Dix Hills, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dix Hills, New York
Hamlet and census-designated place
A house in Dix Hills in April 2023
U.S. Census map
Dix Hills, New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Suffolk
Area
• Total	15.75 sq mi (40.79 km2)
• Land	15.75 sq mi (40.79 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	203 ft (62 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	26,180
• Density	1,662.33/sq mi (641.81/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	11746
Area code(s)	631, 934
FIPS code	36-20687
GNIS feature ID	1867400

Dix Hills is a community in New York. It is known as a hamlet and a census-designated place (CDP). This means it is a small area that is not officially a town or city, but its population is counted by the government. Dix Hills is located on Long Island, within the town of Huntington. In 2020, about 26,180 people lived there.

History of Dix Hills

Early Settlers and Name Origin

In 1699, settlers traded with the Indigenous Secatogue tribe for the land that became Dix Hills. The Secatogues lived in the northern part of this area during the late 1600s.

The land was first called Dick's Hills. A local Native American named Dick Pechegan, likely from the Secatogue tribe, is said to be the reason for the name. It was common to add an English name like "Dick" to an Indigenous name.

A scholar named William Wallace Tooker wrote that Pechegan's home and his planted fields gave the hilly area its name. By 1911, it was shortened to "Dix Hills." The area was mostly used for farming until after World War II.

Attempts to Form a Village

In the 1950s, Dix Hills and its nearby areas, Wyandanch and Melville, tried to become a single village. This new village would have been called the Incorporated Village of Half Hollow Hills. It would have covered about 50 square miles (130 km2) and included the Half Hollow Hills Central School District. However, these plans did not succeed, and the areas remained separate.

Around 2001, there were new attempts to form a village. Dix Hills, Melville, Wheatley Heights, and East Farmingdale all tried to join together. These areas were all part of the same school district. But these plans also failed, and Dix Hills remains an unincorporated hamlet today.

Geography of Dix Hills

Location and Size

Dix Hills is located in the middle of Long Island. It is on the southern edge of the town of Huntington. It also borders the town of Babylon.

The United States Census Bureau says that Dix Hills covers about 15.9 square miles (41.3 km2). All of this area is land. The larger town of Huntington, which Dix Hills is part of, covers about 137.1 square miles (355.1 km2).

Major Roads

The Long Island Expressway is a major road that runs almost straight through the center of Dix Hills.

People of Dix Hills

Population and Diversity

As of the 2020 U.S. Census, 26,180 people lived in Dix Hills. There were 7,765 households. The population density was about 1,662 people per square mile.

Dix Hills is a diverse community. About 74.7% of residents were White, 15.1% were Asian, and 3.7% were African American. About 6.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. Many residents are of East Asian origin, and there is a large Jewish population. About 25.6% of people spoke a language other than English at home, often Chinese or Korean.

Income Information

In 2021, the average household income in Dix Hills was about $184,580. The average income per person was about $75,486. About 4.9% of the population lived below the poverty line, which means they had very low incomes.

Education in Dix Hills

School Districts

Dix Hills is served by two main school districts:

• Half Hollow Hills Central School District
• Commack School District

Elementary Schools

The elementary schools in the Half Hollow Hills district are:

• Otsego
• Paumanok
• Signal Hill
• Sunquam
• Vanderbilt

Rolling Hills Elementary is part of the Commack School District and is located in Dix Hills.

Middle Schools

Middle schools serving the Half Hollow Hills district include:

• Candlewood Middle School
• West Hollow Middle School

Commack Middle School is also located within Dix Hills.

High Schools

The high schools for the Half Hollow Hills district are:

• Half Hollow Hills High School East
• Half Hollow Hills High School West

Colleges and Libraries

Five Towns College is also located in Dix Hills. The community is served by the Half Hollow Hills Community Library.

Emergency Services

Dix Hills Fire Department

The Dix Hills Fire Department provides emergency services to the community. It has about 150 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). These volunteers respond to over 2,500 calls for help each year.

The department has three stations:

• Headquarters (Company 2) is on Deer Park Avenue, north of the Northern State Parkway.
• Substation #1 (Company 3) is on Deer Park Avenue, south of the Long Island Expressway.
• Substation #2 (Company 1) is on Carll's Straight Path, south of the Long Island Expressway.

They help with many different emergencies, from fires to car accidents and medical problems.

Notable People from Dix Hills

See also

In Spanish: Dix Hills para niños