# Merrick, New York

Merrick is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. As of the 2019 census, the population was 20,130.

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.2 square miles (13 km$^2$), of which 4.2 square miles (11 km$^2$) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km$^2$), or 19.27%, is water.
Merrick has a climate that is bordering upon hot-summer humid continental (Dfa) and humid subtropical (Cfa.) The Cfa zone is found along Merrick's coast. The average monthly temperatures in the town centre range from 31.7 °F in January to 74.8 °F in July. The local hardiness zone is 7b.

## Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,764 people, 7,524 households, and 6,478 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 5,423.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,093.9/km$^2$). There were 7,602 housing units at an average density of 1,811.1 per square mile (699.3/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.18% White, 0.56% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races.
There were 7,524 households, out of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.0% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.9% were non-families. 11.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $93,132, and the median income for a family was $99,589. (According to a 2007 estimate, these values had risen to $111,536 and $122,319 respectively.) Males had a median income of $79,607 versus $41,618 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,334. About 2.0% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

## Education
### School districts

Merrick is served by the Merrick and North Merrick Union Free School Districts for elementary education, and by the Bellmore–Merrick Central High School District for secondary education.

## Transportation

Merrick is served by the Merrick station on the Long Island Rail Road on the Babylon Branch.

## Notable people

* Craig Allen, Fox News weatherman
* Roone Arledge, former president of ABC Sports/News
* Frank Bartkus, soccer player
* Justin Beck, guitarist in the band Glassjaw
* Melissa Howard Beck, cast member, The Real World New Orleans
* Ed Begley, actor
* Ed Begley Jr., actor
* Janet Billig, record executive, Broadway producer
* Brian Bloom, actor
* Schuyler V. Cammann, professor of Oriental Studies, University of Pennsylvania
* Vinnie Caruana, lead singer of I Am the Avalanche and The Movielife
* Leonard Chang, author
* CheapyD, owner of Cheap Ass Gamer
* Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry's ice cream
* Doreen Cronin, children's author
* Doug Ellin, writer/creator of Entourage
* Paul Feinman (1960–2021), associate judge of the New York Court of Appeals
* Amy Fisher, the "Long Island Lolita"
* Frank Frazetta, fantasy artist
* Bill Freiberger, Emmy-nominated writer/producer of The Simpsons, The PJs
* Debbie Gibson, singer
* Matthew Nuccio, Toy Designer
* Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben and Jerry's ice cream
* Ryan Hunter, lead vocalist of the band Envy On The Coast
* Danny Kopec, international chess master
* Michael Kors, fashion designer
* Paul R. Krugman, 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics, New York Times columnist, professor and scholar
* Scott Lipsky (born 1981), tennis player
* The Lohan family, including Lindsay, Michael Jr., Ali, Dakota and Dina Lohan
* Elliot S. Maggin, writer
* Romeo Muller, screenplay writer of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Frosty the Snowman, Little Drummer Boy
* Constantinos Philippou, mixed martial artist
* Mario Puzo, author of the novel The Godfather (later adapted to film by Francis Ford Coppola)
* Peter Ragone, public affairs expert and entrepreneur
* Steve Rifkind, hip hop entrepreneur
* Robbie Rosen, singer, contestant on season 10 of American Idol
* Noah Rubin (born 1996), tennis player
* Matt Cardona, WWE professional wrestler, former WWE Intercontinental Champion and WWE United States Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion
* Sha Na Na (George and Rob Leonard), Woodstock festival, Grease album rock group
* Kevin Shinick, Emmy-winning writer, best selling author, notably Robot Chicken and Star Wars Force Collector, in which he named a planet "Merokia" after his home town. Was the host of the PBS game show Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?
* James Siegel, author of Derailed, adapted to a film starring Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen
* Lou Silver, American-Israeli basketball player
* Marc Slutsky, musician
* Bruce Sussman, songwriter
* Lee Tepper, co-founder of MerchDirect with Glassjaw's Justin Beck

## In popular culture
### Films

* 2002 – Blue Vinyl (dir. Daniel B. Gold and Judith Helfand)
* 2019 – Abigail (dir. Max Hechtman and Christonikos Tsalikis)

### Television

* 1996 - 2005 – Everybody Loves Raymond – The homes used for the exterior shots for Frank and Marie's residence and Raymond and Debra Barone's residence in the show are located within the hamlet, at 136 and 135 Margaret Boulevard, respectively.