By Eric Berman, REALTOR® | The Eric Berman Team at Compass
Full video: The Best Towns to Move to on Long Island (21:32)
TL;DR:
There is no single best town on Long Island. There's a best town for a specific buyer, and the answer turns on three things: where the buyer works, what they can realistically spend once carrying costs are included, and how they actually want to spend a weeknight. Buyers who commute into Manhattan daily should weigh branch lines and transfers before anything else. Rockville Centre and Port Washington offer one-seat rides, while Garden City's Hempstead Branch generally means a change at Jamaica. Buyers drawn to the water should get flood insurance quotes on the specific house before writing an offer. Buyers weighing Suffolk should budget for septic systems and pull the actual tax bill rather than relying on a town-wide figure. The ten towns covered here each suit a particular kind of buyer. None of them suits every buyer, and choosing on fit rather than reputation is what separates a move that works from one that gets second-guessed.
Why "Best" Depends on the Buyer
Every relocation search on Long Island eventually lands on some version of the same question: which town is best? It's a reasonable thing to ask, and it rarely has a useful answer, because the question is missing the part that matters. A town that's ideal for someone commuting to Midtown five days a week can be a poor fit for someone whose office sits in Melville. A waterfront village that's perfect for a buyer who's on the beach a hundred days a year becomes an expensive mistake for a buyer who isn't.
The market adds pressure to that decision. Long Island is competitive right now, with inventory thin in both counties and well-prepared homes often going above asking. The video sets this context up front, because it changes how buyers need to approach the search. Relocation buyers expecting to negotiate a seller down tend to learn otherwise quickly. The practical implication is that buyers need to know which town they're shopping in before they start touring, since there often isn't time to figure it out mid-bidding.
The ten towns below are grouped by the kind of buyer each one tends to suit, not ranked against one another. For the video's own countdown, the timestamps throughout point to each segment.
For the Daily Manhattan Commuter
For a buyer riding into Manhattan most days of the week, the branch line matters more than almost anything on the listing sheet. A transfer at Jamaica adds friction twice a day, every day, and over a year that adds up to real hours.
Rockville Centre offers one of the fastest rides on the island, at roughly half an hour to Penn Station on a peak one-seat train, with service running throughout the day. Step off that train and the buyer is in a working downtown along Park Avenue and Sunrise Highway, with restaurants, coffee shops, a movie theater, and places that stay open past ten on a weeknight. The video's Rockville Centre segment spends time on the tradeoff: inventory moves in weeks, competing offers are common, and buyers who hesitate tend to lose the house. It sits in the mid-market Nassau price tier, and it rewards buyers who arrive ready to write a strong offer.
Port Washington answers the commuter question differently. It has its own LIRR branch, with direct service to both Penn Station and Grand Central Madison and no Jamaica transfer, in roughly thirty-five minutes on a peak train. That dual-terminal access is rare on Long Island and valuable for anyone whose office could be on either side of Midtown. The video explains why this matters more than most buyers initially realize. The town sits on a North Shore peninsula between Manhasset Bay and the Sound, with a walkable Main Street and a working harbor. Prices sit in the upper-mid Nassau range. The main tradeoff is geography: one primary road in and out means Port Washington Boulevard can back up at peak hours.
Garden City is among the earliest planned suburbs in the country, and it shows in the straight streets, consistent architecture, mature street trees, and village-run recreation, library, and parks. A downtown along 7th Street and a station in the middle of the village make it highly walkable. The honest commuter caveat, covered in the video, is that Garden City sits on the Hempstead Branch, where most trips involve a change at Jamaica. For a hybrid worker, or someone working on Long Island or in Jamaica, the transfer barely registers. For a five-day Manhattan commuter, it's worth riding the route once before committing.
For the Buyer Drawn to the Water
Three South Shore options suit buyers who want water access to be part of daily life. All three come with the same homework: flood exposure has to be checked house by house.
Long Beach is a barrier-island city with a boardwalk of more than two miles, a walkable downtown along Park Avenue, and a train to Penn Station in under an hour. For a buyer asking whether it's possible to live at the beach and still commute to Manhattan, this is where that works. The video is direct about the cost of that choice. Much of Long Beach falls in FEMA AE and VE flood zones, and premiums are priced to the individual structure, including foundation type, elevation, and first-floor height. Two similar houses on the same block can carry very different insurance bills. The listing price says nothing about that number, so buyers need an actual quote on the actual house, and a properly elevated post-Sandy home with a current Elevation Certificate is where most successful Long Beach purchases start.
Babylon Village offers a walkable downtown, parkland around Argyle Lake, Great South Bay frontage, and a direct train to Penn Station in about an hour. The video covers it in detail, and pricing sits below most comparable Nassau villages. The tradeoffs are demand and water: inventory moves quickly, and bayfront blocks carry flood exposure that needs to be verified before an offer.
