Nassau County, New York
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Nassau County ( ) is a
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of New York. At the
2020 U.S. census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, Nassau County's population is 1,395,774. The
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is Mineola and the largest town is Hempstead. Nassau County is situated on western
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, bordering New York City's
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...
of
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
to the west, and Suffolk County to the east. It is the most densely populated and second-most populous county in the State of New York outside of New York City, with which it maintains extensive
rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' ( ...
and highway connectivity, and is considered one of the central counties within the
New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...
. Nassau County contains two
cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
, three
towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
, 64 incorporated
villages A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
, and more than 60 unincorporated
hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a lar ...
. Nassau County has a designated police department, fire commission, and elected executive and legislative bodies. A 2012 ''
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'' article based on the
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
reported Nassau County as the most expensive county and one of the highest income counties in the United States, and the most affluent in the state of New York, with four of the nation's top ten towns by median income located in the county. Nassau County high school students often feature prominently as winners of the
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and similar STEM-based academic awards.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is a private, non-profit institution with research programs focusing on cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, genomics, and quantitative biology. It is one of 68 institutions supported by the Cancer Centers ...
in the Town of Oyster Bay; the
Old Westbury Old Westbury is a village in the Towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 4,671 at the 2010 census. The Incorporated Village of Old Westbury i ...
campus of New York Institute of Technology; the School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in the Village of Hempstead; and the
Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island, constitute the research arm of Northwell Health. Feinstein is home to 50 research labs, 2,500 clinical research studies, and 5, ...
in
Manhasset Manhasset is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York. It is considered the anchor community of the Greater Manhasset area. The population was 8,176 at the 2020 United States ce ...
, are globally prominent life sciences
research Research is "creativity, creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular att ...
and academic institutions in Nassau County.


Etymology

The name of the county comes from an old name for
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, which was at one time named ''Nassau'', after the
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
family of King
William III of England William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic f ...
, the
House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled "Count ...
, itself named for the German town of Nassau. The county colors (orange and blue) are also the colors of the House of Orange-Nassau. Several alternate names had been considered for the county, including "Bryant," "
Matinecock Matinecock is a village located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 810 at the 2010 census. History Matinecock incorporated as a village on April 2, 1928, in order to ...
" (a village within the county currently has that name), "Norfolk" (presumably because of the proximity to Suffolk County), and "Sagamore." However, "Nassau" had the historical advantage of having at one time been the name of Long Island itself, and was the name most mentioned after the new county was proposed in 1875.


