Shelter Island is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the Town of Shelter Island in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 1,602 at the time of the 2020 census.

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Shelter Island, New York
Hamlet and census-designated place
The Manhasset Church, located within the CDP of Shelter Island.
U.S. Census map of the CDP of Shelter Island
Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 41°3′44″N 72°19′41″W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Suffolk
Town	Shelter Island
Area [1]
• Total	12.80 sq mi (33.14 km2)
• Land	6.55 sq mi (16.97 km2)
• Water	6.24 sq mi (16.17 km2)
Elevation	52 ft (16 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,602
• Density	244.43/sq mi (94.38/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	11964
Area codes	631, 934
FIPS code	36-66828
GNIS feature ID	0965036

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The community is on Shelter Island, between the North and South Forks of Long Island, and is reachable only by ferry. Many of the properties are owned by wealthy New York City residents who use the island as a weekend retreat. Shelter Island is characterized by a quieter and less social lifestyle than that of the nearby Hamptons.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.3 km²), of which 6.5 square miles (16.9 km²) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km²), or 2.12%, is water.^[2][3]

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 1,234 people, 531 households, and 349 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 188.8 inhabitants per square mile (72.9/km²). There were 964 housing units at an average density of 147.5 per square mile (57.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.89% White, 1.05% Black or African American, 0.57% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 3.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.24% of the population.

There were 531 households, out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $43,625, and the median income for a family was $55,764. Males had a median income of $40,493 versus $34,688 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $27,202. About 4.9% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.