The Town of Hempstead (historically known as South Hempstead) is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) on Long Island, in New York, United States. The town's combined population was 793,409 at the 2020 census, which is the majority of Nassau County's population and makes it, by far, the largest population of any town in the United States. It occupies the southwestern part of the county, on the western half of Long Island. Twenty-two incorporated villages (one of which is named Hempstead) are completely or partially within the town. If Hempstead were to be incorporated as a city, it would be the second-largest in New York, behind New York City; it is about three times the size of Buffalo, which has long been the state's second-largest city. It would be the 18th-largest city in the country, behind San Francisco, California, and ahead of Seattle, Washington. Hempstead is thus the most populous municipality in the New York metropolitan area outside New York City. Hofstra University's campus is located in Hempstead.