History

The area now designated as Nassau County was originally the eastern 70% of Queens County, one of the original twelve
counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
formed in 1683, and was then contained within two towns: Hempstead and Oyster Bay. In 1784, the Town of North Hempstead, was formed through
secession Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...
by the northern portions of the Town of Hempstead. Nassau County was formed in 1899 by the division of Queens County, after the western portion of Queens had become a borough of New York City in 1898, as the three easternmost towns seceded from the county. When the first
European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
settlers arrived, among the Native Americans to occupy the present area of Nassau County were the Marsapeque, Matinecoc, and Sacatogue.
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
settlers in
New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the East Coast of the United States, east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territor ...
predominated in the western portion of Long Island, while English settlers from Connecticut occupied the eastern portion. Until 1664, Long Island was split, roughly at the present border between Nassau and Suffolk counties, between the Dutch in the west and Connecticut claiming the east. The Dutch did grant an English settlement in Hempstead (now in western Nassau), but drove settlers from the present-day eastern Nassau
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
of Oyster Bay as part of a boundary dispute. In 1664, all of Long Island became part of the English
Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the Uni ...
within the
Shire of York The Shire of York is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, covering an area of just beyond the eastern fringe of Perth's metropolitan area. The Shire's seat of government is the town of York. History The Shir ...
. Present-day Queens and Nassau were then just part of a larger North Riding. In 1683, the colonial territory of
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
was dissolved, Suffolk County and Queens County were established, and the local seat of government was moved west from Hempstead to Jamaica (now in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
). By 1700, very little of Long Island had not been purchased from the native Indians by the English colonists, and townships controlled whatever land had not already been distributed. The courthouse in Jamaica was torn down by the British during the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
to use the materials to build barracks. In 1784, following the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, the Town of Hempstead was split in two, when Patriots in the northern part formed the new
Town of North Hempstead North Hempstead is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 237,639 at the 2020 census. History The area was first settled by Europeans around 1643 and became part of the town of Hem ...
, leaving Loyalist majorities in the Town of Hempstead. About 1787, a new Queens County Courthouse was erected (and later completed) in the new Town of North Hempstead, near present-day Mineola (now in Nassau County), known then as Clowesville.* * * * The Long Island Rail Road reached as far east as Hicksville in 1837, but did not proceed to Farmingdale until 1841 due to the Panic of 1837. The 1850 census was the first in which the population of the three western towns (Flushing, Jamaica, and Newtown) exceeded that of the three eastern towns that are now part of Nassau County. Concerns were raised about the condition of the old courthouse and the inconvenience of travel and accommodations, with the three eastern and three western towns divided on the location for the construction of a new one. Around 1874, the seat of county government was moved to Long Island City from Mineola. As early as 1875, representatives of the three eastern towns began advocating the separation of the three eastern towns from Queens, with some proposals also including the towns of Huntington and Babylon (in Suffolk County). In 1898, the western portion of Queens County became a borough of the
City of Greater New York The City of Greater New York was the term used by many politicians and scholars for the expanded City of New York created on January 1, 1898, by consolidating the existing City of New York with Brooklyn, western Queens County, and Staten Is ...
, leaving the eastern portion a part of Queens County but not part of the Borough of Queens. As part of the city consolidation plan, all town, village, and city (other than NYC) governments within the borough were dissolved, as well as the county government with its seat in Jamaica. The areas excluded from the consolidation included all of the Town of North Hempstead, all of the Town of Oyster Bay, and most of the Town of Hempstead (excluding the
Rockaway Peninsula The Rockaway Peninsula, commonly referred to as The Rockaways or Rockaway, is a peninsula at the southern edge of the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, New York. Relatively isolated from Manhattan and other more urban parts of the ...
, which was separated from the Town of Hempstead and became part of the city borough). In 1899, following approval from the
New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an official ...
, the three towns were separated from Queens County, and the new county of Nassau was constituted. In preparation for the new county, in November 1898, voters had selected Mineola to become the county seat for the new county (before Mineola incorporated as a village in 1906 and set its boundaries almost entirely within the Town of North Hempstead), winning out over Hicksville and Hempstead. The Garden City Company (founded in 1893 by the heirs of Alexander Turney Stewart) donated four acres of land for the county buildings in the Town of Hempstead, just south of the Mineola train station and the present day village of Mineola. The land and the buildings have a Mineola postal address, but are within the present day Village of Garden City, which did not incorporate, nor set its boundaries, until 1919. In 1917, the village of Glen Cove was granted a city charter, making it independent from the Town of Oyster Bay. In 1918, the village of
Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
was incorporated in the Town of Hempstead. In 1922, it became a city, making it independent of the town. These are the only two
administrative divisions Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
in Nassau County identified as cities. From the early 1900s until the Depression and the early 1930s, many hilly farmlands on the North Shore were transformed into luxurious country estates for wealthy New Yorkers, with the area receiving the "Gold Coast" moniker and becoming the setting of
F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...
's 1925 novel ''
The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby ...
''. One summer resident of the Gold Coast was President
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
, at Sagamore Hill. In 1908,
William Kissam Vanderbilt William Kissam "Willie" Vanderbilt I (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920) was an American heir, businessman, philanthropist and horsebreeder. Born into the Vanderbilt family, he managed his family's railroad investments. Early life William Kiss ...
constructed the Long Island Motor Parkway as a
toll road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or ''Toll (fee), toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically ...
through Nassau County. With overpasses and bridges to remove intersections, it was among the first limited access motor highways in the world, and was also used as a racecourse to test the capabilities of the fledgling automobile industry. Nassau County, with its extensive flat land, was the site of many
aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...
firsts. Military aviators for both World Wars were trained on the
Hempstead Plains The Hempstead Plains is a region of central Long Island, in what is now Nassau County, in New York State. It was once an open expanse of native grassland estimated to once extend to about . It was separated from the North Shore of Long Island by ...
at installations such as
Mitchel Air Force Base Mitchel Air Force Base also known as Mitchel Field, was a United States Air Force base located on the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York, United States. Established in 1918 as Hazelhurst Aviation Field #2, the facility was renamed la ...
, and a number of successful aircraft companies were established. Charles Lindberg took off for Paris from Roosevelt Field in 1927, completing the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight from the United States.
Grumman The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a 20th century American producer of military and civilian aircraft. Founded on December 6, 1929, by Leroy Grumman and his business partners, it merged in 1994 ...
(which in 1986 employed 23,000 people on Long Island) built many planes for World War II, and later contributed the Apollo Lunar Module to the Space program. The
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
was temporarily located in Nassau County from 1946 to 1951. Council meetings were held at the Sperry Gyroscope headquarters in the village of Lake Success near the border with Queens County. It was here on June 27, 1950, that the Security Council voted to back U.S. President
Harry S Truman Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
and send a coalition of forces to the
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, leading to the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. Until World War II, most of Nassau County was still farmland, particularly in the eastern portion. Following the war, the county saw an influx of people from the five boroughs of New York City, especially from Brooklyn and Queens, who left their urban dwellings for a more suburban setting. This led to a massive population boom in the county. In 1947,
William Levitt William Jaird Levitt (February 11, 1907 – January 28, 1994) was an American real-estate developer and housing pioneer. As president of Levitt & Sons, he is widely credited as the father of modern American suburbia. He was named one of ''Time ...
built his first
planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
in Nassau County, in the Island Trees section (later renamed
Levittown Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their ...
; this should not be confused with the county's first planned community, in general, which is Garden City). While in the 1930s, Robert Moses had engineered curving
parkways A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare.''"parkway."''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (14 Apr. 2007). The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or ...
and parks such as Jones Beach State Park and
Bethpage State Park Bethpage State Park is a New York state park on the border of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island. The park contains tennis courts, picnic and recreational areas and a polo field, but is best known for its five golf courses, inclu ...
for the enjoyment of city-dwellers, in the 1950s and 1960s the focus turned to alleviating commuter traffic. In 1994, Federal Judge Arthur Spatt declared the Nassau County Board of Supervisors unconstitutional and directed that a 19-member legislature be formed. Republicans won 13 seats in the election and chose
Bruce Blakeman Bruce Arthur Blakeman (born October 2, 1955) is an American attorney and politician currently serving as the 10th County Executive of Nassau County, New York. He was elected in the 2021 election, defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Curran. He ...
as the first Presiding Officer (Speaker). Among the first class of Legislators were Peter J. Schmitt (R-Massapequa),
Judith Jacobs Judith "Judy" Jacobs (January 13, 1939 – September 13, 2016) was the presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature. In her fifth term as a legislator, Jacobs represented legislative district 16, which includes: Woodbury; Jericho; Plai ...
(D-Woodbury), John Ciotti (R-North Valley Stream), Dennis Dunne Sr. (R-Levittown), Francis X. Becker (R-Lynbrook), Vincent T. Muscarella (R-West Hempstead),
Ed Mangano Edward P. Mangano (born March 24, 1962) is an American politician from the state of New York. A Republican, he was the Nassau County Executive from January 2010 to December 2017, and a former legislator in Nassau County, New York. He was elect ...
(R-Bethpage), Michael Fiechter (C-North Bellmore), Roger Corbin (D-Westbury), Salvatore Pontillo (R-Farmingdale), Bruce Nyman (D-Long Beach), Edward Ward (R-Wantagh), Darlene Harris (R-Uniondale), Ed Oppenheimer (D-Rockville Centre), John Canning (R-Sea Cliff),
Bruce Blakeman Bruce Arthur Blakeman (born October 2, 1955) is an American attorney and politician currently serving as the 10th County Executive of Nassau County, New York. He was elected in the 2021 election, defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Curran. He ...
(R-Woodmere), Lisanne Altmann (D-Great Neck), Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park), Barbara Johnson (D-Port Washington). According to a ''Forbes'' magazine 2012 survey, residents of Nassau County have the 12th highest median household annual income in the country and the highest in the state. In the 1990s, however, Nassau County experienced substantial budget problems, forcing the county to near
bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
. Thus, the county government increased taxes to prevent a takeover by the state of New York, leading to the county having high
property tax A property tax or millage rate is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net wealth, taxes on the change of ownership of property through inheri ...
es. Nevertheless, on January 27, 2011, a State of New York oversight board seized control of Nassau County's finances, saying the wealthy and heavily taxed county had failed to balance its $2.6 billion budgets.


Geography

According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (37%) is water. Nassau County occupies a portion of Long Island immediately east of the New York City borough of Queens. It is divided into two cities and three towns, the latter of which contain 64 villages and numerous hamlets. The county borders
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
across the
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
. Between the 1990 U.S. census and the
2000 U.S. census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...
, the Nassau County exchanged territory with Suffolk County and lost territory to Queens County. Dozens of CDPs had boundaries changed, and 12 new CDPs were listed.


Countyscape


Climate

Nassau County has a climate similar to other coastal areas of the
Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...
; it has warm, humid summers and cool, wet winters. The county is classified as
humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(''Cfa'') by some definitions, particularly closer to Queens and on the south coast (other areas of Nassau have a hot-summer
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(''Dfa'')). A significant portion of the western area of the county is ''Cfa'' due to being downwind from the
urban heat island An urban heat island (UHI) is an urban or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. The temperature difference is usually larger at night than during the day, and is most apparen ...
effect of New York City. The winters used to be colder with more snowstorms, but have warmed due to
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
. The Atlantic Ocean helps bring afternoon sea breezes that temper the heat in the warmer months and limit the frequency and severity of thunderstorms. Nassau County has a moderately sunny climate, averaging between 2,400 and 2,800 hours of sunshine annually. Average monthly temperatures in Mineola range from 31.9 °F in January to 74.9 °F in July
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State U
The hardiness zones are 7b and 7a.


