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Wading River: Waterfront homes, legacy farms, rural vibe draw buyers

Wading River Beach is tucked away along Creek Road. Credit: Joseph Sperber

By Frank LoveceSpecial to NewsdayAugust 24, 2026 5:00 am

THE SCOOP A living embodiment of old-timers' stories about when Long Island was mostly farms, Wading River is out of the way — and residents prefer it.

"We are the gateway to the agricultural East End," said Town of Riverhead Councilman Kenneth Rothwell, a more than 30-year resident.

"When my wife and I got married, it's where we chose to build our home," Rothwell said. "We've raised our children here. It is a family community, an agricultural community, still rural."

"There's just farm after farm after farm," agreed real estate agent Holly Brainard, half of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty's O'Dwyer-Brainard team that specializes in this North Shore region.

"You throw your keys in any direction, you're going to hit a farm," she said. "You can't imagine skyscrapers or railroad cars when you're out there."

Andrews Family Farm on Sound Avenue is one of several longtime... — Andrews Family Farm on Sound Avenue is one of several longtime staples in Wading River. Credit: Joseph Sperber

And these are genuine old farmsteads, like the third-generation Andrews Family Farm, the fourth-generation Lewin Farms, and, despite a Manorville address, the more than 70-year-old Fink's Country Farm. They've survived and flourished by expanding from crops and farm stands to include family activities like corn mazes, farm-themed playgrounds and livestock experiences.

Such outdoor activity is a big part of Wading River's appeal. Wildwood State Park, with camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, swimming and more, is entirely within the hamlet's borders. Nearby, Wading River Beach, on Long Island Sound, has swimming, a boat ramp, a playground and accessibility features as a beach mat, ramp and beach wheelchair on request.

North Shore Rail Trail, another accessible site stretching 10.4 miles from Wading River to Mount Sinai, offering biking, walking and skating.

Don and Julie Doherty take their dog Copper for a... — Don and Julie Doherty take their dog Copper for a walk on Creek Road in Wading River. Credit: Joseph Sperber

Yet restaurants, from fine-dining to four pizzerias, abound. Local landmarks include La Plage, Watermark of Wading River, Phil's, with live entertainment and 50+ TV screens, Blue Water Fish and, touted Rothwell, "the Greek Island Diner. On a Sunday, there's lines out the door to get in."

A King Kullen supermarket anchors the Wading River Commons shopping center. Boutiques abound at The Shoppes, part of the East Wind event, hotel, dining and spa complex.

Wading River's roads are mostly country lanes, though Route 25A runs through it and Route 25/Middle Country Road marks its southern border.

The housing stock is "really varied," Brainard said. Aside from old converted summer cottages are "ranches, Capes, Colonials, historic homes," she said. "A big majority are on pretty substantially wooded properties."

Homes along Creek Road, top, and Hulse Avenue in Wading River. Credit: Joseph Sperber

That rural flavor, she noted, means it's not "a commuter town at all. You'd have to drive about a half hour to Port Jefferson to get the [Long Island Rail Road], which then could take you over two hours to get to the city."

And the community likes it that way: The Suffolk County Legislature in July unanimously voted to acquire more than 6 acres along Route 25A in the hamlet for $4.42 million, sidestepping overdevelopment from a proposed 37,000-square-foot shopping center.

As well, Rothwell said, "Some of the farms in Wading River have sold their development rights so that they won't become turned into housing projects. We intend to keep what we have."

SALE PRICES Between Aug. 13 last year and Aug. 12 this year, there were 87 home sales with a median sale price of $786,250, according to OneKey MLS. During the same period a year earlier, there were 83 home sales with a median sale price of $700,000.

CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are no condos or co-ops on the market.

OTHER STATS

Population 8,359

Median age 46.7

Median home value $770,000

Monthly LIRR ticket from Port Jefferson $394.50

School districts, graduation rates Shoreham-Wading River (96%), Riverhead (76%)

Libraries North Shore, Riverhead

Transit Suffolk County Transit Route 62

Sources: 2024 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR; data.nysed.gov; Suffolk County Transit

RECENTLY SOLD

$879,000