Sound Beach Homes for Sale

Sound Beach Homes for Sale

Sound Beach is a hamlet and census-designated place located in the Town of Brookhaven in Riverhead County. A very small city with a suburban feel, Sound Beach has just one neighborhood—a 2.7 square mile stretch of all land. A charming place to buy a home in Suffolk County, this coastal town is perfect for anyone who appreciates rural nature in all its beauty complete with gorgeous North Shore beaches.

History of Sound Beach

Sound Beach’s rolling hills and heavily treed properties started in 1929 as a stunt by the Daily Mirror, which purchased more than 1,000 acres of land. A decade later—before rail service discontinued over a lack of business—20-by-100-foot lots began advertising for only $89.50. To promote subscriptions, the newspaper sold tiny lots to city residents looking to escape the sweltering city heat.

Life was primitive back then, when residents used kerosene lamps and outhouses rather than electricity or running water. After World War II, Sound Beach’s original cottages changed to year-round houses. Legal battles emerged over public access to narrow beaches at the foot of cliffs on the Long Island Sound. Today, locals know Sound Beach for being a great, reasonably priced place to buy a Long Island home and enjoy its unique, off-the-beaten-path character.

Demographics

A total population of 7,944 people includes 2,511 households and 1,869 families. Residents of this Suffolk County town are typically middle-aged adults around 45 years old who take home a $78,879 median income. Families average 3.7 people and a $109,525 median household income.

Sound Beach is one of the most well-educated cities in America with 46.01% of residents holding at least a bachelor’s degree—double the rate than most areas across the country.

The per capita income is $43,067—or $172,268 for a family of four—which is upper-middle income relative to New York and wealthy relative to the U.S.

Schools, business, and the local economy.

Sound Beach has no schools of its own. The lines run down the middle of the community. Half of the students attend school in Miller Place and the other half attends Rocky Point. Both school districts spend $8,932 per student and assign 18 students to a teacher.

Sound Beach’s business section is marked by a bright-red, 4-foot-tall, smiling plaster tomato with outstretched arms and legs, which sits atop Rubino’s Pizza Restaurant as a staple of the town.

A 6.1% unemployment rate combined with positive job growth makes for a strong local economy. A mixed workforce of both blue and white-collar jobs includes professionals, sales and office workers, and service providers.

The more popular careers include teaching (11.39%), sales (10.13%), and office and administrative support (9.34%). More Sound Beach residents work in computers and math than 95% of U.S. residents. There are also more artists, designers, and media professionals than 90% of communities in the country. A rich population of artists helps shape Sound Beach’s unique character and charm.

If you want to buy a home in Sound Beach, Long Island, expect a 20.5% higher cost of living than the U.S. average. The average commute is 36.2 minutes. Local public transit is widely used with train riders primarily traveling out of town to good jobs in other cities.

Real estate numbers

33.7% of homes were built in 1939 or earlier. Most housing units in Sound Beach are occupied by owners (89%)—not renters. The median home value is $329,800, which represents 6.1% home appreciation over the last decade and 18.3% appreciation in the last year.

A various mix of house styles including Tudor, Victorian, Contemporary, and Ranch-style architecture reach price ranges upwards of $1.9 million. Based on current real estate numbers and trends across Suffolk County, now is a good time to buy a Sound Beach home.

Sound Beach switched from a seller’s market to a neutral market over the last year. Today, most Sound Beach homes for sale sell under asking (67%) while the rest sell over asking (22%), and at asking (11%). Most homes sell in under 30 days (44%) with the remainder selling over 90 days (22%), and in 30 to 90 days (33%). The average time on the market is 21 days and buyers can expect to pay 101% of the seller’s asking price.

Setting and lifestyle

Sound Beach is a great place for residents to enjoy family-oriented services within a safe community. Children attend good public schools and most adults are college educated. A high rate of owner-occupied single-family homes reflects stability in the community while a low crime rate with no registered sex offenders since 2007 makes Sound Beach a great place to raise a family.

Sound Beach embodies a nautical setting with somewhat historic parts and areas that touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water like inlets and bays where residents can take in the scenery and enjoy waterfront activities.

Top pros and cons

Pros

An above-average livability score makes Sound Beach a nice place to buy a Long Island home. The cost of living is lower than the national average and most New York cities. Low crime and poverty combined with good education give residents a strong sense of overall happiness.

Cons

The population size in Sound Beach is very small. Population growth has declined steadily over the past five years, which is often linked to worsened economic conditions.

Best dining in Sound Beach

Inferno the Restaurant is where Sound Beach residents enjoy old-fashioned, hand-crafted burgers and specialty sandwiches from around the country. Sound Beach Diner is well known for its great service, friendly staff, enjoyable atmosphere, fair prices, and delicious dishes from nicely cooked sandwiches to tasty pancakes.

TJ McBrews—known as the “Superbeermarket”—is a specialty grocery store featuring craft beer on tap, a Growlers Bar with cider, weekly beer menu, and 6 and 4-packs of craft beer, snacks, juices, ice cream, and more. Wine and liquor drinkers can head to North Country Wine & Spirits, the friendly neighborhood wine and liquor store that offers gift baskets and certificates for all occasions.

Buy a Sound Beach home with Team Rita on your side.

Ready to explore Sound Beach homes for sale? Contact us today to search our database of local Suffolk County housing inventory, schedule an open house, or explore our featured properties for sale.