Adjacent counties

Nassau County borders the following counties: *
Fairfield County, Connecticut Fairfield County is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is the most populous county in the state and was also its fastest-growing from 2010 to 2020. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 957, ...
– north * Queens County – west * Suffolk County – east *
Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...
– northwest


Transportation

In July 2017, the approval was granted by state legislators to the plan proposed by
New York Governor The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ha ...
Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cu ...
to add a third railroad track to the Long Island Rail Road corridor between the communities of
Floral Park Floral Park is an Administrative divisions of New York State#Village, incorporated village in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, United States, on Long Island. The population as of the US Census of 2010 is 15,863. ...
and Hicksville in Nassau County. The nearly US$2 billion
transportation infrastructure Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...
enhancement project was expected to accommodate anticipated growth in rail ridership and facilitate commutes between New York City and Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island. The
Long Island Expressway Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music men ...
,
Northern State Parkway The Northern State Parkway (also known as the Northern Parkway or Northern State) is a limited-access state parkway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The western terminus is at the Queens– Nassau County line, where the parkway conti ...
, and
Southern State Parkway The Southern State Parkway (also known as the Southern State or Southern Parkway; abbreviated as SO on signage) is a limited-access highway on Long Island, New York, in the United States. The parkway begins at an interchange with the Belt and C ...
are the primary east–west
controlled-access highway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
s in Nassau County.
Northern Boulevard New York State Route 25A (NY 25A) is a state highway on Long Island in New York, United States. It serves as the main east–west route for most of the North Shore of Long Island, running for from Interstate 495 (I-495) at th ...
(New York State Route 25A),
Hillside Avenue Hillside may refer to the side of a hill. Places Australia * Hillside mine, a proposed mine on the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia * Hillside, New South Wales *Hillside, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne Canada * Hillside, Nova Scotia United Ki ...
(New York State Route 25B),
Jericho Turnpike Jericho ( ; ar, أريحا ; he, יְרִיחוֹ ) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho Gov ...
(New York State Route 25),
New York State Route 24 New York State Route 24 (NY 24) is a east–west state highway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The highway is split into two segments, with the longest and westernmost of the two extending from an interchange with In ...
, and
Sunrise Highway New York State Route 27 (NY 27) is a long state highway that runs east–west from Interstate 278 (I-278) in the New York City borough of Brooklyn to Montauk Point State Park on Long Island, New York. Its two most prominent com ...
(New York State Route 27) are also major east–west commercial
thoroughfare A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way as a transit route through regularly trafficked areas, whether by road on dry land or, by extension, via watercraft or aircraft. On land, a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a multi-lane highwa ...
s across the county. The
Meadowbrook State Parkway The Meadowbrook State Parkway (also known as the Meadowbrook, the Meadowbrook Parkway or the MSP) is a parkway in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. Its southern terminus is at a full cloverleaf interchange with the Bay and Ocean ...
,
Wantagh State Parkway The Wantagh State Parkway is a long state parkway on Long Island, New York, in the United States. It links the Ocean Parkway in Jones Beach State Park with the Northern State Parkway in Westbury. The parkway is located approximately east of ...
, and
Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway New York State Route 135 (NY 135) is a state highway in eastern Nassau County, New York, in the United States. The route is a limited-access highway that connects Seaford with Syosset. The highway runs from Merrick Road (unsigned Cou ...
(New York State Route 135) are the major north–south controlled-access highways traversing Nassau County. Nassau County also has a public bus network known as NICE bus (Nassau Inter-county express, Formerly MTA Long Island Bus) that operates routes throughout the county into Queens and Suffolk counties. 24 hour service is provided on the n4, n6, and most recently the n40/41 lines.


National protected areas

*
Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge The Congressman Lester Wolff Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge, formerly known as the ''Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge'', on the north shore of Long Island, New York, consists of high-quality marine habitats that support a variety of aq ...
*
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site Sagamore Hill was the home of the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, from 1885 until his death in 1919. It is located in Cove Neck, New York, near Oyster Bay on the North Shore of Long Island,Bleyer, Bill.When LI place na ...
*Lido Beach Wildlife Management Area, a part of the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex


Demographics

At the 2019
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
, the population of Nassau County stood at 1,356,924, an increase of 17,392 since the 2010 census. At the 2010 U.S. census, there were 1,339,532 people, 448,528 households, and 340,523 families residing in the county. The population of Nassau County was estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau to have increased by 2.2% to 1,369,514 in 2017, representing 6.9% of the census-estimated State of New York population of 19,849,399Kings County (Brooklyn Borough), New York; Queens County (Queens Borough), New York; Nassau County, New York; Suffolk County, New York; New York QuickFacts
Accessed March 30, 2018.
and 17.4% of the census-estimated Long Island population of 7,869,820. At the
2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
, there were 1,334,544 people, 447,387 households, and 347,172 families residing in the county. In 2010, there were 340,523 family households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.38. The population was 23.3% under the age of 18, and 18.7% who were 62 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males. In 2019, there were 474,165 housing units and 446,977 family households. From 2015 to 2019, there was an average of 2.99 persons per household, and 21.4% of the population was under 18 years of age. At the 2019 American Community Survey, Nassau had a median household income of $116,100 and a per capita income of $51,422. About 5.6% of the population lived at or below the poverty line. The median income for a household in the county in 2010 was $72,030, and the median income for a family was $81,246 (these figures had risen to $87,658 and $101,661 respectively according to a 2007 estimate. Males had a median income of $52,340 versus $37,446 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the county was $32,151. About 3.50% of families and 5.20% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 5.80% of those under age 18 and 5.60% of those age 65 or over. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
in 2010 was 4,700 people per square mile (1,815/km2). In 2000, the population density was . According to the 2010 census, there were 468,346 housing units at an average density of .


Race and ethnicity

In 2010, the racial makeup of the county was 73.0% White (65.5% non-Hispanic white), 10.1%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.2% Native American, 7.6%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
(3.0% Indian, 1.8% Chinese, 1.0% Korean, 0.7% Filipino, 0.1% Japanese, 0.1% Vietnamese, 0.9% Other Asian), 0.03%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 5.6% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.4% from two or more races.
Hispanics The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latinos Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spaniards, Spanish and/or Latin Americans, Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include a ...
of any race were 15.6% of the population. In 2019, Nassau County's racial and ethnic makeup was 58.2% non-Hispanic white, 11.3% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian or Alaska Native, 10.3% Asian, 0.7% some other race, and 1.9% two or more races. The Hispanic and Latin American population increased to 17.5% of the population. In 2011, there were about 230,000
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
people in Nassau County, representing 17.2% of the population, (as compared to 2% of the total U.S. population). Italian Americans also made up a large portion of Nassau's population. The five most reported ancestries were Italian (23%),
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
(14%),
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
(7%),
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
(5%), and
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
(4%). The county's population was highest at the 1970 U.S. census. More recently, a
Little India Little India or India Town (less commonly known as Indian Street or India Bazaar) is an Indian or Desi (South Asian) sociocultural environment outside India or the subcontinent. It especially refers to an area with Indian residences and a dive ...
community has emerged in Hicksville, Nassau County, spreading eastward from the more established Little India enclaves in Queens. Rapidly growing
Chinatowns A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austr ...
have developed in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
and
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
, as did earlier European immigrants, such as the Irish and Italians. As of 2019, the Asian population in Nassau County had grown by 39% since 2010 to an estimated 145,191 individuals, including approximately 50,000
Indian Americans Indian Americans or Indo-Americans are citizens of the United States with ancestry from India. The United States Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Native Americans, who have also historically been referred to ...
and 40,000 Chinese Americans, as Nassau County has become the leading
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
an destination in the U.S. for
Chinese immigrants Overseas Chinese () refers to people of Chinese birth or ethnicity who reside outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese. Terminology () or ''Hoan-kheh'' () in Hokkien, ref ...
. Likewise, the
Long Island Koreatown Koreatown, Queens, or the Long Island Koreatown (), on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, is one of the largest and fastest-growing ethnic enclave, ethnic Koreans, Korean enclaves outside Korea. It includes the north-east ...
originated in
Flushing Flushing may refer to: Places * Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom * Flushing, Queens, New York City ** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens ** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens ** Flushin ...
, Queens, and is expanding eastward along
Northern Boulevard New York State Route 25A (NY 25A) is a state highway on Long Island in New York, United States. It serves as the main east–west route for most of the North Shore of Long Island, running for from Interstate 495 (I-495) at th ...
and into Nassau County. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' cited a 2002 study by the non-profit group ERASE Racism, which determined that Nassau, and its neighboring county, Suffolk, as the most de facto racially segregated suburbs in the United States.


