Medford, New York

Medford, New York
Hamlet and census-designated place
Northbound NY 112 approaching Medford Station
U.S. Census Bureau map
Medford, New York U.S. Census Bureau map
Coordinates: 40°49′4″N 72°59′10″W / 40.81778°N 72.98611°W / 40.81778; -72.98611Coordinates: 40°49′4″N 72°59′10″W / 40.81778°N 72.98611°W / 40.81778; -72.98611
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Suffolk
Area
• Total	10.8 sq mi (28.0 km2)
• Land	10.8 sq mi (28.0 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	89 ft (27 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	24,142
• Density	2,200/sq mi (860/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	11763
Area code(s)	631
FIPS code	36-46404
GNIS feature ID	0956903

Medford is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 24,142 at the 2010 census.^[1]

Medford is a community in the southwest part of the Town of Brookhaven. It is served by the Patchogue-Medford School District, except for extreme southeastern Medford, which is served by the South Country Central School District, and extreme northeastern Medford, which is served by the Longwood Central School District. Some neighborhoods in Yaphank have Medford's zip code (11763).

History

The Long Island Rail Road established the Medford Station in 1843 in a flat wilderness in the Long Island Central Pine Barrens. The station connected to the Patchogue Stage Road between Patchogue and Port Jefferson, and a post office was established.^[2]

In 1850 the LIRR auctioned the land around the station. The O.L. Schwenke Land & Investment Co. bought 4 square miles (10 km²) and then subdivided the land into 25-by-100-foot (7.6 by 30.5 m) lots which sold for $10 to $75. The land remained poor for farming. According to legend, in a marketing attempt a mock factory with a phony roof was built near the tracks, and when a train neared, tar paper was burned to give the impression that a booming industry existed in the community.^[2]

In 1907 the LIRR established the Medford Prosperity Farm (officially called Experimental Station #2) on 80 acres (320,000 m²) to show that crops could be raised in the Pine Barrens. Theodore Roosevelt visited the station in August 1910. As the car drove across a trail between Medford and Wading River, it got stuck in the mud and Roosevelt was said to take a "flying leap" to get out.^[2]

Growth and development

By the mid-to-late-20th century, developers were building new neighborhoods within Medford. Eagle Estates was built along Horse Block Road east of NY 112 in 1963, although it was planned as far back as the 1930s. The development included a King Kullen shopping center on Horse Block Road west of Eagle Avenue, and a youth baseball and athletic field east of Sipp Avenue between Wave and Race avenues. The Long Island Expressway was built through Medford in 1970, with interchanges at NY 112 and Horse Block Road, the latter of which is close to an older interchange with Horse Block Road and Long Island Avenue, and was not completed until 1999. The Pines was established in the 1970s east of Buffalo Avenue, south of Jamaica Avenue, north of Woodside Avenue and far west of Patchogue-Yaphank Road.

A segment of Peconic Avenue east of Buffalo Avenue has been lined with automotive junk yards since the mid-20th century. Two long-standing auto wreckers have been Medford Auto Wreckers and Gershow Recycling.

Geography

Medford is located at 40°49′4″N 72°59′10″W / 40.81778°N 72.98611°W / 40.81778; -72.98611 (40.817733, −72.986125).^[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 10.8 square miles (28.0 km²), all land.^[1]

Medford is crossed by several busy roadways, including Horseblock Road (Suffolk CR 16), NY 112, Patchogue-Yaphank Road/Sills Road (Suffolk CR 101) and the Long Island Expressway.

Public transportation in Medford has been provided by the Long Island Rail Road since the town was created. Suffolk County Transit provides bus service.

Demographics of the CDP

As of the census^[4] of 2000, there were 21,985 people, 6,791 households, and 5,629 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,088.5 per square mile (806.1/km²). There were 6,939 housing units at an average density of 659.2/sq mi (254.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.18% White, 3.98% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.38% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.11% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.79% of the population.

There were 6,791 households out of which 42.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.1% were non-families. 13.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 3.52.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $67,153, and the median income for a family was $70,493 (these figures had risen to $81,400 and $90,323 respectively as of a 2007 estimate^[5]). Males had a median income of $46,485 versus $30,427 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,579. About 1.5% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Tricia Cast, soap opera actress
• Bryant Neal Vinas, convicted of participating in and supporting al-Qaeda plots in Afghanistan and the U.S., and helping al-Qaeda plan a bomb attack on the LIRR
• Marcus Stroman, Pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.

References

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