Southold is a somewhat small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of New York. With a population of 6,040 people and two associated neighborhoods, Southold is the 275th largest community in New York.

Southold home prices are not only among the most expensive in New York, but Southold real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Of important note, Southold is also a town of artists. Southold has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Southold’s character.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 9.19% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Another notable thing is that Southold is an extremely popular destination for tourists and seasonal residents. So much of the population is seasonal such that the town’s population swells significantly during the vacation season, and drops again when the season ends. Because of this, much of the local economy is centered around tourism; some businesses may be operated only during the high season. During the low season, year-round residents will notice that the city is a substantially quieter place to live.

Because of many things, Southold is a very good place for families to consider. With an enviable combination of good schools, low crime, college-educated neighbors who tend to support education because of their own experiences, and a high rate of home ownership in predominantly single-family properties, Southold really has some of the features that families look for when choosing a good community to raise children. Is Southold perfect? Of course not, and if you like frenetic nightlife, it will be far from your cup of tea. But overall this is a solid community, with many things to recommend it as a family-friendly place to live.

One of the nice things about Southold is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.

Even though Southold is a smaller town, it has many people who hop on public transportation – mostly taxis for their daily commute to work. Typically, these people are commuting to good jobs in the surrounding cities.

Southold is one of the most well-educated cities in the nation. 46.66% of adults in Southold have at least a bachelor's degree. Compare that to the average community in America, which has just 21.84% with a bachelor's degree or higher.

The per capita income in Southold in 2022 was $72,072, which is wealthy relative to New York and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $288,288 for a family of four.

Southold is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Southold home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Southold residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Southold also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 14.14% of the town’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Southold include German, Irish, Italian, English, and Polish.

Foreign born people are also an important part of Southold's cultural character, accounting for 15.24% of the town’s population.

The most common language spoken in Southold is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Polish.