Seaford, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Seaford, New York
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A Seaford welcome sign.
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Location in Nassau County and the state of New York
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 Seaford, New York
Location in Long Island
Seaford, New York
Location in New York
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| County | Nassau |
| Town | Hempstead |
| Named for | Seaford, East Sussex |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.67 sq mi (6.90 km2) |
| • Land | 2.61 sq mi (6.76 km2) |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.15 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 15,251 |
| • Density | 5,843.30/sq mi (2,256.31/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
11783
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| Area code(s) | 516 |
| FIPS code | 36-66058 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0964724 |
Seaford is a community in Nassau County, New York. It is located on the South Shore of Long Island. In 2020, about 15,251 people lived there. Seaford is part of the town of Hempstead.
Contents
Seaford's Location and Size
Seaford is a "census-designated place." This means it is a community that the government counts for population, but it is not an official city or town.
The area of Seaford is about 2.6 square miles (6.7 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small part being water.
The History of Seaford
The first people to live in the Seaford area were the Marsapeaques. They were a Native American tribe. They called this land "Great Water Land."
European settlers arrived later. Captain John Seaman came from Seaford, East Sussex in England. He got the official right to the land. He helped create the first European settlement here, which was called Jerusalem South. People also often called it Seaman's Neck.
During the 1800s, many villages on Long Island grew. This was because the Long Island Rail Road made travel easier. But Jerusalem South stayed mostly the same. In 1868, the town was renamed "Seaford." This honored Captain Seaman's hometown in England.
Seaford remained a farming area for a long time. It slowly gained a post office, a church, and a small school with one room. This school building is now the Seaford Historical Museum. Even though the town itself did not change much, people from New York City discovered it. They liked to visit Seaford as a place to relax in the summer.
In 1929, the Sunrise Highway was built. After this, many new people started moving to Seaford. Before 1929, only about 1,200 people lived here. Within 25 years, the population became three times bigger.
Seaford's Early Economy
In the early days, farmers in Seaford grew crops like corn and wheat. Because Seaford is near the water, people also tried to fish and collect oysters. This was hard at first because of the land under the water.
In the mid-1800s, local fishermen created a special boat. It was a small, round-bottomed boat called the "Seaford skiff." They used these boats for fishing and hunting waterfowl to sell.
Hunting and fishing became very popular. Two hotels were built along Merrick Road: the Sportsman's Hotel and the Powell Hotel. Many famous people came to these hotels to hunt ducks in South Oyster Bay. This included New York Yankees baseball stars Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Local guides like Nelson Verity helped them.
Who Lives in Seaford?
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 15,791 | — | |
| 2020 | 15,251 | — | |
| U.S. decennial census | |||
In 2000, there were 15,791 people living in Seaford. There were 5,257 homes and 4,200 families. Most people in Seaford were white. A small number of people were African American, Native American, or Asian. About 1.71% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
About 37.2% of homes had children under 18 living there. Most homes (68.4%) were married couples living together. The average home had 3 people, and the average family had about 3.38 people.
The median age in Seaford was 38 years old. This means half the people were younger than 38 and half were older. About 25.2% of the population was under 18.
In 2000, the median income for a home in Seaford was $78,572. For families, it was $85,751. A small number of families (2.8%) and people (3.6%) lived with lower incomes.
Education in Seaford
Seaford has its own public school district called the Seaford Union Free School District. This district includes:
- Seaford Harbor Elementary School (Kindergarten to 5th grade)
- Seaford Manor Elementary School (Kindergarten to 5th grade)
- Seaford Middle School (6th to 8th grade)
- Seaford High School (9th to 12th grade)
Seaford also has two private schools: Saint William the Abbot Catholic School and Maria Regina School.
The school district is managed by a Board of Education and a Central Administration. They make decisions about education and money.
Seaford High School teaches many subjects. These include art, business, computer science, English, health, and different languages like French, Spanish, and American Sign Language. They also teach math, music, physical education, science, and social studies. Students can take advanced (AP) courses in many of these subjects.
In 2010, about 3,296 students went to public schools in Seaford. Another 984 students went to private schools. Seaford High School has about 786 students and 62 full-time teachers.
Sports and Activities in Seaford Schools
Sports and clubs are important parts of school life in Seaford. The elementary schools (Manor and Harbor) do not have school sports teams. But they do have clubs and an after-school program called SCOPE.
Seaford Middle School offers many school sports. These include wrestling, volleyball, softball, baseball, lacrosse, and basketball. The middle school also has a drama program that puts on a musical each year.
Seaford High School has many of the same sports as the middle school. These are offered at different levels, like varsity and junior varsity. The high school also has clubs such as Students Against Destructive Decisions and Gay Straight Alliance.
Seaford Public Library
The Seaford Public Library is located at 2234 Jackson Avenue. A group of trustees manages the library. They make sure the library helps the community. The library's goal is to give people in the Seaford School District facts and chances to learn new things.
You need a free membership to use the library's resources. Members can borrow books any day except Sunday. The library also has movies, documentaries, and magazines to borrow.
The library hosts many events for both kids and adults. Kids can enjoy crafts, scavenger hunts, and book clubs. One special event is "reading to dogs." Kids can read to friendly therapy dogs. The library also lets members borrow items like telescopes for a week. Adults can join book discussions online using Zoom.
The Seaford Public Library can be used in person or from home. Their online website has a newsletter, event calendar, and research databases.
Being a library member has many benefits. Besides books and events, you can get free passes to fun places. These include the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and the Long Island Children’s Museum.
Cedar Creek Park
Cedar Creek Park is in the southern part of Seaford. It has playgrounds, sand dunes, and sports fields. The park offers many activities for the community. The Cedar Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant is next to the park.
After Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, Cedar Creek Park became a help center. Organizations like the American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offered services there. Insurance companies also helped people file claims for damage.
Sports in Seaford
Seaford is home to the Long Island Broncos. This group started in 1966. It is one of the oldest Youth Football and Cheer organizations on Long Island.
Seaford also has Police Athletic Leagues for different sports. The local Catholic church, St. William the Abbott, offers Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) sports. These include baseball, basketball, swimming, and volleyball. Maria Regina also has many CYO sports. The Seaford Little League offers baseball and softball.
Getting Around Seaford
Seaford has a train station on the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road.
Buses from Nassau Inter-County Express also serve Seaford. The n54 bus goes along Jerusalem and Washington Avenues and stops at the train station. The n19 bus runs along Merrick Road, south of the station.
Famous People from Seaford
Many interesting people have connections to Seaford:
- Liberty DeVitto: A drummer famous for playing with Billy Joel.
- Courtney Henggeler: An actress known for the show Cobra Kai.
- Al Iaquinta: A real-estate agent and a UFC fighter.
- Jesse Kinch: A singer, songwriter, and musician.
- Peter T. King: A former representative for New York in Congress.
- Matthew Koma: A singer, songwriter, and musician.
- Sean Nolin: A Washington Nationals pitcher (baseball player).
- Eric Tuchman: An Emmy Award-winning producer and screenwriter for The Handmaid's Tale.
- Jim Valvano: A famous college basketball coach who led North Carolina State University to win the 1983 NCAA tournament.
- Karol J. Bobko: A NASA astronaut. He was the first person to fly on three different Space Shuttle missions. He was the pilot for the first flight of the Challenger in 1983. He also commanded missions on the Discovery and Atlantis. He moved to Seaford when he was 13.
See also
In Spanish: Seaford (Nueva York) para niños
