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Hempstead, NY Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Hempstead. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Hempstead compared to the state and national averages.

Chris Kolmar
Written by
HomeSnacks
Last updated
2026-06-20

Cost of living in Hempstead, New York

Cost of living in Hempstead research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Hempstead is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in New York, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

133 Cost of living index 1.3x higher vs US
#154 Cheapest in New York (of 336)
#5,080 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$627,530 Median home value
$1,622 Median rent
$90,420 Median income
Not sure Hempstead fits your budget? Try our place-match quiz →

What is the cost of living in Hempstead, NY?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Hempstead has an overall cost of living index of 133, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to New York, Hempstead has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than New York's index of 121.

The standard of living in Hempstead ranks as #154 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in New York. By definition, that implies Hempstead ranks as the #182 most expensive place in the Empire State.

For more reading on life in Hempstead, check out:

Hempstead Cost Of Living Vs. New York

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Hempstead. Here is how it fares on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Hempstead is 107.

  • The Groceries index in Hempstead is 109.

  • The Health index in Hempstead is 179.

  • The Housing index in Hempstead is 110.

  • The Transportation index in Hempstead is 115.

  • The Utilities index in Hempstead is 108.

Living Expense Hempstead New York National Average
Overall 133 121 100
Services 107 105 100
Groceries 109 108 100
Health 179 143 100
Housing 110 112 100
Transportation 115 114 100
Utilities 108 111 100

Hempstead Cost Of Living Compared To New York Averages

Services
Hempstead 107
New York avg 105
Groceries
Hempstead 109
New York avg 108
Health
Hempstead 179
New York avg 143
Housing
Hempstead 110
New York avg 112
Transportation
Hempstead 115
New York avg 114
Utilities
Hempstead 108
New York avg 111

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around New York, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Hempstead, NY Housing Cost Breakdown

$627,530Median Home Value
$1,622Median Rent
$90,420Median Income

Housing swings affordability the most between places in New York, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Hempstead is $627,530.

  • The Median Rent in Hempstead is $1,622.

  • The Median Income in Hempstead is $90,420.

  • The Home Value To Income in Hempstead is 6.9x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Hempstead is 0.22x.

Statistic Hempstead New York United States
Median Home Value $627,530 $507,794 $332,700
Median Rent $1,622 $1,621 $1,413
Median Income $90,420 $85,974 $80,734
Home Value To Income 6.9x 5.9x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.22x 0.23x 0.21x

Hempstead, NY Costs By Category

Detailed Hempstead Services costs vs. New York
Item Hempstead New York
Shampoo $1.69 $1.28
Movie $13.68 $12.13
Bowling $29.4 $18
Haircut $34.94 $24.26
Beauty Salon $64.07 $45.56
Detailed Hempstead Groceries costs vs. New York
Item Hempstead New York
Ground Beef $5.87 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.46 $1.57
Milk $4.97 $4.67
Potatoes $5.21 $4.93
Pizza $12.57 $12.09
Beer $11.87 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.96 $3.7
Detailed Hempstead Health costs vs. New York
Item Hempstead New York
Optometrist $128.97 $125.68
Doctor $162.24 $135.78
Dentist $149.64 $113.29
Detailed Hempstead Transportation costs vs. New York
Item Hempstead New York
Gasoline $3.55 $3.46
Tire Balancing $86.43 $59.92
Detailed Hempstead Utilities costs vs. New York
Item Hempstead New York
All Electricity $201.27 $193.99
Phone $200.67 $192.25

Hempstead SnackAbility

6Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 7/10
Housing 9/10
Affordability 4/10
Diversity 9/10
Safety 6/10
Amenities 10/10
Education 5/10
Commute 4/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Hempstead

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Hempstead. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Levittown, NY has a cost of living index of 142, 1.1x Hempstead.

  • Baldwin, NY has a cost of living index of 145, 1.1x Hempstead.

  • Uniondale, NY has a cost of living index of 138, 1.0x Hempstead.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Hempstead
Levittown, NY 51,904 142 1.1x
Baldwin, NY 34,994 145 1.1x
Uniondale, NY 33,148 138 1.0x
Plainview, NY 25,982 166 1.2x
Merrick, NY 21,744 163 1.2x
Massapequa, NY 21,389 165 1.2x
West Hempstead, NY 20,648 151 1.1x
Roosevelt, NY 18,885 132 1.0x
Syosset, NY 18,433 180 1.4x
Woodmere, NY 18,061 186 1.4x
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