Law enforcement

County police County police, often (but not always) called county sheriffs in the United States, are police forces existing primarily in the United States that possess primary jurisdiction over an entire county. England and Wales, two constituent countries of th ...
services are provided by the
Nassau County Police Department The Nassau County Police Department is the law enforcement agency of Nassau County, New York. History In 1925, concerned about rising crime rates, the County Board of Supervisors voted to create the Nassau County Police Department, replacin ...
. The cities of Glen Cove and
Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
, as well as a number of villages, are not members of the county police district and maintain their own police forces. The following village police departments exist in Nassau County: Centre Island, Floral Park, Freeport, Garden City, Great Neck Estates, Hempstead, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Lynbrook, Malverne, Muttontown, Old Brookville (Old Brookville P.D. provides police protection for Old Brookville, Brookville, Upper Brookville, Matinecock, Mill Neck and Cove Neck), Old Westbury, Oyster Bay Cove, Rockville Centre and Sands Point. The Port Washington Police District is not a village department but is authorized by a special district, the only such district in the State of New York. These smaller forces, however, make use of such specialized county police services as the police academy and the aviation unit. Also, all homicides in the county are investigated by the county police, regardless of whether or not they occur within the police district. On June 1, 2011, the Muttontown Police Department commenced operations. The Old Brookville Police had formerly provided police services to the Village of Muttontown. In 2006, village leaders in the county seat of Mineola expressed dissatisfaction with the level of police coverage provided by the county force and actively explored seceding from the police district and having the village form its own police force. A referendum on December 5, 2006, however, decisively defeated the proposal. Since the Long Island State Parkway Police was disbanded in 1980, all of Nassau County's state parkways have been patrolled by Troop L of the
New York State Police The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police of the state of New York in the United States. It is part of the New York State Executive Department, and employs over 5,000 sworn state troopers and 711 civilian members. History The Stat ...
. State parks in Nassau are patrolled by the
New York State Park Police The New York State Park Police (NYSPP), is the law enforcement agency of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Mission of the NYSPP The New York State Park Police provides police services consistent with the O ...
. In 1996, the Long Island Rail Road Police Department was consolidated into the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department (MTAPD) is the police agency of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority Officers of the MTAPD are fully empowered under the New York State Public Authorities Law and are com ...
. The MTA Police patrol Long Island Rail Road tracks, stations and properties. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police provides enforcement of state environmental laws and regulations. The State University of New York Police provides enforcement for
SUNY Old Westbury The State University of New York College at Old Westbury (SUNY at Old Westbury) is a public college in Old Westbury, New York, with portions in the neighboring town of Jericho, New York. It enrolls just over 5,000 students. History The State Uni ...
. The Nassau County Police Department posts the mug shots of DWI offenders as press releases on their website. This practice has come under the scrutiny of residents, media, and those pictured in these press releases. This practice has been criticized as being able to cost potential employees, students, or public figures their positions. County correctional services and enforcement of court orders are provided by the Nassau County Sheriff's Department. New York State Court Officers provide security for
courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...
s. The Nassau County Auxiliary Police are a unit of the
Nassau County Police Department The Nassau County Police Department is the law enforcement agency of Nassau County, New York. History In 1925, concerned about rising crime rates, the County Board of Supervisors voted to create the Nassau County Police Department, replacin ...
. These volunteer police officers are assigned to 1 of 38 local community units and perform routine patrols of the neighborhood and provide traffic control for local parades, races and other community events. Auxiliary Police officers are empowered to make arrests for crimes that occur in their presence. Nassau County Auxiliary Police are required to complete a 42-week training course at the Nassau County Police Academy and qualified officers are also offered Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training. Auxiliary Police officers are certified and registered by the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services as full-time "peace officers". The
City of Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the list of United States cities by population, 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the List of citie ...
has an independent auxiliary police force which is part of its municipal police force. These officers are represented by the Auxiliary Police Benevolent Association of Long Island.


Fire departments

Nassau County is currently protected and served by 71 independent
volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
or combination paid/volunteer fire departments, organized into 9 battalions. The Nassau County Fire Commission also provides logistical support to all 71 departments. * 1st Battalion * 2nd Battalion * 3rd Battalion * 4th Battalion * 5th Battalion * 6th Battalion * 7th Battalion * 8th Battalion * 9th Battalion


Law and government

The head of the county's governmental structure is the county executive, a post created in Nassau County in 1938. The current county executive is
Bruce Blakeman Bruce Arthur Blakeman (born October 2, 1955) is an American attorney and politician currently serving as the 10th County Executive of Nassau County, New York. He was elected in the 2021 election, defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Curran. He ...
, a
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
who was elected in 2021. The chief deputy county executive is Republican Arthur Walsh. The district attorney is
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Anne T. Donnelly, who was elected in 2021 replacing Acting District Attorney Joyce Smith who succeeded Madeline Singas after she was nominated and confirmed as an associate judge on the New York Court of Appeals in June 2021. Kathleen Rice, who served as the district attorney prior to Singas, was elected to the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
. The county comptroller is Elaine Phillips, a Republican who formerly served in the
New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...
; the county clerk is Republican
Maureen O'Connell Maureen C. O'Connell (born May 23, 1950) is the County Clerk of Nassau County, New York, an adjunct faculty member of the Adelphi University School of Nursing, and a member of the School of Nursing Advisory Boards of Nassau Community College, M ...
. Former elected offices chairman of the County Board of Assessors, county treasurer, and county sheriff were made appointed and serve at the pleasure of the county executive (county assessor in 2008 via referendum changing it from a six-year term to appointed).


County executive

The current Nassau County executive is Bruce Blakeman, a Republican.


Chief deputy county executive

The chief deputy county executive is the highest appointed official in the Nassau County government, serving second-in-command under the auspice of the county executive. The Chief Deputy is responsible for managing the activities of all departments of the Nassau County government, which provides services to its 1.36 million residents. The chief deputy also officially serves as the acting county executive in the absence of, or disability of the County Executive. The current chief deputy county executive is Arthur T. Walsh, who was appointed by Executive Bruce Blakeman in 2022.


Comptroller

The comptroller of Nassau County is the chief fiscal officer and chief auditing officer of the County who presides over the Nassau County Comptroller's Office. The comptroller is elected countywide to a four-year term and has no term limit. ''* George Maragos was originally elected as a Republican, but became a Democrat in September, 2016.''


County legislature

The county
legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...
has 19 members. There are twelve Republicans and seven Democrats.


