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North Hempstead (officially known as the Town of North Hempstead) is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 237,639 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the 7th most populous city or town in New York.[1]
What is now the Town of North Hempstead was originally inhabited by Native Americans – specifically the Matinecock Nation.[2][3] It was first settled by European explorers around 1643, as part of the Town of Hempstead.[2][3]
The Census of Slaves, conducted in the Province of New York in 1755, contains a long list of enslaved individuals in Oyster Bay, including the hamlets of Jericho and what is now North Hempstead.[4] It is followed by an additional list of "free Negroes Melattoes [people of Afro-European ancestry] and Mustees [people of Afro-Indigenous ancestry] Resideing within ye Township of Oysterbay that may probably Be Likely In case of Insurrections To be as Mischevious as ye Slaves."[4] (Free individuals were not supposed to be reported for the Census; a local militia captain supplied it on his own initiative, with the expectation "that ye Other Captains in Oysterbay will acquaint Your Honour [governor of New York] of those Resideing in ye Other parts of ye Township.")[4]
During the American Revolution the southern part of Hempstead was primarily Tory, while the northern part, having been settled by Yankees, supported the revolution.[3] Following the war, the Town of North Hempstead was split off from Hempstead in 1784.[3] North Hempstead became more affluent with the opening of the Long Island Rail Road through to Great Neck, and the inauguration of steamboat service from Manhattan in 1836.[3]
The Town of North Hempstead is made up of 31 incorporated villages that claimed the right to set zoning restrictions to protect their rights and resources.[5] No new villages have been created within the Town of North Hempstead since Port Washington North in May 1932, and prospective villages were further discouraged from incorporating when the county charter was revised in 1936, which denied zoning powers to future villages in the county.[2][6][7] Every village incorporation attempt within North Hempstead made following the county charter revision – most notably a mid-20th century push to incorporate all of Strathmore south of Northern Boulevard (NY 25A) – has been unsuccessful.[8][9][10][11]
There are also several unincorporated areas in the Town of North Hempstead that are not part of villages – such as Carle Place, Hillside Manor, Manhasset, Port Washington, and Roslyn Heights; these areas are instead governed directly by the Town of North Hempstead.[12]
On September 11, 2025, the Town of North Hempstead formally dedicated its 9/11 memorial in Manhasset Valley Park; the memorial had been planned for over 10 years, and construction work had been completed earlier that year.[13][14][15]
Etymology
North Hempstead's name reflects its geographical location north of the Town of Hempstead, which, about the time of the split, was also known as "South Hempstead."[2][3]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of Script error: No such module "convert"., of which Script error: No such module "convert". is land and Script error: No such module "convert"., or 22.62%, is water.
The Town of North Hempstead features a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) under the Köppen climate classification and is located near the transitional zone between humid subtropical and humid continental (Dfa) climates.[16][17][18] Accordingly, the hamlet experiences hot, humid summers and cold winters, and experiences precipitation throughout the entirety of the year.[19]Script error: No such module "weather box".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
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Racial and ethnic composition
North Hempstead town, New York – Racial and ethnic composition <templatestyles src="Nobold/styles.css"/>Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the census[26] of 2020, there were 237,639 people residing in 79,546 households in the town. There were 83,729 housing units, 76.5% of which were owner-occupied. The racial makeup of the town was 56% White, 23.1% Asian, 4.9% African American, 0.4% Native American, 7.8% from other races, and 7.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.8% of the population.
There were 79,546 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 23.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and 12.6% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 40.2% of all households had individuals 65 years of age or older.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18 and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. The population was 51.6% female.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $96,517, and the median income for a family was $115,697.[27] Males had a median income of $60,094 versus $41,331 for females. The per capita income for the town was $41,621. About 3.1% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
Between the 1990 census and the 2000 census, North Hempstead lost some population growth to Queens.[28]
Government
Town government
The Town of North Hempstead is governed by a seven-member board – known as the North Hempstead Town Council, which is composed of six council members and the Town Supervisor.[29] Council members are each elected by – and represent – a single councilmanic district within the Town.[29] The Supervisor is elected at-large and represents the entirety of the Town.[29]
In addition to Supervisor, there are two other town-wide positions elected at-large: the Town Clerk and the Receiver of Taxes.[29]
The North American headquarters of Sabena were located in a Script error: No such module "convert". office building in Manhasset in North Hempstead. In April 2002 Knightsbridge Properties Corp. bought the building for $4.9 million. Due to the bankruptcies of Sabena and Swissair, the real estate deal took over a year to finish. During that month, the building was 30% occupied. Sabena was scheduled to move out of the building on May 10, 2002. The buyer planned to spend an additional $2 million to convert the building into a multi-tenant, Class A office and medical facility.[54] At one time, Servisair's Americas offices were in Great Neck.[55]
The Town of North Hempstead is served primarily by Nassau Inter-County Express bus routes, though at least two of New York City's MTA Bus Routes enter Nassau County from Queens and travel within North Hempstead.[12]
Major roads
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File:I-495.svgInterstate 495 is the Long Island Expressway, and the sole interstate highway in the Town of North Hempstead, with interchanges from Exit 33 in Lake Success to Exit 39 in Old Westbury.[12]
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