There will be time to more fully digest the results of the 2020 census and what it means for eastern Long Island, but we would like readers to focus on one fact for now: East Hampton Town grew by almost a third between 2010 and 2020.
While the actual number of people here varies by season and the census is generally believed to be an undercount, the fact remains that East Hampton’s resident population skyrocketed in those 10 years. The growth has put tremendous strain on the environment, roads, power grid, emergency, internet, and phone services, schools, and social institutions. The overarching question now: Do we believe that East Hampton could handle another decade of similar growth?