Tompkins County, New York property tax
The median homeowner in Tompkins County, New York pays $6,374 a year in property tax on a home worth $271,500, an effective rate of 2.35%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 2.35%, Tompkins County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. A high rate applied to a home worth $271,500 is what makes the bill $6,374. Counties in this position usually fund schools locally and have little commercial or industrial base to spread the burden across.
It ranks #19 of 62 New York counties by effective rate, against a statewide 1.60%, and #37 nationally. The state runs from 3.00% in Orleans County down to 0.69% in Kings County.
The median home costs 3.72 times the median household income of $73,012, close to the national 3.86. The county has 102,879 residents, which is small enough that the medians describe a reasonably coherent market.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Tompkins County | New York | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 2.35% | 1.60% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $6,374 | $6,450 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $271,500 | $403,000 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,374 | $1,576 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $73,012 | $84,578 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.72× | 4.76× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 22.58% | 22.36% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 53.83% | 54.31% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 102,879.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County | 2.23% | $10,001 | $448,000 |
| St. Lawrence County | 2.28% | $2,735 | $119,800 |
| Ontario County | 2.20% | $4,460 | $202,900 |
| Steuben County | 2.52% | $3,245 | $128,600 |
| Wayne County | 2.55% | $4,168 | $163,400 |
Tompkins County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Tompkins County, New York?
The effective rate is 2.35% of home value, from a median tax bill of $6,374 against a median home value of $271,500. That is 1.37 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Tompkins County?
Roughly $9,400 a year at the county effective rate of 2.35%.
Is Tompkins County expensive compared with the rest of New York?
It ranks #19 of 62 New York counties by effective property tax rate, and #37 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.75 points above the New York average of 1.60%.
What does housing cost in Tompkins County?
The median home is worth $271,500 and median gross rent is $1,374 a month. Median household income is $73,012, which puts the home at 3.72 times annual income and rent at 22.58% of it.