Woodmere · Nassau County, NY
Living and Buying in Woodmere
A South Shore hamlet in the southwest corner of the Town of Hempstead, and one of the Long Island communities known as the Five Towns, served by the Woodmere station on the Long Island Rail Road's Far Rockaway branch. Woodmere is anchored by the Hewlett-Woodmere schools, with older established blocks inland and water-facing homes toward the bays. Here is how Woodmere is organized, and what to weigh before you buy.
Woodmere at a glance
The structural facts that shape every Woodmere purchase: the things that move value street to street, beyond the headline price a portal shows.
One hamlet
Woodmere is an unincorporated hamlet, governed directly by the Town of Hempstead, with no separate village government
Hewlett-Woodmere
The Hewlett-Woodmere district anchors Woodmere and Hewlett, with district lines drawn by the parcel
Far Rockaway branch
The Woodmere station sits on the LIRR Far Rockaway branch into Penn Station and Grand Central
Single-family
Predominantly detached resale houses, from older established homes to water-facing blocks toward the bays
What Woodmere is
Woodmere sits in the southwest corner of Nassau County's Town of Hempstead, close to the Queens line and the Rockaway shore, and it is one of the Long Island communities known as the Five Towns. Woodmere itself is an unincorporated hamlet. It considered incorporating as its own village in 1910 and again in 1978, and both efforts failed, so it remains governed directly by the Town of Hempstead. That is the first thing that shapes a purchase here: unlike its incorporated Five Towns neighbors, Cedarhurst and Lawrence, a Woodmere house answers to the town for its permits, zoning, and code, with no village layer of its own.
Buyers come for the combination: detached single-family houses, the Hewlett-Woodmere school district, and a Far Rockaway-branch station with a one-seat ride into Manhattan, in a close-in South Shore community with open water at its southern edge. Inventory is almost entirely resale houses, so two homes a few blocks apart can price very differently based on the school-district line at the parcel, how close they run to the bays and the flood map, and the condition of what is usually an older house. Reading those differences correctly is most of the work, and the reason a town-specific agent matters more than a portal estimate.
The first question on a Woodmere house is which school-district line it sits on and how close it runs to the water, because those two things move the price more than the street name does. We settle them before we talk numbers. - Kevin Leatherman, Broker, Leatherman Homes
The short answer
If you only read one section, read this one.
Woodmere is a single-family South Shore hamlet, one of the Five Towns, in the southwest corner of the Town of Hempstead. It is unincorporated, so its permits and zoning run through the Town of Hempstead rather than a village hall of its own. It is served by the Hewlett-Woodmere school district and by the Woodmere station on the LIRR Far Rockaway branch, and the housing runs from older established homes on the inland blocks to larger, water-facing houses toward the bays and channels at the south edge.
Three things drive what a Woodmere house sells for: the Hewlett-Woodmere school-district line at the parcel (drawn independently of the community name), the flood zone and elevation on the blocks that run toward the water, and the condition and permit history of what is usually an older, renovated house. None of those show up in a portal price estimate, which is why a town-specific read matters here.
Quick facts
The reference points buyers ask about first, with the public sources to confirm them in the resources section below.
- County: Nassau County, New York (Town of Hempstead)
- Region: South Shore southwest corner, one of the Five Towns
- ZIP code: 11598 (Woodmere)
- Commute: Woodmere LIRR station, Far Rockaway branch
- School district: Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools (confirmed by parcel)
- Governance: Unincorporated hamlet, governed directly by the Town of Hempstead
- Housing: Predominantly single-family resale homes
- Water risk: FEMA flood zones on the blocks toward the bays and channels
Data last verified August 2026 against the public sources linked in Sources & references below. We do not publish market medians, days-on-market, or appreciation figures here, because those move weekly and are best pulled live for the specific block you are considering.
Woodmere and the Five Towns
Woodmere reads differently block to block, and it sits inside a cluster of communities (the Five Towns) that mix hamlets and incorporated villages. Where a house sits changes the government it answers to, the schools, and the flood picture, so it helps to know the parts.
Woodmere within the Five Towns
Woodmere is one of the Five Towns, the close-in cluster in the town's southwest corner that also takes in the villages of Lawrence and Cedarhurst, the hamlet of Inwood, and the Hewletts. Woodmere sits between Hewlett and Cedarhurst. Because some of those neighbors are incorporated villages and Woodmere is not, a house a few blocks over can answer to a different local government.
The station and older core
The walkable, established heart of the hamlet runs around the Woodmere station on the Far Rockaway branch. The blocks here hold much of Woodmere's older housing stock, close to the train and the neighborhood's shops, and they are where the name's prewar character is most visible.
The water-facing south side
Toward the south, the blocks run down to the bays and channels behind the barrier islands. Some homes sit close to navigable water, and this is where flood-zone designation and elevation stack on top of the usual condition questions. Woodmere has seen real storm flooding on these blocks, so they reward a careful read.
