Cost of living in Stony Brook 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 Stony Brook 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:
The cost of living index in Stony Brook is 152, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Stony Brook is 1.5x higher than the national average.
Stony Brook ranks as the #239 cheapest in New York out of 341.
Stony Brook ranks as the #5,746 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Stony Brook is $747,902.
The median income in Stony Brook is $162,054.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Stony Brook has an overall cost of living index of 152, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to New York, Stony Brook has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than New York's index of 119.
The standard of living in Stony Brook ranks as #239 most affordable out of the 341 places we measured in New York. By definition, that implies Stony Brook ranks as the #102 most expensive place in the Empire State.
For more reading on life in Stony Brook, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Stony Brook. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Stony Brook is 113.
The Groceries index in Stony Brook is 103.
The Health index in Stony Brook is 109.
The Housing index in Stony Brook is 245.
The Transportation index in Stony Brook is 104.
The Utilities index in Stony Brook is 129.
| Living Expense | Stony Brook | New York | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 152 | 119 | 100 | |
| Services | 113 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 109 | 101 | 100 | |
| Housing | 245 | 145 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 104 | 105 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 129 | 99 | 100 | |
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 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Stony Brook is $747,902.
The Median Rent in Stony Brook is $2,643.
The Median Income in Stony Brook is $162,054.
The Home Value To Income in Stony Brook is 4.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Stony Brook is 0.2x.
| Statistic | Stony Brook | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $747,902 | $508,764 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,643 | $1,576 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $162,054 | $84,578 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.6x | 6.0x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.22x | 0.21x |
| Item | Stony Brook | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.5 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.76 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $19.63 | $18 |
| Haircut | $32.33 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $48.56 | $45.56 |
| Item | Stony Brook | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.34 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.61 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.73 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.03 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.07 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.62 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.66 | $3.7 |
| Item | Stony Brook | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $140.1 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $143.23 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $123.0 | $113.29 |
| Item | Stony Brook | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.33 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $57.68 | $59.92 |
| Item | Stony Brook | New York |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $281.67 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $185.16 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Stony Brook. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Commack, NY has a cost of living index of 154, 1.0x Stony Brook.
Centereach, NY has a cost of living index of 138, 0.9x Stony Brook.
West Islip, NY has a cost of living index of 151, 1.0x Stony Brook.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Stony Brook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commack, NY | 36,353 | 154 | 1.0x |
| Centereach, NY | 31,501 | 138 | 0.9x |
| West Islip, NY | 26,559 | 151 | 1.0x |
| Plainview, NY | 26,251 | 167 | 1.1x |
| Smithtown, NY | 24,940 | 157 | 1.0x |
| Huntington, NY | 20,117 | 169 | 1.1x |
| East Islip, NY | 13,687 | 148 | 1.0x |
| St. James, NY | 13,680 | 151 | 1.0x |
| Nesconset, NY | 13,344 | 159 | 1.0x |
| Lake Grove, NY | 11,050 | 144 | 0.9x |