Hempstead (village), New York
Hempstead is a
village in
Nassau County,
New York,
United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 56,554.
The Incorporated Village of Hempstead is an incorporated village in the
Town of Hempstead.
It is sometimes referred to "Hempstead Village" to clarify between the Town of Hempstead.
Hempstead is one of the few black majority neighborhoods on Long Island. In addition, it is home to a large
Salvadoran population.
Hempstead is the birthplace of rapper
Method Man.
Every summer, the
New York Jets hold their training camp at
Hofstra University in Hempstead, although the area itself is more a melting pot of Hempstead and Uniondale, the adjacent town.
Settlement began with the purchase of land from local tribes in 1643.
With the closure of
Mitchel Air Force Base the economy of the village altered sharply.
Hempstead is located at (40.704962, -73.617363).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 9.5
km² (3.7
mi²). None of the area is covered with water.
As of the
census of 2000, there were 56,554 people, 15,188 households, and 11,178 families residing in the village. The
population density was 5,933.6/km² (15,366.1/mi²). There were 15,579 housing units at an average density of 1,634.5/km² (4,232.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 25.67%
White, 52.48%
Black or
African American, 0.53%
Native American, 1.32%
Asian, 0.06%
Pacific Islander, 15.22% from
other races, and 4.74% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 31.81% of the population.
There were 15,188 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were
married couples living together, 27.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.41 and the average family size was 3.76.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 16.3% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $45,234, and the median income for a family was $46,675. Males had a median income of $29,493 versus $27,507 for females. The
per capita income for the village was $15,735. About 14.4% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.
Hempstead consists of several areas or 'hoods' that occasionally don't get along and have been known to be one of the main sources of crime. Originally there were only two sides of town, The Heights, or Hempstead Heights and The Hills. Over the years several new turfs have been established, including Terrace (also known as TA or Terrace Ave.), Parkside, Trackside and Midway. Parkside and The Heights have been at war since the mid-nineties. Hempstead Schools are known for their lack of school buses, which led to and helps sustain the high dropout rate. Less than 30% of students who enter 9th grade in Hempstead will graduate. Students who live on Hempstead Heights walk 30 minutes to school, which is in the middle of Parkside. Hempstead was also the first LI town that had to deal with the Salvodorean gang, MS or La Mara Salvatrucha. The violence this gang exhibited led to the formation of their archrivals, SWP or Salvadoreans with Pride. Many of these facts aren't known outside of Hempstead, due to the lack of news coverage from the Long Island news station, Channel 12. For example, when Channel 12 reports on Hempstead Public Schools, they usually show a stock photo of school buses leaving the ABGS Middle School, as if they were dropping children at home, when they were only there for a field trip. This slanted media coverage shields wealthier Long Islanders from the plight of children in the village of Hempstead and other disadvantaged parts of Long Island, including Wyandanch and Roosevelt.
*
Hofstra University*
Hofstra University Arboretum*
Official Village of Hempstead Site