Politics

For most of the twentieth century, residents of Nassau County and neighboring Suffolk County primarily supported the Republican Party in national elections. However, in the 1990s, the tide of voter support began to shift toward the Democratic Party, and the county has voted for a Democrat in every presidential election since 1992.
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
carried the county in 1992 and 1996, as did
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...
in 2000 United States presidential election, 2000, the latter two times by margins of nearly 20 Percentage point, points. John Kerry's margin in Nassau County was considerably slimmer (5.6%) in 2004 United States presidential election, 2004, where he won the towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead, but lost the Town of Oyster Bay. The county went solidly for Barack Obama in 2008 United States presidential election, 2008 and 2012 United States presidential election, 2012, both times by around 8%. Hillary Clinton did marginally worse in 2016 United States presidential election, 2016, winning by 6.2%. Joe Biden in 2020 United States presidential election, 2020 fared better than Obama at 9.5%, but still not as well as Bill Clinton and Gore. Democratic strength is chiefly concentrated in both the wealthier and lower income sections of the county. Liberal voters dominate many of the wealthy communities of the North Shore, particularly in the
Town of North Hempstead North Hempstead is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 237,639 at the 2020 census. History The area was first settled by Europeans around 1643 and became part of the town of Hem ...
where affluent villages such as Sands Point, New York, Sands Point,
Old Westbury Old Westbury is a village in the Towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 4,671 at the 2010 census. The Incorporated Village of Old Westbury i ...
, Roslyn, New York, Roslyn, East Hills, New York, East Hills, Kensington, New York, Kensington, Thomaston, New York, Thomaston, Great Neck Plaza, New York, Great Neck Plaza, and Great Neck Estates, New York, Great Neck Estates as well as the neighboring City of Glen Cove vote consistently Democratic. Democratic strongholds also include several low income municipalities in the central portion of the county, such as the Village of Hempstead, Roosevelt, New York, Roosevelt, Uniondale, New York, Uniondale and New Cassel, New York, New Cassel, as well as in a few waterfront communities on the South Shore, such as the City of
Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
and the Village of Freeport, New York, Freeport. Republican voters are primarily concentrated in the middle to upper middle class southeastern portion of the county, which developed during the "post-war boom era." Heavily Republican communities such as Massapequa, New York, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, New York, Massapequa Park, Seaford, New York, Seaford, Wantagh, New York, Wantagh,
Levittown Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their ...
, Bethpage, New York, Bethpage, and Farmingdale are the political base of many county GOP officials such as Congressman Peter T. King and former County Executive Edward P. Mangano. In the western portion of the county, wealthy Garden City is solidly Republican, as is the more middle-class community of Floral Park, New York, Floral Park. Additionally, some of the more rustic areas of the North Shore, particularly in the Town of Oyster Bay, New York, Oyster Bay usually vote for the GOP. Areas of the county containing large numbers of swing voters include East Meadow, New York, East Meadow, Oceanside, New York, Oceanside, and Rockville Centre, New York, Rockville Centre on the South Shore and Mineola on the North Shore. Several areas have changed in partisan affiliation. Formerly Democratic strongholds such as the Five Towns and parts of Great Neck, New York, Great Neck have trended to the GOP while previously Republican areas such as Elmont, New York, Elmont, Valley Stream, New York, Valley Stream and Baldwin, Nassau County, New York, Baldwin have become Democratic bastions. The New York's 2nd congressional district, 2nd District, represented by Republican Andrew Garbarino, includes heavily populated suburban neighborhoods like Massapequa, New York, Massapequa,
Levittown Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their ...
, Seaford, New York, Seaford, Wantagh, New York, Wantagh, and Farmingdale. Nassau County is home to the former district attorney, Democrat Kathleen M. Rice, whose New York's 4th congressional district, 4th District includes Garden City, Carle Place, New York, Carle Place, Hempstead (village), New York, Hempstead, Uniondale, New York, Uniondale, East Meadow, New York, East Meadow, Valley Stream, New York, Valley Stream, Franklin Square, New York, Franklin Square, West Hempstead, New York, West Hempstead and portions of the Village of Freeport and Rockville Centre, New York, Rockville Centre. Nassau County's other two congressmen are both Democrats. Representative Gregory Meeks represents the New York's 5th congressional district, 5th District, which includes the southwestern part of the county, including Valley Stream, New York, Valley Stream. Thomas Suozzi's New York's 3rd congressional district, 3rd District includes Great Neck, New York, Great Neck, Flower Hill, New York, Flower Hill, Port Washington, New York, Port Washington, Jericho, New York, Jericho, Syosset, New York, Syosset, Hicksville, Bethpage, New York, Bethpage, and Glen Cove in Nassau County. Seven out of Long Island's nine New York Senate, state senators are Republican at the start of the 2017–2019 legislative term in January 2017, with the exceptions being State Senator John Brooks and Senator Todd Kaminsky.


Education

Nassau County has 58 public school districts,
Text list
/ref> which like post office districts use the same names as a city, hamlet, or village within them, but each sets the boundaries independently. The number of districts and communities do not coincide, therefore the boundaries cannot be the same, and residences often have postal addresses that differ from the name of the hamlet and/or school district in which they are located. School districts include: K-12: * Amityville Union Free School District * Baldwin Union Free School District * Bethpage Union Free School District * Carle Place Union Free School District * Cold Spring Harbor Central School District * East Meadow Union Free School District * East Rockaway Union Free School District * East Williston Union Free School District * Farmingdale Union Free School District * Freeport Union Free School District * Garden City Union Free School District * Glen Cove City School District * Great Neck Union Free School District * Hempstead Union Free School District * Herricks Union Free School District * Hewlett-Woodmere Union Free School District * Hicksville Union Free School District * Island Park Union Free School District * Island Trees Union Free School District * Jericho Union Free School District * Lawrence Union Free School District * Levittown Union Free School District * Locust Valley Central School District * Long Beach City School District * Lynbrook Union Free School District * Malverne Union Free School District * Manhasset Union Free School District * Massapequa Union Free School District * Mineola Union Free School District * North Shore Central School District * Oceanside Union Free School District * Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District * Plainedge Union Free School District * Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District * Port Washington Union Free School District * Rockville Centre Union Free School District * Roosevelt Union Free School District * Roslyn Union Free School District * Seaford Union Free School District * Syosset Central School District * Uniondale Union Free School District * Wantagh Union Free School District * West Hempstead Union Free School District * Westbury Union Free School District Secondary: * Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District * Sewanhaka Central High School District * Valley Stream Central High School District Elementary: * Bellmore Union Free School District * Elmont Union Free School District * Floral Park-Bellerose Union Free School District * Franklin Square Union Free School District * Merrick Union Free School District * New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Union Free School District * North Bellmore Union Free School District * North Merrick Union Free School District * Valley Stream Union Free School District 13 * Valley Stream Union Free School District 24 * Valley Stream Union Free School District 30


Colleges and universities

*United States service academies, United States Service Academy **United States Merchant Marine Academy – Kings Point, New York, Kings Point * State University of New York **Nassau Community College – Garden City **State University of New York at Old Westbury, SUNY Old Westbury –
Old Westbury Old Westbury is a village in the Towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 4,671 at the 2010 census. The Incorporated Village of Old Westbury i ...
* Private university, Private **Adelphi University – Garden City **Hofstra University – Hempstead ***Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell ***Maurice A. Deane School of Law **LIU Post – Brookville, New York, Brookville **Molloy College – Rockville Center, New York, Rockville Centre ** New York Institute of Technology
Old Westbury Old Westbury is a village in the Towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 4,671 at the 2010 census. The Incorporated Village of Old Westbury i ...
***New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine **Webb Institute – Glen Cove