The housing stock
Woodmere is a single-family market with very little new construction, and an older, established one, so most of what you tour is a mid-century-or-earlier house that has been renovated to some standard. These are the types you will see.
Older established houses
Woodmere has been a settled community for more than a century, and its inland blocks hold substantial older houses: colonials and center-hall homes on tree-lined streets. The variable is how far an owner took the renovation, and whether the work was permitted through the Town of Hempstead's building department.
Mid-century capes, ranches, and splits
Alongside the older stock are postwar capes, single-story ranches, and the multi-level splits that defined the mid-century South Shore. They sit on consistent suburban blocks and are easy to compare street to street, which makes condition, systems, and updates the real price driver rather than footprint.
Larger and water-facing homes
Toward the bays and channels at the south edge, the lots run to the water, and some homes sit close to navigable water. These carry the widest price range in the hamlet, because water access, elevation, and flood designation stack on top of the usual condition questions.
The Hewlett-Woodmere schools
Schools are among the biggest reasons families choose Woodmere, and the part most often misread, because the district is set by the parcel rather than by the community name.
Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools
The Hewlett-Woodmere school district anchors both Woodmere and neighboring Hewlett, running its elementary schools up through George W. Hewlett High School. It is the district many families search the name for in the first place.
District lines are drawn by the parcel
School districts in New York are drawn independently of the town, village, and hamlet lines, and the edges of the Woodmere area meet neighboring districts such as Lawrence. Two houses on nearby blocks can feed different schools, so we confirm the exact district for any home before you assume it from the address. GreatSchools publishes ratings and parent reviews for a third-party read alongside the district's own data.
The water, the parks, and the Rockaway shore
Day to day, Woodmere is a close-in South Shore hamlet with the water at its southern edge and the ocean beaches a short drive away.
The blocks on the south side run down to the bays and channels that sit behind the barrier islands, and boating and bay access are a real part of what some Woodmere addresses offer. The southern lots that back onto the water put that access within reach for the houses that sit there, and the same blocks are the ones where the flood map does as much to set value as the kitchen does.
Beyond the hamlet, the Rockaway and Atlantic Beach shorelines and the parkways toward the ocean beaches are within a short drive, and the neighboring Five Towns communities add their own downtowns and shopping close by. For buyers weighing Woodmere against an inland town, that combination (a close-in southwest-corner location, a Far Rockaway-branch commute, and open water at the south edge) is a real part of what the price reflects. Where a specific house sits relative to the station, the school-district line, and the water is worth walking in person rather than reading off a map.
What to weigh before you buy here
Four factors separate a sound Woodmere purchase from an expensive surprise. None of them show up in a headline price.
A hamlet, not a village
Woodmere is unincorporated, so its permit records, zoning, and code enforcement run through the Town of Hempstead rather than a village hall. That is different from incorporated Five Towns neighbors like Cedarhurst and Lawrence, which run their own village governments. We confirm which government a house answers to before anything else.
The school district at the parcel
The Hewlett-Woodmere district anchors the name, but district lines are drawn independently of the community boundaries, and the edges meet neighboring districts. We confirm the exact district for a home rather than assume it from the Woodmere address.
Flood zone toward the water
The blocks that run south toward the bays and channels carry flood-zone designations that vary street to street, which drives insurance cost and what lenders and future buyers will accept. We read the FEMA flood map zone and the elevation certificate before you fall for a kitchen: Woodmere has taken real storm flooding on its south side.
The commute and the Far Rockaway branch
The Woodmere station sits on the Far Rockaway branch into Penn Station and Grand Central, one of the close-in southwest-corner communities. How far a house is from the station is a house-by-house question: a real value lever worth checking in person.
Woodmere market snapshot
A live read on the Woodmere market: sold count, average sale price, and average days on market over the last 12 months, pulled from the MLS rather than a stale headline figure.
Woodmere homes on the market now
Rather than publish a median that goes stale the week after we write it, we keep the live picture here: active Woodmere listings, pulled from the MLS and refreshed daily. Filter by type, beds, or price on the full listings page.
The live Woodmere listings grid loads here, refreshed daily from the MLS. You can also open the Woodmere listings page to filter by single-family, condo, or co-op, by bedrooms, or by price.
Woodmere on the map
The landmarks that anchor a Woodmere home search: open each in Google Maps to see how a block sits relative to the station, the water, and the neighboring Five Towns.
My take on buying in Woodmere
Thirty years working the South Shore comes down to a short, honest list. Here is where Woodmere is strong, and where to go in with your eyes open.
What works in your favor
- A close-in South Shore hamlet with a Far Rockaway-branch station and a one-seat ride into the city.
- Anchored by the Hewlett-Woodmere school district, a big reason families search the name.
- One of the Five Towns, with open water and the ocean beaches a short drive from the south side.
- A genuine range of stock, from older established houses inland to larger, water-facing homes toward the bays.
