Dix Hills, New York

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP of Dix Hills has a total area of 15.9 square miles (41.3 km²), all of it land.[1] The town of Huntington, of which Dix Hills is a part, has a total area of 137.1 square miles (355.1 km²), of which 94.1 square miles (243.8 km²) is land and 43.0 square miles (111.3 km²), or 31.35%, is water.[2]

Dix Hills is located centrally on Long Island, on the south edge of Huntington, bordering the town of Babylon. The Long Island Expressway cuts almost straight through the middle of the hamlet.

Settlers traded goods with the indigenous Secatogue tribe for the land that became Dix Hills in 1699. The Secatogues lived in the northern portion of the region during the later half of that century. The land was known as Dick's Hills. By lore, the name traces to a local native named Dick Pechegan, likely of the Secatogues.[3][note 1] Scholar William Wallace Tooker wrote that the addition of the English name "Dick" to the indigenous name "Pechegan" was a common practice.

Tooker wrote that Pechegan's wigwam and his planted fields became the hilly area's namesake, known as the shortened "Dix Hills" by 1911.[4] The area was mostly used for farming until after World War II.[3]

Dix Hills is served by the Half Hollow Hills Central School District and the Commack School District. The Half Hollow Hills elementary schools are Otsego, Paumanok, Signal Hill, Sunquam, and Vanderbilt.

Middle schools that serve the district are Candlewood Middle School and West Hollow Middle School. The high schools are Half Hollow Hills High School East and Half Hollow Hills High School West. Commack Middle School and Rolling Hills Elementary are both a part of the Commack School District and are located within Dix Hills. Five Towns College is also located within Dix Hills. Dix Hills has a Half Hollow Hills Community Library.[5]

Dix Hills is served by the Dix Hills Fire Department,[6] through three stations. The Dix Hills Fire Department's headquarters (Company 2) is located on Deer Park Avenue, immediately north of the Northern State Parkway. Substation #1 (Company 3) is located on Deer Park Avenue, south of the Long Island Expressway.

Substation #2 (Company 1) is located on Carll's Straight Path, about half of a mile south of the Long Island Expressway. The Dix Hills Fire Department consists of approximately 150 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians who respond to over 2,500 calls for assistance each year – ranging from fires to motor vehicle accidents to medical and traumatic emergencies. The department has four ambulances, three Heavy Rescue trucks, two pumpers, two Brush Trucks, one quintuple pumper, one Stump Jumper, and utility vehicles. It is operated under a Board of Fire Commissioners as well as one chief and three assistant chiefs.

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 26,892 people, 7,952 households, and 7,236 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,632.1 per square mile (630.0/km²). There were 8,057 housing units at an average density of 505.3/sq mi (195.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.71% White, 3.25% African American, 0.05% Native American, 7.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 1.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.82% of the population.

There were 7,952 households, out of which 44.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 82.1% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.0% were non-families. 7.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.25 and the average family size was 3.39.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

According to a 2007 estimate,[8] the median income for a household in the CDP was $137,632, and the median income for a family was $150,271. Males had a median income of over $100,000 versus $72,361 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $93,426. About 2.1% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dix Hills, New York.

• Dix Hills Performing Arts Center @ Five Towns College