WANTAGH, LONG ISLAND

Wantagh, Long Island

Wantagh is a hamlet that consists of two-designated place located in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, New York. It is in the southeastern part of the Town of Hempstead. The portion of Wantagh that is north of Jerusalem Avenue is considered North Wantagh and the portion south of Jerusalem Avenue is considered just Wantagh or sometimes even South Wantagh. As of the 2000 census, there were 18,971 people, 6,179 households, and 5,215 families residing in the CDP. The median income for a household in the CDP was $83,916, and the median income for a family was $91,019. Males had a median income of $61,162 and only $40,403 for females. The latitude of Wantagh is 40.683N. The longitude is -73.51W. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 23 feet.

The hamlet was originally name as Jerusalem South and Ridgewood. It was named after a Montauk chief. Wantagh is considered a town for married couples and families. Households are larger than most, which is consistent with the family importance of the town. It has also a large middle class. Wantagh finds a smaller share of its people living in poverty than most places in the state. According to the famous researchers in New York, Wantagh is very safe to live with only one registered sex offender living in town in early 2007.

Notable people living in Wantagh include Arthur Apicella (contestant on Average Joe: The Joes Strike Back), Rob Cesternino (third place finisher in Survivor: Amazon), Alan Zweibel (author), and Vincent Accardi (guitarist). The racial-makeup of the hamlet comprises of 96.75% White, 0.20% Black or African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.34% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Most of its resident’s were Italian, Irish, German, Polish, and English. The community is served by Wantagh Union Free School District which has five schools including Forest Lake Elementary School, Mandalay Elementary School, Wantagh Elementary School, Wantagh Middle School and Wantagh High School. All five schools have been named “New York State Schools of Excellence” and “United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence”. The district has 99% of its students going on to higher education and 72% continuing their education at four-year colleges. The Wantagh Public Library has various collections of books such as encyclopedias, almanacs, trusted reference series, and many more. The town has everything you would wish for – beautiful surroundings, great eating places and pubs, activities through out the year, beaches, nature parks, and an old-fashioned museum. The famous Jones Beach State Park is also located in Wantagh making it known as “The Gateway to Jones Beach”.

--- Wantagh Schools Board of Education --- Wantagh Fire Department