Sports

Nassau County is home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, who played at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, Uniondale from their inception in 1972. However, the Islanders announced in 2012 that starting in the fall of 2015, the team would be moving to Brooklyn and would play at the Barclays Center. Due to issues with Barclays Center being unable to adequately support ice hockey and declining attendance, the Islanders announced that for the 2018–19 NHL season, 2018–19 season they would split their home games between Barclays Center and the newly renovated Nassau Coliseum. In December 2017, the Islanders won a bid to build a new 18,000-seat stadium near Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, Elmont, returning them to Nassau County, UBS Arena opened in 2021. The Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association, then known as the New York Nets, formerly played their home games in Nassau County at the now-demolished Island Garden arena in West Hempstead from 1969 to 1972 and then at the Coliseum from 1972 to 1977, before the franchise moved to New Jersey—its original home for several years before coming to Long Island in the late 1960s – and eventually, to Brooklyn. The New York Cosmos (1970–1985) of the former North American Soccer League (1968–1984) played for two seasons, 1972 and 1973, at James M. Shuart Stadium, Hofstra Stadium at Hofstra University in Hempstead. The team's name was revived in 2010 with the New York Cosmos (2010) of the new North American Soccer League (2011–2017), North American Soccer League to also play at Hofstra Stadium, which had been renamed James M. Shuart Stadium in 2002. Nassau County is also the home of the New York Lizards of Major League Lacrosse, who play at Shuart Stadium. The county also operates several sports events for student-athletes, such as the Nassau County Executive Cup College Showcase. Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, Elmont is a major horse racing venue which annually hosts the Belmont Stakes, the third and final leg of the prestigious Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing. The now-demolished Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York, Westbury hosted auto racing and, from 1940 through 1988, was a popular harness racing track. Nassau is home to some famous and historic golf courses. Rockaway Hunting Club, founded in 1878, is the oldest country club in the country. The U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Open has been held in Nassau five times, once each at Garden City Golf Club, Inwood Country Club, and Fresh Meadow Country Club, and twice at Bethpage Black Course, the first ever municipally owned course. Courses consistently ranked in the top 100 in the U.S. such as Bethpage Black, Garden City Golf Club, Piping Rock Club, and The Creek are located in the county. Nassau County hosted the 1984 Summer Paralympics, marking the first Paralympic Games to be held in the United States.


Health

The first case of Coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19 was reported in March 2020. As of January 12, 2021, there have been 104,078 cases, 3,044 deaths, 2,102,900 tests conducted, and a 4.9% positivity rate. According to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
COVID-19 tracker, Nassau County's average daily case count is 1,567 (116 per capita), with 1 in 13 testing positive (the third-worst of any county in the state) and 1 in 545 dying.


Communities

Figures in parentheses are 2019 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.


Cities

* Glen Cove (27,166) *
Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
(33,454)


Towns

* Hempstead (766,980) * North Hempstead, New York, North Hempstead (230,933) * Oyster Bay (298,391)


Villages

* Atlantic Beach, New York, Atlantic Beach (1,902) * Baxter Estates, New York, Baxter Estates (1,049) * Bayville, New York, Bayville (6,732) * Bellerose, New York, Bellerose (1,162) * Brookville, New York, Brookville (3,605) * Cedarhurst, New York, Cedarhurst (6,633) * Centre Island, New York, Centre Island (409) * Cove Neck, New York, Cove Neck (301) * East Hills, New York, East Hills (7,233) * East Rockaway, New York, East Rockaway (9,814) * East Williston, New York, East Williston (2,550) * Farmingdale (9,002) * Floral Park, New York, Floral Park (15,844) * Flower Hill, New York, Flower Hill (4,889) * Freeport, New York, Freeport (42,956) * Garden City (22,454) * Great Neck (village), New York, Great Neck (10,209) * Great Neck Estates, New York, Great Neck Estates (2,879) * Great Neck Plaza, New York, Great Neck Plaza (7,027) * Hempstead (village), New York, Hempstead (55,113) * Hewlett Bay Park, New York, Hewlett Bay Park (429) * Hewlett Harbor, New York, Hewlett Harbor (1,272) * Hewlett Neck, New York, Hewlett Neck (472) * Island Park, New York, Island Park (4,886) * Kensington, New York, Kensington (1,189) * Kings Point, New York, Kings Point (5,292) * Lake Success (3,144) * Lattingtown, New York, Lattingtown (1,764) * Laurel Hollow, New York, Laurel Hollow (2,033) * Lawrence, Nassau County, New York, Lawrence (6,556) * Lynbrook, New York, Lynbrook (19,448) * Malverne, New York, Malverne (8,485) * Manorhaven, New York, Manorhaven (6,627) * Massapequa Park, New York, Massapequa Park (17,143) * Matinecock, New York, Matinecock (833) * Mill Neck, New York, Mill Neck (967) * Mineola (19,207) * Munsey Park, New York, Munsey Park (2,710) * Muttontown, New York, Muttontown (3,668) * New Hyde Park, New York, New Hyde Park (9,807) * North Hills, New York, North Hills (5,969) * Old Brookville, New York, Old Brookville (2,187) *
Old Westbury Old Westbury is a village in the Towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 4,671 at the 2010 census. The Incorporated Village of Old Westbury i ...
(4,614) * Oyster Bay Cove, New York, Oyster Bay Cove (2,254) * Plandome, New York, Plandome (1,466) * Plandome Heights, New York, Plandome Heights (1,018) * Plandome Manor, New York, Plandome Manor (902) * Port Washington North, New York, Port Washington North (3,199) * Rockville Centre, New York, Rockville Centre (24,550) * Roslyn, New York, Roslyn (2,902) * Roslyn Estates, New York, Roslyn Estates (1,233) * Roslyn Harbor, New York, Roslyn Harbor (1,108) * Russell Gardens, New York, Russell Gardens (946) * Saddle Rock, New York, Saddle Rock (988) * Sands Point, New York, Sands Point (2,905) * Sea Cliff, New York, Sea Cliff (5,020) * South Floral Park, New York, South Floral Park (1,760) * Stewart Manor, New York, Stewart Manor (1,956) * Thomaston, New York, Thomaston (2,613) * Upper Brookville, New York, Upper Brookville (1,744) * Valley Stream, New York, Valley Stream (37,431) * Westbury, New York, Westbury (15,351) * Williston Park, New York, Williston Park (7,253) * Woodsburgh, New York, Woodsburgh (780)


