Shirley, New York

For the hamlet in Erie County, see Shirley, Erie County, New York.

Shirley, New York
Hamlet and census-designated place
Mastic-Shirley station
Motto:  Long Island's Best Kept Secret
Shirley Show map of Long Island Shirley Show map of New York
Coordinates: 40°47′49″N72°52′16″W / 40.79694°N 72.87111°W / 40.79694; -72.87111
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Suffolk
Town	Brookhaven
Area [1]
• Total	12.17 sq mi (31.52 km2)
• Land	11.31 sq mi (29.30 km2)
• Water	0.85 sq mi (2.21 km2)
Elevation	52 ft (16 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	26,360
• Density	2,329.86/sq mi (899.57/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	11967
Area code(s)	631, 934
FIPS code	36-67070
GNIS feature ID	0970601

Shirley is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. At the 2010 census, the population of Shirley was 27,854. ^[2] Shirley is the western terminus of Atlantic Crossing 1, a major submarine telecommunications cable linking the United States with the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. Soon, the Emerald Express transatlantic communications cable will provide data connectivity between Europe and North America, landing in Shirley.

Shirley is a community in the Town of Brookhaven, on the South Shore of Long Island. It is named for developer Walter T. Shirley, who had the vision in the 1940s to turn the area on Mastic Bay into an affordable enclave. Shirley's company priced its 4,000 four-room homes starting at $4,700, and lots were priced at $295. ^[3]

Shirley is served by the Mastic–Shirley Long Island Rail Road station. The station was a compromise when both Mastic and Shirley campaigned for it. The Smith Point Bridge is the second of only two bridge crossings from Long Island to Fire Island, allowing beach goers easy access to the ocean without taking a ferry boat.

The 7th Precinct of the Suffolk County Police Department is located in Shirley. Most of Shirley, the southern part, is served by the William Floyd School District. The northern part is served by the Longwood Central School District.

Shirley was once known as Tangiers (named after William "Tangier" Smith) and was home to a few summer bungalows in the early 1900s, most of their owners were from New York City, looking an escape from a vast "urban jungle". Today, most of the "Tangiers-era" still stand, although some were destroyed by hurricanes, winter storms, or arson.

Geography

Shirley is located at 40°47′49″N72°52′16″W / 40.79694°N 72.87111°W / 40.79694; -72.87111 (40.796914, -72.871020). ^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 11.9 square miles (30.8 km²), of which 11.5 square miles (29.7 km²) is land and 0.42 square miles (1.1 km²), or 3.63%, is water. ^[2]

East Yaphank is another designation for the northern extent of Shirley. It is part of the USPS ZIP code 11967. The USPS accepts the name Shirley, Smith Point and East Yaphank for this neighborhood. ^[5]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2020	26,360		—
U.S. Decennial Census [6]

As of the census ^[7] of 2000, there were 26,395 people, 7,353 households, and 6,176 families residing in the Census-designated place (CDP). The population density was 2,282.5 inhabitants per square mile (881.3/km²). There were 7,774 housing units at an average density of 698.7 per square mile (269.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.69% White, 3.33% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.84% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.82% of the population.

There were 7,353 households, out of which 47.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.0% were non-families. 11.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.43 and the average family size was 3.67.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 31.2% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

Estimated median household income in 2011: $82,791 (it was $57,294 in 2000)

Media

W243BF is a radio station licensed to serve Shirley.

Notable people

• Frank Coraci, film director
• Al Plastino, artist for DC Comics Superman and Batman
• Cletus Seldin (born 1986), boxer
• Lee Zeldin, United States congressman and candidate for Governor of New York
• Courtney Culkin, Playboy Playmate

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
2. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Shirley CDP, New York". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
3. . Estimated median house or condo value in 2009: $306,573 (it was $122,800 in 2000) Mastic-Shirley: Island's Best-Kept Secret, The New York Times, 2001-08-19.
4. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
5. "ZIP Code Lookup". USPS.
6. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.

External links

• Shirley History (Longwood Public Library)
• Tri Hamlet News | Online News for Mastics • Shirley • Moriches