Massapequa Park is a small incorporated village with its own government and zoning, a downtown along Park Boulevard, and a train to Penn Station in just under an hour. It generally prices below western South Shore villages like Rockville Centre and Baldwin. The video flags the key variable: flood exposure tends to increase toward the water. As a general pattern, blocks south of Merrick Road warrant closer scrutiny, but the FEMA map for the specific address is the only reliable answer.
For the Main Street Buyer Watching the Budget
Some buyers want a walkable downtown and a real Main Street but aren't prepared to pay premium Nassau village prices. Two towns fit that brief well.
Farmingdale's village, which sits in Nassau County's Town of Oyster Bay near the Suffolk line, pairs a revived Main Street with a commuter station within walking distance. Restaurants, bars, cafes, and a theater cluster near the LIRR, and Bethpage State Park is close by. Trains reach Penn Station in about an hour. The video's Farmingdale segment raises the tax point: the effective tax rate in the area runs on the higher side, and assessments can lag current market values. That means a buyer at today's price should look at the projected bill for the specific house, not a town-wide average.
Patchogue, on Suffolk's South Shore, offers among the most accessible price points of any town covered here. It has a Main Street that has come into its own over the past decade, a brewery scene, a summer concert series on the water, and Great South Bay frontage. The video lays out the tradeoffs. At roughly ninety minutes to Penn Station, it works for a hybrid worker going in once or twice a week, not a daily commuter. Like much of Suffolk, it relies on cesspools and septic systems, and the county's current rules generally require a failed cesspool to be replaced with an upgraded system rather than another cesspool. That can be a five-figure capital cost that never appears in the listing price.
For the Hybrid Worker or Long Island Commuter
For buyers who work on Long Island, or who go into Manhattan only a couple of days a week, the priorities change. Downtown character and weekend life can take priority over shaving minutes off the train.
Huntington Village has a dense, walkable downtown, with restaurants, bars, a theater, live music, and a harbor within a few blocks. It also sits near Route 110, one of the island's major employment corridors running through Melville and the Farmingdale industrial areas. The video makes this case directly: for someone working along 110, Huntington offers a short drive to the office and a downtown within walking distance of home. Manhattan commuters should plan on about an hour on the train, and the station is in Huntington Station, not the village, where parking is competitive. Buyers should also read addresses carefully. Huntington Village and Huntington Station price quite differently despite the shared name, with a gap that can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Northport Village is a harbor village with a Main Street running down to the water, boats, restaurants, a historic theater, and old brick storefronts. East Northport, next door, is served by the same Northport–East Northport school district and the same LIRR service, at a meaningfully lower price point. The video walks through that spread, and it's significant: the difference between the two often runs to several hundred thousand dollars. One distinction is worth knowing. Northport Village residents pay village taxes on top of town and county taxes, while East Northport is unincorporated, so the carrying costs differ as well as the purchase price. Commutes run over an hour to Penn Station, often with a change at Jamaica, which suits a hybrid schedule better than a daily one.
The Costs That Don't Appear on the Listing
Across all ten towns, the biggest surprises for relocation buyers tend to come from three costs that the asking price doesn't show.
The first is flood insurance, which matters in every South Shore waterfront community discussed here. Premiums follow the structure, not the neighborhood, and they can add hundreds of dollars a month to a housing budget that looked fine at the offer stage. An insurance quote and an Elevation Certificate belong at the front of the process, not the end.
The second is wastewater. Much of Suffolk relies on cesspools and septic systems rather than municipal sewers. An aging system is a real future expense, and the replacement rules now in place make that expense larger than it once was. A septic inspection is worth adding to any Suffolk purchase.
The third is property tax, and specifically the gap between a town-wide average and the bill a new owner will actually receive. Assessment rolls don't always track current sale prices, village taxes stack on top of town and county levies, and two houses a mile apart can carry very different obligations. Buyers should pull the bill on the specific house and ask what a reassessment might mean.
A Composite Relocation, Start to Finish
The following is a composite based on several similar relocations, with details changed.
A couple relocating from Brooklyn started their search the way most do: with a list of towns they'd heard good things about, led by Garden City and Huntington. One partner worked on Manhattan's East Side three days a week. The other worked in an office park along Route 110.
Before they toured a single house, they mapped both commutes. Garden City meant a Jamaica transfer for the Manhattan commuter and a longer drive for the other. Huntington Village was nearly ideal for the Route 110 commute but meant driving to the Huntington Station stop and roughly an hour on the train. Port Washington offered a one-seat ride straight into Grand Central Madison but pushed the budget further than they wanted and made the 110 drive considerably longer.
They weighed which commute happened more often and which partner's time mattered more on a given week, then chose Huntington. They focused on the village side, pulled the tax bill on every serious candidate, and budgeted for a septic inspection. When the right house came up, they had pre-approval ready and an offer strategy settled, and they won it on the first attempt. The town that had topped their original list never made the final shortlist, because it didn't match how they actually lived.
