The best beach towns in New York

Summer vacation is mostly over across the U.S., with kids already headed back to school. So now is the perfect time to start planning next year's beach vacation.

Travelers were busy during summer 2023. On Memorial Day weekend, largely considered the unofficial start of summer, the Transportation Security Administration screened 9.8 million people, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Trips abroad spiked in popularity as people made up for time lost during pandemic-era travel restrictions.

However, as inflation made travel more expensive, budget-conscious travelers cut costs by driving to their destinations and staying stateside. During the July 4th holiday, AAA projected 43.2 million people would travel by car, a new record.

Beach destinations were popular this year, according to a survey from vacation-rental platform Vacasa, and outdoor recreation remains a top priority. Not only are beaches a great place to unwind and create family bonding moments, but they also boost people's mental health.

So what makes a good beach town? Access to a beach, of course, but also plenty of indoor and outdoor activities to keep kids entertained, warm weather, and a long beach season—the average number of days beaches are open for swimming.

Stacker determined rankings by several factors, giving the most weight to the number of beaches within a quarter mile of a city or town and the total shoreline of those beaches. Weather patterns and the duration of each beach's swim season affect town scores. The ranking also takes into account the prevalence of beach-related businesses, unemployment rates, and median home prices.

Correction

A previous version of this article contained multiple errors in data analysis that skewed the overall ranking of beach towns, including incorrectly identifying the number of beaches in some towns and mischaracterizing some municipalities as beach towns. The article has been updated to correct the errors.

#25. Bayville, New York
- Number of beaches: 6
- Beach length: 1.91 miles
- Average swim season length: 88 days
- Average county summer temperature: 75.5 degrees
- Median home price: $592,800

#24. Huntington Bay, New York
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 0.34 miles
- Average swim season length: 104 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $1,464,300

#23. Westhampton, New York
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 0.53 miles
- Average swim season length: 100 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $880,600

#22. Baiting Hollow, New York
- Number of beaches: 5
- Beach length: 1.53 miles
- Average swim season length: 97 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $464,100

#21. Centerport, New York
- Number of beaches: 5
- Beach length: 0.3 miles
- Average swim season length: 104 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $674,400

#20. Fort Salonga, New York
- Number of beaches: 6
- Beach length: 2.83 miles
- Average swim season length: 90 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $712,700

#19. Glen Cove, New York
- Number of beaches: 5
- Beach length: 1.34 miles
- Average swim season length: 100 days
- Average county summer temperature: 75.5 degrees
- Median home price: $560,100

#18. Sound Beach, New York
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 0.31 miles
- Average swim season length: 105 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $338,000

#17. Nissequogue, New York
- Number of beaches: 5
- Beach length: 1.49 miles
- Average swim season length: 106 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $906,700

#16. Oak Beach, New York
- Number of beaches: 1
- Beach length: 7.59 miles
- Average swim season length: 113 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $435,000

#15. Captree, New York
- Number of beaches: 1
- Beach length: 7.59 miles
- Average swim season length: 113 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $435,000

#14. Southold, New York
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 0.65 miles
- Average swim season length: 100 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $658,700

#13. Montauk, New York
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 1.91 miles
- Average swim season length: 102 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $1,045,300

#12. Kings Park, New York
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 2.5 miles
- Average swim season length: 110 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $463,100

#11. Rocky Point, New York
- Number of beaches: 6
- Beach length: 0.37 miles
- Average swim season length: 105 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $346,500

#10. Long Beach, New York
- Number of beaches: 4
- Beach length: 4.14 miles
- Average swim season length: 100 days
- Average county summer temperature: 75.5 degrees
- Median home price: $588,900

#9. Rye, New York
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 3.14 miles
- Average swim season length: 101 days
- Average county summer temperature: 74.6 degrees
- Median home price: $1,670,000

#8. Mamaroneck, New York
- Number of beaches: 5
- Beach length: 1.92 miles
- Average swim season length: 177 days
- Average county summer temperature: 74.6 degrees
- Median home price: $667,300

#7. Atlantic Beach, New York
- Number of beaches: 23
- Beach length: 8.49 miles
- Average swim season length: 100 days
- Average county summer temperature: 75.5 degrees
- Median home price: $775,500

#6. New Rochelle, New York
- Number of beaches: 10
- Beach length: 3.77 miles
- Average swim season length: 102 days
- Average county summer temperature: 74.6 degrees
- Median home price: $607,200

#5. East Atlantic Beach, New York
- Number of beaches: 8
- Beach length: 4.37 miles
- Average swim season length: 100 days
- Average county summer temperature: 75.5 degrees
- Median home price: $824,300

#4. Fire Island, New York
- Number of beaches: 24
- Beach length: 11.27 miles
- Average swim season length: 100 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $390,600

#3. Lido Beach, New York
- Number of beaches: 13
- Beach length: 9.95 miles
- Average swim season length: 101 days
- Average county summer temperature: 75.5 degrees
- Median home price: $712,100

#2. Gilgo, New York
- Number of beaches: 9
- Beach length: 12.48 miles
- Average swim season length: 102 days
- Average county summer temperature: 73.1 degrees
- Median home price: $435,000

#1. New York, New York
- Number of beaches: 27
- Beach length: 20.89 miles
- Average swim season length: 99 days
- Average county summer temperature: 76.4 degrees
- Median home price: $668,800