Long Island dominates New York’s Best Places to Live — and it’s not even close

Long Island didn’t just show up in Niche’s 2026 best places to live rankings. It took over.

Nassau County placed seven communities in New York’s top 10 and 11 in the top 25, with Kensington claiming the No. 1 spot in all of New York state.

Suffolk County also represented the island well, with Stony Brook finishing No. 42 statewide — tops in the county — and Centerport not far behind behind at No. 49.

Niche posted the rankings Friday on its website.

Combined, Long Island placed dozens of communities among New York’s top 100 Best Places to Live, spanning from tight-knit North Shore villages to established South Shore suburbs.

Nassau’s performance was historic by any measure. Great Neck Plaza finished No. 2 statewide, Manhasset No. 3, and Garden City No. 5. Lake Success, Syosset, and Searingtown rounded out Nassau’s top-10 statewide contingent. The Great Neck area alone placed five separate communities in Nassau’s top 20.

Suffolk’s strength was concentrated along the North Shore, where Cold Spring Harbor (No. 121), Northport (No. 124), West Hills (No. 125), and Port Jefferson (No. 131) all cracked the state’s top 135.

Niche’s annual report uses a combination of federal and local data — including public school quality, crime rates, and housing trends. They also take millions of resident reviews under consideration to determine its rankings.

Nationally, Atlantic Station in Atlanta ranked as the best place to live in America, followed by Colonial Village in Arlington, Virginia, and Evergreen Park in Palo Alto, California.

Nassau County — top 20 ‘Best Places to Live‘

Nassau Rank	Place	NY Rank
1	Kensington	1
2	Great Neck Plaza	2
3	Manhasset	3
4	Garden City	5
5	Lake Success	7
6	Syosset	8
7	Searingtown	9
8	Thomaston	11
9	Great Neck Gardens	12
10	Munsey Park	15
11	East Williston	19
12	Plainview	26
13	Old Bethpage	30
14	Russell Gardens	34
15	Roslyn	36
16	Bellerose	38
17	Malverne	39
18	Great Neck Estates	43
19	Hewlett	44
20	Jericho	46

Suffolk County — top 20 ‘Best Places to Live‘

Suffolk Rank	Place	NY Rank
1	Stony Brook	42
2	Centerport	49
3	Dix Hills	91
4	Poquott	101
5	Cold Spring Harbor	121
6	Northport	124
7	West Hills	125
8	Port Jefferson	131
9	Brightwaters	148
10	Melville	157
11	Village of the Branch	161
12	Halesite	169
13	Head of the Harbor	174
14	Elwood	206
15	Nesconset	221
16	Commack	228
17	Greenlawn	231
18	Old Field	233
19	Huntington Bay	249
20	E. Farmingdale	256

_{Top: Heckscher Park in Huntington (GLI file photo)}