Hampton Bays, NY — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

Suffolk County · New York-Newark-Jersey City · population 15,228

InvestorsSmall-town feel

Hot

Momentum score · 0–100

Where Hampton Bays stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 5.8% in the last year. averaging 8.5% annual growth over 5 years. rents up 7.3% in the last year.

Median home $937,304

1-year +5.8%

5-yr CAGR +8.5%

vs 5-yr peak +0.0%

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly

Lifestyle scores

🚶

Walkability

32/100

Very car-dependent

Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.

🚉

Public transit

15/100

Transit limited

Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.

💻

Remote work fit

44/100

Marginal for remote

Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 6.0

Buy

At a 6.0 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Hampton Bays on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 6.0 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →

Home YoY

78 · w22%

Home 5-yr CAGR

81 · w22%

Distance from peak

90 · w18%

Rent YoY

85 · w12%

Home 10-yr CAGR

82 · w10%

Long thesis

Hampton Bays has averaged 8.5% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+5.8% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Hampton Bays's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Hampton Bays

Hampton Bays is a city in Suffolk County, New York, with an estimated population of 15,228. It anchors the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. The median home value in Hampton Bays is $937,304 as of 2026-04, up 5.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +8.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Hampton Bays average $13,103 per month, up 7.3% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 83 of 100 (Hot). Buyers should expect competition and limited negotiation room in this market.

▲ Bull case

●Multi-year compounder: home values up an average 8.5% per year over the last 5 years — sustained, not a one-year pop.

●Quiet strength: +5.8% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.

●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

●Hot rental market: rents up 7.3% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

●Premium territory: $937,304 median home is a high bar to clear — affordability constrains the buyer pool.

●Rental squeeze: rents up 7.3% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.

Playbook

Buyer

Expect competition, escalation clauses, and pressure to waive inspections. Make your strongest offer up front — Hot markets reward decisiveness, not negotiation. If you can't write a clean offer, you may not be the best fit for this market right now.

Seller

Price slightly above recent comps and let multiple offers work. Days-on-market should be short. Don't accept the first offer in the first 48 hours unless it's significantly above ask.

Investor

Cap rates are still workable thanks to a reasonable price-to-rent ratio. Buy-and-hold math works if the trend continues; underwrite a moderate slowdown to be safe.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Suffolk County right now.

NWS active alerts (NY)New York Emergency Management How to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Suffolk County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.