born on the Fourth of July, graduated Massapequa High School in 1964
  • Stanley Newman, puzzle creator, editor, and publisher
  • Dan Nigro, record producer and songwriter
  • Sean Tyas, trance DJ

See also

  • List of municipalities in New York
  • East Massapequa, New York
  • Massapequa, New York
  • North Massapequa, New York

References

  • Official website