Census-designated places

* Albertson, New York, Albertson * Baldwin (hamlet), New York, Baldwin * Barnum Island, New York, Barnum Island * Bay Park, New York, Bay Park * Bellerose Terrace, New York, Bellerose Terrace * The Bellmores, New York, Bellmore * Bethpage, New York, Bethpage * Carle Place, New York, Carle Place * East Atlantic Beach, New York, East Atlantic Beach * East Garden City, New York, East Garden City (former; now part of Uniondale, New York, Uniondale) * East Massapequa, New York, East Massapequa * East Meadow, New York, East Meadow * East Norwich, New York, East Norwich * Elmont, New York, Elmont * Franklin Square, New York, Franklin Square * Garden City Park, New York, Garden City Park * Garden City South, New York, Garden City South * Glen Head, New York, Glen Head * Glenwood Landing, New York, Glenwood Landing * Great Neck Gardens, New York, Great Neck Gardens * Greenvale, New York, Greenvale * Harbor Hills, New York, Harbor Hills * Harbor Isle, New York, Harbor Isle * Herricks, New York, Herricks * Hewlett, New York, Hewlett * Hicksville * Inwood, New York, Inwood * Jericho, New York, Jericho * Lakeview, New York, Lakeview *
Levittown Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their ...
* Lido Beach, New York, Lido Beach * Locust Valley, New York, Locust Valley * Malverne Park Oaks, New York, Malverne Park Oaks *
Manhasset Manhasset is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York. It is considered the anchor community of the Greater Manhasset area. The population was 8,176 at the 2020 United States ce ...
* Manhasset Hills, New York, Manhasset Hills * Massapequa, New York, Massapequa * Merrick, New York, Merrick * New Cassel, New York, New Cassel * The Bellmores, New York, North Bellmore * North Lynbrook, New York, North Lynbrook * North Massapequa, New York, North Massapequa * North Merrick, New York, North Merrick * North New Hyde Park, New York, North New Hyde Park * North Valley Stream, New York, North Valley Stream * North Wantagh, New York, North Wantagh * Oceanside, New York, Oceanside * Old Bethpage, New York, Old Bethpage * Oyster Bay * Plainedge, New York, Plainedge * Plainview, New York, Plainview * Point Lookout, New York, Point Lookout * Port Washington, New York, Port Washington * Roosevelt, New York, Roosevelt * Roslyn Heights, New York, Roslyn Heights * Saddle Rock Estates, New York, Saddle Rock Estates * Salisbury, Nassau County, New York, Salisbury * Seaford, New York, Seaford * Searingtown, New York, Searingtown * South Farmingdale, New York, South Farmingdale * South Floral Park, New York, South Floral Park * South Hempstead, New York, South Hempstead * South Valley Stream, New York, South Valley Stream * Syosset, New York, Syosset * Uniondale, New York, Uniondale * University Gardens, New York, University Gardens * Wantagh, New York, Wantagh * West Hempstead, New York, West Hempstead * Woodbury, Nassau County, New York, Woodbury * Woodmere, New York, Woodmere


Former CDPs

* Baldwin Harbor, New York, Baldwin Harbor (now part of Baldwin, Nassau County, New York, Baldwin) * East Garden City, New York, East Garden City (now part of Uniondale, New York, Uniondale) * Locust Grove, New York, Locust Grove (now part of Syosset, New York, Syosset)


County symbols

* County bird: Osprey * County flower: Birdsfoot Violet (''Viola pedata'')


