Shirley, New York Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Shirley, NY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Shirley | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,813 | 19,748,855 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2367.8 | 362.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.39% | 0.05% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,609 | 7,694,043 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Shirley grew by 5.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 28,813 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Shirley is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 24.0% of residents. That is 3.2 points above New York as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,431 22.3% +1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,232 21.6% -0.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,911 24.0% +3.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,747 13.0% -4.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New York, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.3% of the people living in Shirley and men 50.7%.
- Women 49.3% New York 51.3%
- Men 50.7% New York 48.7%
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Economy
Shirley has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Shirley | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $114,932 | $86,556 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.54% | 4.51% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Shirley is about 33% higher than in New York.
Housing
| Metric | Shirley | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $433,204 | $471,885 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,107 | $1,621 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 92.2% | 54.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Shirley is about 17.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,107 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Shirley spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 254 hours, about 10.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Shirley | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.5 | 28.7 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.1 | 57.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 254 | 239 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,887 | $7,414 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,576 | 9,257 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,118 | 1,586 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Shirley is 31 minutes, longer than the 29 minutes in New York.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Shirley has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Shirley | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.6% | 36.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.32 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Health
Shirley has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Shirley | New York Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 80.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.6% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.7% | 17.4% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Shirley, New York.
What is the population of Shirley, New York?
About 28,813 people live in Shirley, New York, in 8,609 households of 3.3 people on average. The median age is 40.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Shirley, New York urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Shirley, New York has 2,368 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 27 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Shirley, New York an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($433,204 against $114,932), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,107 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Shirley, New York?
18.6% of adults in Shirley, New York hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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