Hewletts Still 'Great Places to Live' (Updated)

Update: This story was updated on March 30 with figures from the recently released 2010 census.

Over the past decade, the population of the Hewlett CDP dropped as housing costs ballooned, according to 2010 census data and estimates by the American Community Survey.

The combined population of Hewlett, Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck and Woodsburgh fell from 7,060 in 2000 to 6,819 in 2010.

The volume of housing units remained consistent, with the 2010 total only slightly declining from 2,735 in 2000 to 2,708, according to the census. The estimated average household and family sizes, 2.58 and 3.2 people, respectively, are right around the U.S. norms.

Costs for the owner-occupied homes among those housing units shot up, from a median of $269,900 to an estimated $491,900. Naturally, monthly owner costs followed suit, ballooning from $2,173 for those with mortgages and $828 for those without to an estimated $3,105 and $1,000+.

The estimated median family income of $91,154 constitutes a significant leap from the $74,259 total recorded in the 2000 census.

At the same time, the workforce population decreased from 3,371 people in 2000 to an estimated 3,196 people by the end of the decade, and mean commute time jumped from 31.5 minutes to an estimated 34.3 minutes.

The foreign-born population in the Hewletts remains among the highest in the Five Towns. At an estimated 1,235 residents, a sizable 18.6 percent of the total population, it jumped from the 1,197 counted in 2000, and is well above the U.S. average of 12.4 percent of each census-designated place’s total.

The 2010 census showed that 5,796 residents identified as Caucasian, 483 checked off Asian alone and 159 identified as “African-American” alone.

In short: The fundamental character of the Hewletts has remained intact over the last decade. The Hewlett CDP is still essentially comprised of safe, affluent communities and its leaders foresee a bright future.

“On our village website we boast that Hewlett Harbor is ‘Quite simply, a great place to live,’” said Hewlett Harbor Trustee Tom Cohen. “For each of us, this is not merely a slogan, but rather a statement of pride that we take very seriously. In the long run, we are confident that Hewlett Harbor will remain a vibrant and exciting community. We are confident in our village's enduring strengths and potential for future growth and prosperity.”