What to go in clear-eyed about
- Flood zone and elevation on the blocks toward the water move both insurance cost and resale, so confirm them before you commit: Woodmere has taken real storm flooding.
- The Hewlett-Woodmere district is drawn by the parcel, so never assume it from the Woodmere address alone.
- Woodmere is a hamlet, so a neighboring Cedarhurst or Lawrence house answers to a different village government than a Woodmere one.
- Nassau County property taxes are a real carrying cost. Budget the tax line on top of the price.
How Leatherman Homes works a Woodmere purchase
Leatherman Homes has worked the Nassau South Shore since 1996, and broker Kevin Leatherman brings 30-plus years and 1,100-plus career transactions to how the team prices, negotiates, and protects a client's largest investment. On a Woodmere house that means a documented read on the school district at the parcel, the flood zone toward the water, the hamlet's permit history through the Town of Hempstead, and recent comparable sales before you write an offer: transparent guidance, real numbers, no fine print and no surprises.
Kevin is a past president of the Long Island Board of REALTORS® and of MLSli, and sits on the Board of Managers of OneKey® MLS, which means the same person reading your Woodmere contract has spent years inside the systems that move every Long Island deal. When a closing needs a contractor, an attorney, or a way through a complicated situation, that network is part of what you are hiring.
- Broker, 30+ years
- 1,100+ transactions
- Past President, LIBOR
- Past President, MLSli
- Board of Managers, OneKey® MLS
- ABR® · SFR® · e-PRO®
Kevin and his team were extremely patient and knowledgeable. Kevin made the experience of buying a home as stressless as possible. - user5818895 · Verified Zillow review★ 4.8 · 41 verified reviews on RateMyAgent
Woodmere: common questions
The questions Woodmere buyers ask us first, answered straight.
Is Woodmere a village or a hamlet?
Woodmere is an unincorporated hamlet, governed directly by the Town of Hempstead. It considered incorporating as its own village in 1910 and again in 1978, and both efforts failed, so it has no village hall of its own: permits, zoning, and code for a Woodmere house run through the Town of Hempstead. That is different from incorporated Five Towns neighbors like Cedarhurst and Lawrence, which run their own village governments.
What kind of homes are for sale in Woodmere?
Woodmere is predominantly a single-family market, and an older, established one: substantial older colonials and center-hall houses on the inland blocks, postwar capes, ranches, and split-levels alongside them, and larger, water-facing homes toward the bays and channels at the south edge. There is very little new construction, so most inventory is renovated resale stock that varies widely in condition.
Which school district is a Woodmere home in?
The Hewlett-Woodmere school district anchors both Woodmere and neighboring Hewlett, running its elementary schools up through George W. Hewlett High School. School-district lines are drawn independently of the town, village, and hamlet boundaries, and the edges of the area meet neighboring districts. The district line, drawn at the parcel level, decides the schools, so we confirm it for every house rather than assume it from the address.
Do I need to worry about flood zones in Woodmere?
The blocks that run south toward the bays and channels carry flood-zone designations that vary from street to street. We read the FEMA zone and the elevation certificate on any house you are serious about, because they drive insurance cost and resale, and Woodmere has taken real storm flooding on its south side. The inland blocks generally carry lower exposure.
Is Woodmere a good commute to Manhattan?
Woodmere has its own station on the LIRR Far Rockaway branch, with service into Penn Station and Grand Central, and it sits in the close-in southwest corner of the town. How close a house is to the station is a real value factor, and worth weighing in person.
How current are Woodmere listings on this site?
The listings grid pulls active Woodmere homes from the MLS and refreshes daily. When a listing is worth a closer look, you reach a named agent who works the South Shore.
How much do houses cost in Woodmere?
Pricing in Woodmere varies widely by block, condition, flood zone, and proximity to the water, so a single median is not a useful number to buy or sell against. Rather than publish a figure that goes stale, we pull live comparable sales for the specific block and house type you are looking at when you reach out.
Sources & references
The public records and agencies we use to confirm the facts on this page, and that you can check yourself before you buy.
- Nassau County, NY: official county government site (departments, assessment, records)
- Nassau County Department of Assessment (parcel assessment and exemptions)
- NY State Department of Taxation & Finance: property tax (ORPTS) (assessment and STAR)
- Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools (district schools and boundaries)
- Town of Hempstead (permits and zoning for the hamlet)
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center (flood zone and elevation lookups)
- MTA Long Island Rail Road (Far Rockaway branch schedules and fares)
- GreatSchools: Woodmere (third-party school ratings and reviews)
- U.S. Census Bureau (population and housing data)
Explore nearby Nassau communities
Woodmere sits in the Town of Hempstead's southwest corner, one of the Five Towns. Compare the neighboring communities and the township as a whole.
Looking at Woodmere?
See what is on the market now, or get a clear, no-pressure read on a specific Woodmere house or your own home's value.
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