Living in Locust Valley, NY: Taxes, Schools, Homes

Locust Valley is an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of Oyster Bay. This page sets out the numbers a buyer or renter needs first: income and home values, the Oyster Bay tax calendar, the school district, the train and the Town’s beaches. It sits among the other North Shore towns, and a nearby hamlet to compare is Glen Head.

Is Locust Valley wealthy or expensive? Income, home values and rents

Locust Valley’s median household income is $152,472 in the Census Bureau’s ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, with a margin of error of $30,984. Median family income is $162,813, with a margin of error of $72,867. The median value of an owner-occupied home is $846,500, with a margin of error of $46,441. Median gross rent is $2,324 a month, with a margin of error of $536.

The hamlet is mostly owner-occupied. Of 1,241 occupied housing units, 1,069 are owner-occupied and 172 are renter-occupied. The median home was built in 1945, with a margin of error of seven years. Population is 4,153 in the ACS and was 3,571 at the 2020 census. The 2020 census median age was 41.9 years, with 22.9% of residents under 18 and 15.8% aged 65 or older. It counted 1,268 households, 33.7% of them with children under 18. Of 1,339 housing units, 5.3% were vacant, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 1.1% and a rental vacancy rate of 6.0%.

History, landmarks and the hamlet’s boundaries

Locust Valley is a hamlet and census-designated place in the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County. The census-designated place has a total area of 0.9 square miles. Its climate is humid subtropical, with cool, wet winters and hot, humid summers. In 1667, Captain John Underhill negotiated with the Matinecock to buy land for a settlement called Buckram. The name was changed to Locust Valley in 1856, after the number of locust trees in the area.

The Cock-Cornelius House, the Matinecock Friends Meetinghouse and the George Underhill House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Locust Valley Cemetery is a private, non-denominational memorial designed by the Olmsted Brothers. The Locust Valley Cemetery was incorporated in 1917. A commercial center developed around the Locust Valley station and the nearby intersection of Forest Avenue/Buckram Road and Birch Hill Road.

How property taxes work in Locust Valley

The Town of Oyster Bay Receiver of Taxes bills property taxes on more than 100,000 parcels in the Town. The office acts as a collection agency for State, County, Town, special district and school district taxes.

There is a 40-day penalty-free period between the due date and the penalty date. Miss the last penalty-free day and the charge is 1% per month, retroactive to the original due date. After the collection period ends, on May 31 for school taxes and August 31 for general taxes, unpaid taxes are payable to the Nassau County Treasurer in Mineola. The Receiver’s frequently asked questions page carries these rules.

Taxpayers have the right to file a grievance on their property’s assessed value. Grievances go to the Nassau County Assessment Review Commission. The 2026 window closed March 31, 2026, after the County extended it. The Town’s page gives the usual grievance period as January 2 to March 1. The next opportunity to file follows the County’s next tentative assessment roll. New owners should register for STAR school tax relief as soon as the home becomes their primary residence. Basic STAR has a $500,000 income limit for the credit and $250,000 for the exemption, and its benefit is based on the first $30,000 of a home’s full value. The property must be the primary residence of an eligible owner. For county-wide mechanics, see Nassau County property taxes.

Schools: Locust Valley Central School District

Locust Valley Central School District covers the incorporated villages of Lattingtown, Matinecock and Bayville, portions of Mill Neck, Muttontown and Brookville, and unincorporated Locust Valley. Its four campuses are Ann MacArthur Primary, Locust Valley Intermediate, Bayville Primary & Intermediate and a shared middle-high school in Lattingtown. It reported 1,754 K-12 public school students in 2024-25.

The NYSED School Report Card profile lists a four-year graduation rate of 94% for 2024-25, an attendance rate of 94% and a suspension rate of 3%. The district enrolled 81 English Language Learner students. For the wider picture, see the North Shore school districts guide.

Commuting from Locust Valley by LIRR

On April 19, 1869, the Long Island Rail Road opened the extension of the Glen Cove Branch to Locust Valley. The railroad was extended to its current terminus in Oyster Bay in 1889. A temporary alternate plan for the branch ran weekdays from September 2 to November 9, 2025; that schedule is past and is not the current timetable. Use the TrainTime app for current schedules. Details on service patterns are in the LIRR Oyster Bay Branch guide.

Beaches and boating through the Town

Residents use Town of Oyster Bay beaches. Harry Tappen Beach, Marina and Pool has a 267-slip marina, a swimming pool, a boat launching ramp and kayak racks. Stehli Beach offers Long Island Sound swimming and kayak launching. TOBAY Beach and Marina has ocean and bayside beaches, a transient marina and a spray park.

The Town’s beach page lists daily opening from June 27 to September 7, 2026. The daily entry fee is $25 at all Town beaches, and a seasonal sticker costs $70 per vehicle. Town residents aged 60 and over can obtain a free parking sticker. Eligible volunteers and veterans can buy a resident discount sticker for $35. The beach and park permits guide explains how to apply.