Massapequa, New York | |
|---|---|
 All-American Hamburger Drive-In in Massapequa | |
| Nicknames: Pequa; Matzah Pizza | |
 Location inNassau County and the state ofNew York | |
  Massapequa, New York Location on Long Island Show map of Long Island Massapequa, New York Location within the state of New York Show map of New York | |
| Coordinates:40°40′13″N73°28′16″W / 40.670403°N 73.47115°W /40.670403; -73.47115 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| County | Nassau |
| Town | Oyster Bay |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.99 sq mi (10.34 km2) |
| • Land | 3.56 sq mi (9.22 km2) |
| • Water | 0.43 sq mi (1.12 km2) |
| Elevation | 26 ft (8 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 21,355 |
| • Density | 6,001/sq mi (2,316.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 11758 |
| Area codes | 516, 363 |
| FIPS code | 36-45986 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0956651 |
Massapequa (/ˌmæsəˈpiːkwə/,mass-ə-PEEK-wə) is ahamlet andcensus-designated place (CDP) in theTown of Oyster Bay inNassau County, on theSouth Shore ofLong Island, inNew York, United States. The population of the CDP was 21,355 at the time of the 2020 census.
The nameMassapequa or historicallyMarsapeague means “great water land”.[2]
The first occupants were a band ofAlgonquian speakers, the Massapequa people, one of the13 tribes of Long Island, a sub-group of theLenape people. At first, most of the Massapequa people were friendly and helpful to the Europeans, but then, around 1658, merchants from theTown of Oyster tricked Chief Tackapausha into selling the land. He tried to rectify this misunderstanding, but remained unsuccessful.[dubious –discuss][3][2]
In 1670 (35 years after the Europeans initially settled there), only a few Native Americans were left on the Island.[3]
In 1969, drainage work at Massapequa Lake discovered a cache of 184 jasper blades arranged in horizontal rows a short distance below the surface. The artifacts have been dated between approximately 75 BCE and 400 CE and provide the only confirmed archaeological evidence of Indigenous Woodland-period activity in the Massapequa area.[4][5]
From the 1890s, real estate companies promoted new residential districts around the railroad, running Sunday excursion trains and developing housing near Hicksville Road.[4] The Massapequa Long Island Rail Road station, built in 1896 by Floyd-Jones family, later was used as sales center for several major developers marketing lots to prospective home buyers.[6]
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Massapequa developed as a small resort community welcoming visitors from Manhattan and Brooklyn.[7] The best known establishment was the Massapequa Hotel, a 300-room summer hotel that was built in 1888 on Ocean Avenue south of Merrick Road, which offered a dining room, dance hall and recreational activities such as golfing, swimming at a nearby beach, boating, cycling and fishing in Massapequa Lake. The hotel's business declined in the early 1900s, and it closed in 1914. Sections of the building were later reused to construct Panchard's Hotel at Merrick and Hicksville Roads.[4][6]
After World War II, Massapequa experienced rapid growth. Its population rose from about 3,500 in 1940 to roughly 40,000 by 1960 due to new housing construction.[4] Many residents in the mid-20th century worked in agriculture or at nearby aircraft manufacturing plants.[3]
In 1953, the last remains of afort of the Massapequa, an archeological site, was covered up by a real estate developer; it is now aNational Register-listedUnited States National Historic Landmark.[8]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10 km2), of which 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2), or 9.20%, is water.
Massapequa and nearby places with "Massapequa" in their names are sometimes collectively called "the Massapequas".[9]
Massapequa has a temperate climate that is very similar to other coastal areas of theNortheastern United States; it has warm, humid summers and cold winters, but theAtlantic Ocean helps bring afternoon sea breezes that temper the heat in the warmer months and limit the frequency and severity of thunderstorms. However, severe thunderstorms are not uncommon, especially when they approach the island from the mainland (Bronx, Westchester and Connecticut) in the northwest. In the wintertime, temperatures are warmer than areas further inland (especially in the night and early morning hours), often causing a snowstorm further inland to fall as rain on the island. However, measurable snowfalls every winter, and in many winters one or more intense storms calledNor'easters may occasionally produce blizzard conditions with snowfalls of 1–2 feet (30–60 cm) and near-hurricane-force winds. On average, 28" of snow falls each winter in Massapequa.[10] Long Island temperatures also vary from west to east, with the western part of the island warmer on most occasions than the east. This is due to two factors; one because the western part is closer to the mainland and the other is the western part is more developed causing what is known as theurban heat island effect.
