Water Mill, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Water Mill, New York
Hamlet and census-designated place
Water Mill gets its name from a claim that the first watermill in New York was built there in 1644.
Water Mill, New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Suffolk
Area
• Total	12.79 sq mi (33.13 km2)
• Land	10.58 sq mi (27.39 km2)
• Water	2.21 sq mi (5.73 km2)
Elevation	39 ft (12 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,506
• Density	236.95/sq mi (91.48/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	11976
Area code(s)	631
FIPS code	36-78575
GNIS feature ID	1867422

Water Mill is a small community in New York. It is called a hamlet and a census-designated place (CDP). It is located on Long Island in Suffolk County. Water Mill is part of the Town of Southampton.

In 2010, about 1,559 people lived here. The area's ZIP Code is 11976. Water Mill is known for being a very expensive place to live. In 2023, it was the fifth most expensive ZIP Code in the United States. It was also the second most expensive in New York State. The average price for a home was about $4,950,000.

History of Water Mill

In 1644, England gave Edward Howell 40 acres (16 ha) of land. This land was near the new settlement of Southampton. Howell was asked to build a mill there. Settlers could use this mill to grind their grain into meal.

The mill became a well-known place. People started to describe other settlements by saying they were "east or west of the watermill." By the 1800s, the area was called Water Mills. Later, its name was changed to Water Mill.

The original Water Mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Today, Water Mill is special because it is the only place on the South Fork of Long Island that has both a working watermill and a windmill. Both the Watermill and the James Corwith gristmill are important historical landmarks.

Water Mill is now a popular vacation spot. It has beautiful beaches, farms, and very large houses. Many famous people own homes or vacation here. Some of these include Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, and Matt Lauer. The young adult novel The Long Secret by Louise Fitzhugh also takes place in Water Mill.

In November 2012, the Parrish Art Museum opened in Water Mill. It moved there from Southampton, where it was first started in 1898.

Geography of Water Mill

Water Mill is located at 40° 55' 0" North and 72° 20' 50" West. The United States Census Bureau says that the total area of this CDP is 12.0 square miles (31.1 km2). Out of this, 10.5 square miles (27.3 km2) is land. The remaining 1.5 square miles (3.8 km2), or 12.34%, is water.

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  The U.S. post office in Water Mill

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  Old Wind Mill on the town green across from the Villa Maria convent

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  Corwith Windmill, Water Mill, NY

Population and People

In 2000, there were 1,724 people living in Water Mill. There were 722 households and 475 families. The population density was about 157 people per square mile (60.6/km2). There were 1,461 housing units.

Most of the people living in Water Mill were White (95.42%). About 2.49% were African American, and 0.70% were Asian. About 3.31% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 24.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (57.2%) were married couples living together. About 25.9% of all households were single people. About 10.9% of households had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household had 2.38 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 20.1% were under 18. About 19.8% were 65 or older. The average age was 46 years.

The average income for a household in Water Mill was $84,400. For families, the average income was $84,272. The average income per person was $59,987. A small number of families (4.9%) and people (8.3%) lived below the poverty line.

See also

In Spanish: Water Mill para niños