11978 ZIP Code — Westhampton Beach, NY

Suffolk County, New York

ZIP code 11978 is located in Westhampton Beach, New York, within Suffolk County. It covers approximately 10.17 square miles and serves a population of 3,969 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 631.

About ZIP code 11978

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $856,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($120,909) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 40% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 58% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 11978 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,969

population

10.17

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

11978 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 11978

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 11978. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Westhampton Beach	Acceptable
Westhampton Beach	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

11942 East Quogue (3 mi) 11977 Westhampton (3.3 mi) 11941 Eastport (5.4 mi) 11946 Hampton Bays (6.3 mi) 11901 Riverhead (7.3 mi) 11940 East Moriches (7.4 mi) 11949 Manorville (9.2 mi) 11934 Center Moriches (9.3 mi) 11933 Calverton (9.8 mi) 11948 Laurel (10.5 mi) 11955 Moriches (10.9 mi) 11968 Southampton (12.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,969
Population density	390 / sq mi
State FIPS	36
County FIPS	103

Geography
Land area	10.17 sq mi
Water area	2.38 sq mi
Latitude	40.8209
Longitude	-72.6154
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	631

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	27.6%	22.6%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	23.5%	24.7%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	29.1%	34.6%	24.4%
Over $200k	19.8%	18.0%	11.5%

Demographics & statistics

3,969

Population

390

People per sq mi

45.6

Median age

$120,909

Median household income

$82,752

Per capita income

$856,000

Median home value

$2,285

Median monthly rent

82.0%

Home ownership

10.4%

Poverty rate

4.6%

Unemployment

3,556

Housing units

57.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

112

5–9

108

10–14

104

157

15–19

150

163

20–24

156

222

25–34

212

169

35–44

162

257

45–54

246

151

55–59

145

142

60–64

135

278

65–74

265

162

75–84

154

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	705	17.8%
18 and over	3,264	82.2%
65 and over	969	24.4%
Median age	45.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 74.5%

Two or more races 8.1%

Hispanic or Latino 7.2%

Other race 4.5%

Black or African American 4%

Asian 1.7%

Group	Count	%
White	3,189	74.5%
Two or more races	345	8.1%
Hispanic or Latino	310	7.2%
Other race	192	4.5%
Black or African American	170	4%
Asian	73	1.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	27.6%	22.6%	37.0%
$50k – $100k	23.5%	24.7%	27.0%
$100k – $200k	29.1%	34.6%	24.4%
Over $200k	19.8%	18.0%	11.5%

Under $10k 4.4%

$10k–$15k 0.7%

$15k–$25k 3.9%

$25k–$35k 6.0%

$35k–$50k 9.6%

$50k–$75k 6.7%

$75k–$100k 9.6%

$100k–$150k 18.7%

$150k–$200k 12.4%

$200k+ 28.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.4%
$10k–$15k	0.7%
$15k–$25k	3.9%
$25k–$35k	6.0%
$35k–$50k	9.6%
$50k–$75k	6.7%
$75k–$100k	9.6%
$100k–$150k	18.7%
$150k–$200k	12.4%
$200k+	28.0%
Median income	$120,909

Housing

Home values

$50k–$100k 3.2%

$100k–$150k 1.1%

$150k–$200k 0.3%

$300k–$500k 11.8%

$500k–$1M 46.2%

$1M+ 37.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$856,000
Median rent / month	$2,285
Owner occupied	82.0%
Renter occupied	18.0%
Vacant	60.6%
Single-family detached	79.1%
Large apartment buildings	6.8%
Mobile homes	1.1%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.46

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	11.5%
2000–2009	9.6%
1990–1999	15.2%
1980–1989	12.6%
1970–1979	16.3%
1960–1969	12.5%
1950–1959	11.1%
1940–1949	2.9%
1939 or earlier	8.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.6%
1 bedroom	7.1%
2 bedrooms	16.8%
3 bedrooms	30.8%
4 bedrooms	24.7%
5+ bedrooms	19.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.6%
1 vehicle	35.9%
2 vehicles	33.0%
3 or more	29.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	19.3%
Electricity	12.9%
Propane / LP gas	10.3%
Fuel oil	52.4%
Wood	0.3%
Solar	2.5%
No fuel used	1.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	740	49.1%
Cohabiting couple	137	9.1%
Male householder, no spouse	266	17.7%
Female householder, no spouse	363	24.1%
Households with children under 18	378	25.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	648	43.0%
Average household size	2.55

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	41.5%	30.6%
Married	47.4%	47.7%
Separated	1.1%	0.5%
Widowed	5.0%	10.3%
Divorced	4.9%	11.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.0%

Some HS, no diploma 2.6%

HS graduate 18.5%

Some college, no degree 14.0%

Associate's degree 4.0%

Bachelor's degree 31.5%

Graduate / professional 26.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.4%
Bachelor's or higher	57.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	67	6.9%
Kindergarten	43	4.4%
Elementary school	339	34.8%
High school	227	23.3%
College / grad school	299	30.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 17.5%

Retail trade 15.3%

Professional & management 13.7%

Finance & real estate 10.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.6%

Construction 9.7%

Manufacturing 5.7%

Transportation & utilities 4.0%

Public administration 3.8%

Wholesale trade 2.8%

Agriculture & mining 2.4%

Information 2.1%

Other services 1.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	44.0%
Service	13.5%
Sales & office	24.1%
Natural resources & construction	14.8%
Production & transportation	3.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.6%
Government	11.6%
Self-employed	6.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	69.4%
Carpool	4.0%
Public transit	3.7%
Walk	3.7%
Work from home	14.3%
Other means	4.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.2

Poverty

All people 10.4%

Under 18 years 19.4%

18 and over 8.4%

Married-couple families 0.5%

Female-led households 29.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.1%
Retirement income	29.0%
Supplemental Security	3.6%
Cash public assistance	1.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	27.0%
High blood pressure	27.6%
High cholesterol	30.8%
Diabetes	7.8%
Heart disease	5.1%
Stroke	2.3%
Asthma	9.0%
Arthritis	18.9%
Kidney disease	2.5%
Pulmonary disease	4.8%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	12.1%
Binge drinking	18.4%
No physical activity	20.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.0%
Depression	15.6%
Fair or poor health	9.7%
Poor mental health	12.1%
Poor physical health	7.7%
No health insurance	11.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.2%
Visited dentist	71.0%
Cholesterol screening	92.4%
Teeth loss	9.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	188	5.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.7%
Under 18	1.6%
18–64 years	4.5%
65 and over	19.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.3%
Public insurance	40.4%
No insurance	6.1%
Uninsured under 19	0.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,868	97.5%
Spanish	259	6.7%
Other Indo-European	160	4.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	50	1.3%
Other languages	17	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,535	89.1%
Born in same state	3,524	88.8%
Born in different state	2,773	69.9%
Foreign born	11	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	434	10.9%
Not a US citizen	256	59.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	641	16.2%
French	321	8.1%
Arab	217	5.5%
German	44	1.1%
English	34	0.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	32	0.8%
Polish	28	0.7%
Norwegian	15	0.4%
Dutch	4	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.9%
Internet access	95.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 11978

What city is ZIP code 11978 in?

ZIP code 11978 is primarily assigned to Westhampton Beach, New York.

What county is ZIP code 11978 in?

ZIP code 11978 falls within Suffolk County, New York.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 11978?

58% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 11978 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 11978 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 11978 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 11978 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 11978?

The median home value in ZIP code 11978 is $856,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 11978 in?

ZIP code 11978 observes the EST timezone.