This climate is classified as hot-summerhumid continental (Dfa) which borders upon ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) on the coast. Average monthly temperatures in the central CDP range from 31.4 °F in January to 74.3 °F in July.[11]
On August 25, 2006, a small F0tornado struck Massapequa.
On Monday, October 29, 2012,Hurricane Sandy devastated much of Massapequa – especially south ofMerrick Road, where surging flood waters rose both along the shore and along the numerous canals that run a mile inland. Schools were closed for several days and weeks. Many residents remained without power for weeks after the storm because of downed power lines. Hundreds of houses and buildings sustained major flood damage and had to be gutted and renovated during the ensuing year.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 22,652 | — | |
| 2010 | 21,685 | −4.3% | |
| 2020 | 21,355 | −1.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] | |||
As of the 2020census, there were 21,355 people living in the CDP. The census recorded 19,214 residents as White, 123 as Black or African American, 17 as American Indian and Alaska Native, 435 as Asian, 4 as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 303 as some other race, 1,259 as two or more races.[13] 1,586 residents were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[14] Because it has large Italian and Jewish communities, the town is sometimes referred to as "matzah pizza".[15][16]
Based on the 2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the median age in Massapequa was 43.6 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older.[17] The estimated median household income was $179,844,[18] and approximately 2.9% of residents were living below the poverty line.[19] The survey reported about 7,242 occupied housing units, with an average family size of 3.36 persons.[20]
As of thecensus[21] of 2000, there were 22,652 people, 7,417 households, and 6,297 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 6,207.5 inhabitants per square mile (2,396.7/km2). There were 7,514 housing units at an average density of 2,059.1 per square mile (795.0/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.42%White, 0.17%African American, 0.02%Native American, 1.27%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.37% fromother races, and 0.73% from two or more races. 2.59% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 7,417 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.4% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.1% were non-families. Of all households, 12.5% were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the CDP, the population was spread, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years as of 2007[update]. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males.
Themedian income for a household in the CDP was $107,181, and the median income for a family was $116,266.[22] Males had a median income of $78,859 versus $57,016 for females. Theper capita income for the CDP was $42,169. 2.9% of the population and 1.6% of families were below thepoverty line.
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The majority of Massapequa is in theMassapequa Union Free School District. A small portion is in thePlainedge Union Free School District.[23]
Massapequa residents originally attended schools in neighboring towns. Even after the creation of the Massapequa Union Free School District (also known as MSD) appropriately aged students were often sent to schools such as Amityville Memorial High School because a high school in Massapequa did not exist. At first students were only went to Amityville, but after 1953 they were given the option of attending schools in towns like Freeport and Baldwin and at Willington Mepham High School in Bellmore.[citation needed]
MSD constructed their first modern multi-room building in the mid 1920s. It was built on Massapequa Avenue, which is why it received the name "Massapequa Avenue School". After the construction of Massapequa High School in 1955 this original school was renamed to "Fairfield School" to avoid confusion with the similar names.[24]
Currently MSD owns and operates 6 elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school; however, this number has changed throughout its history.[25]
Active MSD Schools:
Former Names of Active MSD Schools:
Former Schools Not Used by MSD:
TheMassapequa station on theLong Island Rail Road'sBabylon Branch is located within the hamlet.[26]
State routes27,27A,105,107, and135 serve the town.
TheBethpage State Parkway andSouthern State Parkway are in the town.
SeveralNICE bus routes also serve Massapequa.
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