City Report · NY

Centereach

Pop. 31,839·25th most expensive in New York·One of the pricier rental markets in the US

Median rent (all units)

$3,381/mo

Year-over-Year

Stable

Month-over-Month

+2.3%

vs US Median

+$1,449

Reported rents

Rising (Monthly)

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Most AffordableMost Expensive

Centereach · $3,381

More expensive than 95% of US cities · National median $1,932/mo

Affordability

31% of income

MODERATE

0%30% benchmark60%+

At $3,381/mo, rent takes about 31% of the local median household income, slightly above the 30% benchmark.

Income to afford

$135,000/yr

Local median income

$132,240/yr

Based on the 30%-of-income rule using Centereach's median rent and household income. See the full affordability breakdown →

Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$1,850

1 BR

$2,240

2 BR

$2,590

3 BR

$3,360

4 BR+

$3,600

Fair Market Rent (HUD)

$2,590/mo

These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $3,381 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.

Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →

Rent trends

12-month history

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Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($132,240) is $3,306 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,590); a 3-bedroom is $3,360.

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Centereach. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.

Annual cost

$40,572/yr

At $3,381/mo median

Rent Market Meter

Landlord's Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are climbing (0.0% YoY), so leverage tilts toward landlords. Act sooner rather than later.

Based on rent-price momentum (+0.0% YoY, +2.3% MoM), not inventory.

Rent check

Is your rent fair?

Compare your rent to the local median.

Demographics

Who lives here

Centereach, NY is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 35.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

31,839

Median income

$132,240

Median age

38.4

Renters

13.5%

Age distribution

23.1%

21.7%

25.6%

14.6%

14.9%

Under 1823.1%

18–3421.7%

35–5425.6%

55–6414.6%

65+14.9%

Gender

51.6%

48.4%

Male51.6%

Female48.4%

Race & ethnicity

71.9%

17.3%

White71.9%

Black4.5%

Hispanic17.3%

Asian8.5%

Education (25+)

27.1%

30.3%

35.5%

No HS diploma7.1%

HS diploma27.1%

Some college30.3%

Bachelor's+35.5%

Housing tenure

86.5%

13.5%

Owner86.5%

Renter13.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How Centereach, NY has changed in 5 years

Income

$115,091 → $132,240

up 14.9%

Population

31,979 → 31,839

down 0.4%

Renter share

16.7% → 13.5%

-3.2 pts

Bachelor's+

35.4% → 35.5%

+0.1 pts

Median age

37.2 → 38.4

+1.2 yrs

Median household income grew from $115,091 to $132,240 between 2021 and 2024, a 14.9% shift. About 13.5% of households rent today, against 16.7% in 2021.

Community

Discussions about Centereach

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View Centereach rent history (2015–2026) →

Salary vs rent

Can you afford rent in Centereach on your salary?

At $3,381/mo, how Centereach rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).

Registered Nurse

Avg $107,707/yr · Rent = 37.7% income

stretched

Elementary School Teacher

Avg $76,471/yr · Rent = 53.1% income

severely rent-burdened

Police Officer

Avg $88,088/yr · Rent = 46.1% income

rent-burdened

Software Developer

Avg $157,445/yr · Rent = 25.8% income

affordable

Lawyer

Avg $201,176/yr · Rent = 20.2% income

affordable

Firefighter

Avg $71,603/yr · Rent = 56.7% income

severely rent-burdened

Truck Driver

Avg $64,649/yr · Rent = 62.8% income

severely rent-burdened

Electrician

Avg $79,686/yr · Rent = 50.9% income

severely rent-burdened

By apartment size

Centereach rent by bedroom count

Median rent for each apartment size in Centereach. Click any size for full breakdown.

Local insights

Tips for renters in Centereach

About renting in Centereach, NY

Last updated: October 17, 2026

The median rent in Centereach is $3,381/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,850/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,590/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,240/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,360/mo.

At 31% of local median household income ($132,240/yr), Centereach ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rent prices have stayed steady over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in Centereach?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $135,000/year (about $65/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $3,381/mo in Centereach. The local median household income is $132,240/yr, so the typical household falls short of that bar.