Notable people

*Matt Cardona – Professional Wrestler, Lived in Nassau County *Curt Hawkins, Brian Myers – Professional Wrestler, Lived in Nassau County *Jon Gabrus – Lived in Nassau County, worked at Jones Beach State Park as a lifeguard. * Bob Keeshan – (Captain Kangaroo) was born in Lynbrook * Ben Cohen (businessman), Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield – (of Ben & Jerry Ice Cream) both grew up in Merrick * Kevin James – was born in Mineola * Tatyana Ali—from North Bellmore * Carol Alt—lived in the Willistons * Criss Angel—from East Meadow * Carmelo Anthony – is said to have a home in Hewlett Harbor * Marc Anthony – had a home in Brookville, with Jennifer Lopez * Judd Apatow—raised in Syosset * Fred Armisen – grew up in Valley Stream * Ashanti (singer)—native of Glen Cove * Dave Attell—raised in Rockville Centre * Ruth Bader Ginsburg—lived in Rockville Centre after getting married * John Barry (composer)—lived in Oyster Bay * The Baldwin brothers-in age order: Alec Baldwin (b. 1958), Daniel Baldwin (b. 1960), William Baldwin (b. 1963), and Stephen Baldwin (b. 1966) – were raised in the Nassau Shores area of Massapequa *
Bruce Blakeman Bruce Arthur Blakeman (born October 2, 1955) is an American attorney and politician currently serving as the 10th County Executive of Nassau County, New York. He was elected in the 2021 election, defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Curran. He ...
– first Presiding Officer, Port Authority Commissioner, Councilman, County Executive. From Valley Stream * Nikki Blonsky—grew up in Great Neck * Stephen Boyd (American football)—native of Valley Stream * Lorraine Bracco—grew up in Hicksville * Nicholas Braun—native of Bethpage * Jim Breuer – grew up in Valley Stream * Jim Brown—grew up in Manhasset * Lenny Bruce—native of Mineola and Bellmore * William Cullen Bryant—lived at Cedarmere in Roslyn Harbor * Edward Burns – grew up in Valley Stream * Steve Buscemi and Michael Buscemi– grew up in Valley Stream * Cab Calloway—lived in Long Beach for a time * Eddie Cantor – lived in Great Neck * Theresa Caputo—lives in Hicksville * William J. Casey—lived in Bellmore and Roslyn Harbor * Vernon and Irene Castle—lived in Long Beach * Elaine Chao—grew up in Syosset * Harry Chapin—lived in Jericho * Michael Cimino—grew up in Westbury * Speedy Claxton - from Hempstead * Billy Crystal—is from Long Beach * Anthony Cumia – radio host, owns a home in Roslyn Heights * Chuck D—grew up in Roosevelt * Al D'Amato—US Senator, former Hempstead Supervisor, lived in Island Park and Lido Beach * Michelle DaRosa—also known as Michelle Nolan, grew up in Rockville Centre * Carson Daly – resides in Flower Hill * Tony Danza—Native of Malverne * Candy Darling - lived in Massapequa Park * Taylor Dayne—grew up in Baldwin * Dave DeBusschere—lived in Garden City * Gary Dell'Abate—native of Uniondale * Nelson DeMille—lives in Garden City * Ted Demme—native of Rockville Centre * Jonathan Demme—grew up in Baldwin * Brian Dennehy—grew up in Mineola * Tim Dillon (comedian), Tim Dillon-grew up in Island Park * Mort Drucker—lived in Syosset * Julius Erving—native of Roosevelt * Everlast (musician), Everlast – grew up in Valley Stream * Perry Farrell—grew up in Woodmere * D'Brickashaw Ferguson—grew up in Freeport * WC Fields – lived in Great Neck * Flavor Flav—grew up in Freeport * Whitey Ford—lived in Glen Cove * Mike Francesa – radio host. Born in Long Beach, lives in Flower Hill * Bev Francis – IFBB professional Australian female bodybuilding, female bodybuilder, powerlifting, powerlifter, and national shot put champion; lives in Syosset * Steve Weinberger – IFBB judge and powerlifting, powerlifter and husband of Bev Francis; lives in Syosset * William Gaddis – grew up in Massapequa; later lived in East Hampton * John R. Gambling – radio host; lifelong county resident * Joe Gatto (comedian)—lives in Lynbrook * Pamela Geller – blogger, author, political activist, and commentator * Debbie Gibson—grew up in Merrick * Danny Green (basketball), Danny Green – played high school basketball in Manhasset * Ellie Greenwich—lived in Levittown * Bill Griffith—raised in Levittown * Steve Guttenberg – raised in North Massapequa * Tobias Harris – basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers, lives in Syosset * John Hampson of Nine Days—lives in Wantagh * George "Gabby" Hayes—lived in Baldwin * Joey Heatherton—grew up in Rockville Centre * Ray Heatherton - lived in Rockville Centre * William S. Hofstra—lived in Hempstead * Red Holzman—lived in Cedarhurst * Al Iaquinta – grew up in Valley Stream * Dan Ingram—native of Oceanside * Joan Jett—lives in Long Beach * Billy Joel – grew up in Hicksville, and has a home in Centre Island * Christine Jorgensen—lived in Massapequa Park * JWoww—lived in Franklin Square * Donna Karen—raised in Woodmere * Andy Kaufman—raised in Great Neck and Westbury * Charlie Kaufman—grew up in Massapequa * Wendy Kaufman—lived in North Woodmere * Doris Kearns Goodwin—lived in Rockville Centre * Greg Kelly—native of Rockville Centre * Alicia Keys – once had a home in Muttontown * Jack Kirby—lived in Hewlett Harbor * Aline Kominsky-Crumb—native of Long Beach * Michael Kors—grew up in Merrick * Sandy Koufax—lived in Rockville Centre * Ron Kovic—from Massapequa * Ed Kranepool—lives in Old Westbury * Paul Krugman—grew up in Merrick * Tim Kubart—of Postmodern Jukebox is from Farmingdale * Ray Kump-grew up in Island Park * Jesse Lacey—native of Levittown * Erik Larson (author)—lived in Freeport * Cyndi Lauper - briefly lived in Valley Stream * Adam Lazzara—lived in Bellmore * Stan Lee—lived in Hewlett Harbor * Carol Leifer—grew up in East Williston * The Lemon Twigs—based out of Hicksville * John Lennon – briefly lived in Laurel Hollow * Alan Jay Lerner—lived in Centre Island * Wendy Liebman—grew up in East Hills * Scott Lipsky (born 1981) – tennis player, born in Hempstead * Peggy Lipton—raised in Lawrence * Lindsay Lohan – her family resides in North Merrick * Guy Lombardo - lived in Freeport * Jennifer Lopez – had a home in Brookville, with Marc Anthony * Susan Lucci – soap opera star grew up and still has a residence in Garden City * Chuck Lorre—native of Plainview * Lori Loughlin—raised in Oceanside * Elliot S. Maggin—DC Comics writer lived in Merrick * The Marx Brothers – lived in Great Neck * Jackie Martling - grew up in Mineola * Christopher Masterson and Danny Masterson are from East Williston * John McEnroe – lived in Cove Neck * Michael McKean—raised in Sea Cliff * Kate McKinnon of ''Saturday Night Live'' – grew up in Sea Cliff * Anne Meara—raised in Rockville Centre * John Melendez—Stuttering John from Howard Stern show—from Massapequa * Idina Menzel - from Syosset * Method Man—lived in Hempstead * Steve Madden—grew up in Lawrence * Larry Miller (comedian), Larry Miller – grew up in Valley Stream * Harvey Milk—native of Woodmere and Hewlett * MF Doom—lived in Long Beach * Eddie Money lived in Levittown * Les Moonves—grew up in Valley Stream * Rita Moreno—lived in North Valley Stream * Errol Morris—grew up in Hewlett * Sterling Morrison—native of East Meadow * John Moschitta Jr.—native of Uniondale * Charlie Murphy (actor), Charlie Murphy—grew up in Roosevelt * Eddie Murphy—grew up in Roosevelt * Elliott Murphy—from Rockville Centre * Billy Murray (singer)—lived in Freeport * John Nolan (musician)—grew up in Rockville Centre * Ole Olsen (comedian)—lived for a time in Malverne * Momina Mustehsan – Pakistani singer, engineer; lives part-time in Nassau County * Bill O'Reilly (political commentator), Bill O'Reilly – resides in Plandome; grew up in Westbury * Daryl Palumbo—lived in Bellmore * Adam Pascal—lived in Woodbury * Slim Jim Phantom—grew up in Massapequa * Natalie Portman – actress, grew up in Syosset * Gary Portnoy—lived in North Woodmere * C.W. Post and his daughter Marjorie Merriweather Post lived in Brookville. Her daughter, actress Dina Merrill spent time there too * Thomas Pynchon – born in Glen Cove and grew up in Oyster Bay * PH-1 (rapper), pH-1 – singer and rapper, grew up on Long Island * Prodigy (rapper) --- native of Hempstead * Lee Ranaldo—native of Glen Cove * Lou Reed - Grew up in Freeport * Busta Rhymes—from Uniondale * Joel Rifkin—lived in East Meadow *
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
, 26th US president, lived on Oyster Bay during his presidency. His estate, Sagamore Hill, is now a US National Historic Site * Eleanor Roosevelt and her father Elliott Roosevelt (socialite), Elliott Roosevelt lived in Salisbury * Jeff Rosenstock—from Baldwin * Lonny Ross—native of Wantagh * Bob Rozakis and Laurie Rozakis live in the town of Oyster Bay * Rick Rubin—grew up in Lido Beach * Scott Rudin—from Baldwin * Chris Russo—from Syosset * Telly Savalas—native of Garden City * Shaggy (musician), Shaggy – lives in Valley Stream * Jerry Seinfeld – grew up in Massapequa * Brian Setzer—grew up in Massapequa * Amy Schumer—from Oceanside * Adrienne Shelly—grew up in Jericho * Kevin Shinick—native of Merrick * Jamie-Lynn Sigler—native of Jericho * Helen Slater—from Bethpage * Elinor Smith—lived in Freeport * Greg Smith (American musician)—grew up in Valley Stream * Dee Snider—native of Baldwin * Lara Spencer—native of Garden City * Frank Springer—grew up in Malverne * Howard Stern - grew up in Roosevelt * Jim Steinman—native of Hewlett * Laura Stevenson—lived in Rockville Centre * Brandon Tartikoff - raised in Freeport * Taz (wrestler)—lived in Massapequa * John Tesh—native of Garden City * Vinny Testaverde—grew up in Elmont * LaMarcus Adna Thompson—lived in Glen Cove * Louis Comfort Tiffany—lived in Laurel Hollow * Moe Tucker—grew up in Levittown * Reginald VelJohnson—lives in Oceanside * Frank Viola—native of East Meadow * James Watson—lives in Laurel Hallow * Chris Weidman – Mixed martial arts, Mixed martial artist and former middleweight champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC (honored with 'Chris Weidman Day' on July 17 in Nassau County) * Leslie West—grew up in East Meadow and Lawrence * Walt Whitman—lived in Hempstead * Robin Wilson (musician)—Lives in Valley Stream * Paul Zaloom—native of Garden City * Alan Zweibel—lived in Woodmere and Wantagh * Levar Stoney – mayor of Richmond, Virginia; was born in Nassau County


See also

* List of counties in New York * List of Long Islanders *
Nassau County Police Department The Nassau County Police Department is the law enforcement agency of Nassau County, New York. History In 1925, concerned about rising crime rates, the County Board of Supervisors voted to create the Nassau County Police Department, replacin ...
* Nassau County Sports Commission * Nassau Inter-County Express * National Register of Historic Places listings in Nassau County, New York


References


External links


Nassau County official website

Nassau County Photo Gallery

Nassau Cadet Squadron 8 – Civil Air Patrol

PDF map showing LI school district boundaries and wealth comparisons

Best Places To Live in Nassau County, NY


on county website
Map of fire stations in Nassau County
{{coord, 40, 44, N, 73, 38, W, type:adm2nd_region:US-NY, display=title Nassau County, New York, 1899 establishments in New York (state) Counties in the New York metropolitan area Long Island Sound Populated places established in 1899 William III of England