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Riverhead, NY Cost Of Living

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

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

Cost of living in Riverhead, New York

Cost of living in Riverhead 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 Riverhead 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:

132 Cost of living index 1.3x higher vs US
#147 Cheapest in New York (of 336)
#5,025 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$619,893 Median home value
$2,045 Median rent
$83,008 Median income
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What is the cost of living in Riverhead, NY?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Riverhead has an overall cost of living index of 132, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.

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

The standard of living in Riverhead ranks as #147 most affordable out of the 336 places we measured in New York. By definition, that implies Riverhead ranks as the #189 most expensive place in the Empire State.

For more reading on life in Riverhead, check out:

Riverhead Cost Of Living Vs. New York

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

  • The Services index in Riverhead is 103.

  • The Groceries index in Riverhead is 107.

  • The Health index in Riverhead is 191.

  • The Housing index in Riverhead is 112.

  • The Transportation index in Riverhead is 110.

  • The Utilities index in Riverhead is 110.

Living Expense Riverhead New York National Average
Overall 132 121 100
Services 103 105 100
Groceries 107 108 100
Health 191 143 100
Housing 112 112 100
Transportation 110 114 100
Utilities 110 111 100

Riverhead Cost Of Living Compared To New York Averages

Services
Riverhead 103
New York avg 105
Groceries
Riverhead 107
New York avg 108
Health
Riverhead 191
New York avg 143
Housing
Riverhead 112
New York avg 112
Transportation
Riverhead 110
New York avg 114
Utilities
Riverhead 110
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

Riverhead, NY Housing Cost Breakdown

$619,893Median Home Value
$2,045Median Rent
$83,008Median 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 Riverhead is $619,893.

  • The Median Rent in Riverhead is $2,045.

  • The Median Income in Riverhead is $83,008.

  • The Home Value To Income in Riverhead is 7.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Riverhead is 0.3x.

Statistic Riverhead New York United States
Median Home Value $619,893 $507,794 $332,700
Median Rent $2,045 $1,621 $1,413
Median Income $83,008 $85,974 $80,734
Home Value To Income 7.5x 5.9x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.3x 0.23x 0.21x

Riverhead, NY Costs By Category

Detailed Riverhead Services costs vs. New York
Item Riverhead New York
Shampoo $1.47 $1.28
Movie $15.07 $12.13
Bowling $24.0 $18
Haircut $39.78 $24.26
Beauty Salon $69.0 $45.56
Detailed Riverhead Groceries costs vs. New York
Item Riverhead New York
Ground Beef $6.28 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.59 $1.57
Milk $4.83 $4.67
Potatoes $5.03 $4.93
Pizza $13.21 $12.09
Beer $10.53 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.86 $3.7
Detailed Riverhead Health costs vs. New York
Item Riverhead New York
Optometrist $134.7 $125.68
Doctor $162.26 $135.78
Dentist $136.03 $113.29
Detailed Riverhead Transportation costs vs. New York
Item Riverhead New York
Gasoline $3.47 $3.46
Tire Balancing $63.33 $59.92
Detailed Riverhead Utilities costs vs. New York
Item Riverhead New York
All Electricity $296.64 $193.99
Phone $185.16 $192.25

Riverhead SnackAbility

6Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 7/10
Housing 9/10
Affordability 3/10
Diversity 9.5/10
Safety 8/10
Amenities 8/10
Education 5/10
Commute 6/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Riverhead

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

  • Medford, NY has a cost of living index of 134, 1.0x Riverhead.

  • Miller Place, NY has a cost of living index of 141, 1.1x Riverhead.

  • Mount Sinai, NY has a cost of living index of 154, 1.2x Riverhead.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Riverhead
Medford, NY 24,796 134 1.0x
Miller Place, NY 11,736 141 1.1x
Mount Sinai, NY 11,093 154 1.2x
Terryville, NY 10,794 137 1.0x
Wading River, NY 8,359 151 1.1x
East Shoreham, NY 7,321 148 1.1x
Sound Beach, NY 7,210 130 1.0x
Yaphank, NY 6,934 137 1.0x
Flanders, NY 6,609 133 1.0x
Calverton, NY 5,618 120 0.9x
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