Where to Start
The sequence matters. First, map every commute in the household, including both the Manhattan trip and any Long Island job, with attention to branch lines and transfers. Second, set a budget that includes the carrying costs above, not just the purchase price. Third, narrow the list to two or three towns that pass both tests. Fourth, visit each one on a weekday evening and ride the train at least once during the hours the buyer will actually be commuting. Fifth, get fully pre-approved and settle an offer strategy before the first serious showing, because in this market the right house rarely waits.
For Long Island homeowners planning a move within the island, understanding what the current home is worth helps set the budget for the next one.
The Honest Bottom Line
Every town covered here works well for a specific buyer, and none of them works for everyone. Rockville Centre and Port Washington suit a daily Manhattan commuter. Garden City suits a buyer who values a planned village and doesn't mind the transfer. Long Beach, Babylon Village, and Massapequa Park suit buyers who want water nearby and are willing to do the flood-zone homework. Farmingdale and Patchogue suit buyers who want a Main Street without premium village prices. Huntington and the Northports suit hybrid workers and anyone whose job is on the island.
The best town on Long Island is the one where the commute fits the job, the price fits the budget once carrying costs are included, and daily life fits how the buyer wants to spend a Tuesday evening. Choosing on fit rather than reputation is what makes a move work. More on buying and selling across the region is in the Local Insights library. For buyers still working out which town fits, a conversation about the specific situation is often the fastest way to narrow the list, with no pressure either way.
A note on scope: commute times are approximate peak-hour figures and depend on schedule changes. Flood insurance, septic requirements, and property taxes vary by property and should be confirmed with an insurance professional, the relevant county health department, and the local assessor before any purchase.
FAQs
Which Long Island towns have the fastest commute to Manhattan?
Among the towns covered here, Rockville Centre and Port Washington offer the quickest one-seat rides, at roughly half an hour to thirty-five minutes on peak trains. Port Washington also has direct service to both Penn Station and Grand Central Madison without a Jamaica transfer, which is uncommon on Long Island. Garden City is close to Manhattan geographically, but its Hempstead Branch service generally involves a change at Jamaica, which adds friction for daily commuters. Farmingdale, Massapequa Park, Babylon Village, and Long Beach all run about an hour. Patchogue, Huntington, and Northport run longer and better suit hybrid schedules. Exact times depend on the train and the current LIRR schedule.
Is Long Island a good place to buy a home right now?
It depends on the buyer's timeline and preparation more than on the market itself. Long Island is currently competitive, with limited inventory in both Nassau and Suffolk, and well-prepared homes often sell at or above asking. That means buyers who arrive with full pre-approval, a settled offer strategy, and a clear idea of which towns fit have a real advantage. Buyers who plan to negotiate sellers down significantly, or who are still deciding between very different towns when a good house comes up, tend to struggle. Owning long-term generally smooths out short-term swings, so the stronger question is usually which town and house fit rather than whether now is the right moment.
What hidden costs should Long Island buyers plan for?
Three costs catch relocation buyers most often. Flood insurance in South Shore waterfront areas is priced to the individual structure and can add hundreds of dollars a month. It should be quoted before an offer, along with an Elevation Certificate. Much of Suffolk relies on cesspools and septic systems, and current replacement rules can make a failed system a five-figure expense, so an inspection is worth including. Property taxes often differ from town-wide averages because of assessment lag and village taxes layered on top of town and county levies. Pulling the actual bill for the specific house is the only reliable way to know the carrying cost.
What's the difference between Huntington Village and Huntington Station?
They share a name and a town government but price and function quite differently, with a gap that can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Huntington Village contains the walkable downtown, harbor, restaurants, and theater. Huntington Station contains the LIRR station, which means village residents typically drive to the train and compete for parking. Listings sometimes use "Huntington" loosely, so buyers should confirm exactly which area a property sits in. The same caution applies to Northport and East Northport, which share a school district and train service but differ in price and in village tax obligations.
How should a relocation buyer narrow down which Long Island town fits?
By starting with commutes rather than reputations. Mapping every regular trip in the household, including the branch line, any transfer, and any Long Island job, usually eliminates half the island right away. Next comes a budget that includes flood insurance, septic considerations, and the actual property tax bill, not just the purchase price. That typically leaves two or three candidates. Visiting each on a weekday evening and riding the train once during commute hours tends to settle what research alone can't. Buyers who follow that order usually end up somewhere that works for them rather than somewhere that looked best on paper.
By Eric Berman, REALTOR® | The Eric Berman Team at Compass
Eric Berman | Long Island & Queens Associate Broker | Compass
1468 Northern Blvd, Manhasset, NY 11030
(917) 225-8596 | eric@ericbermanre.com | theericbermanteam.com
