New York’s sky-high tax burden


Here’s a list of 10 counties in the nation(!) with the highest property-tax burden, as measured by the percent of home value paid to taxes.

Top 10 counties in nation for property taxes

County Taxes’ % of median home value

Monroe 2.89

Niagara 2.87

Wayne 2.78

Chemung 2.61

Chautauqua 2.61

Erie 2.60

Onondaga 2.50

Camden (N.J.) 2.50

Steuben 2.49

Madison 2.43

You’ll notice that nine of the top 10 counties are in New York, a dubious honor if ever there was one.

In some ways, the list compiled by the Tax Foundation is misleading, because anywhere with low home values is going to pay a higher percentage of that value toward taxes. That’s simple math.

But, of course, there are many, many places in the U.S. with even lower home values, as this list makes clear, and counties in those places don’t make the list.


Chris Churchill

16 Responses

  1. ike says:

    vote paladino?

  2. formerclevelander says:

    the democrats here are a big machine– they keep people dependent (welfare policies) and are big supporters of our over-paid union members so good luck w/ that

  3. letsgetreal says:

    another distinction for NYS! keep voting for the democrats if you love the high taxes…

  4. emi says:

    I admit our property taxes are too high. Troy has great housing stock but why should a 250,000 home have a 7200. tax bill? However, I lived in California during the property tax revolt and saw what the results were. Libraries were closed, streets were dark, crime increased and we had homeless people sleeping in the vestibules of our office buildings.And that was in San Francisco, a relatively prosperous town.

  5. denise_R says:

    letsgetreal – yeah, because taxes were so low when Pataki was in office and the Republicans controlled the Senate.

  6. Mickey says:

    Oh yes, bash the Democrats! I wonder how many of you people are totally dependent upon State government, teaching, State contracts, etc. This is local taxes and all those rural counties are controlled by your Republican heroes. And New York isn’t Arkansas or West Virginia. Of course depressed areas in this State are going to pay more of a percentage of the value of their home than the McManion counties of Saratoga, Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, etc. and the multimillion dollar condo havens in Manhattan. Voting against your clear self-interest will only make things worse, people. Smarten up. Vote for people who will reduce property taxes by making the greedheads pay ther fair share.

  7. letsgetreal says:

    so our clear self interest is to be highly taxed? all the “greedheads” will just move out when/if they can and then you will pay even more taxes!… but i guess thats ok w/ you since you probably depend on the gov’t to tell you how to think/live/behave etc etc

  8. letsgetreal says:

    so our clear self interest is to give the gov’t more money in taxes than virtually anywhere else in the country? yeah that makes lots of sense. And then when all the “greedy” people leave b/c they are tired of paying so much of their hard earned income in taxes then you will be paying even more! but you are probably one of those people who needs the gov’t to tell you how to think/live/behave etc, etc….and lest you think i am some republican apologist i am not happy w/ them either.. to raise more revenue we need to” legalize and tax drugs (or at least pot), and instead of just taxing people who have to earn a living, how about a big tax on people who just passively inherit wealth and therefore dont have to work at all.. oh, but passive inheritors of wealth are elite democrats (guilty conscience i guess) so that aint gonna happen…

  9. letsgetreal says:

    ok, mickey (mouse) i guess our clear self interest is to be burdened by more tax than most anywhere else? and i guess you dont think this has any effct on the larger economy here, in terms of luring/keeping jobs? so just blame all the “greedy” people who make a decent living b/c they work hard, thats a great solution.. and when all those people leave then you can pay even more..

  10. letsgetreal says:

    and another thing: the fact that so many people are “dependent” on the govt is the problem.. in the words of our late great 40th president:

  11. etc says:

    “And New York isn’t Arkansas or West Virginia.” Mickey

    I’ve defended Detroit, Cleveland, and Topeka this week and now it looks like I have to defend West Virginia and Arkansas. All places that I’ve been to.

    Well, perhaps “defend” isn’t the right word.

    I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you do a lot of traveling you come to realize that it’s hard to find places worse than the cities of Albany, Schenectady, Troy, and Cohoes.

    Just sayin’.

  12. FLK says:

    If true, Why do you stay etc? Kind of kills your argument and makes you look foolish.

  13. etc says:

    “If true, Why do you stay etc? Kind of kills your argument and makes you look foolish.” FLK

    Good question.

    Answer: My job requires me to travel quite a bit. If I’m ever grounded, believe me, I’m splitsville!

    Go to and select $180,000.00 as the maximum price. Enter cities like Saint Louis, MO, Kansas City, MO, Indianapolis, IN, Bakersfield, CA, Tampa, Fl, Fort Worth, TX, Milwaukee, WI, Savannah, GA, Washington, DC, Rochester, NY, Columbus, OH, et al.

    Then do a search with the same criteria using Albany, Schenectady and/or Troy.

    You’ll see what I mean. Oh, and look at the condos in those areas as well. They’re all over the place.

  14. Connie says:

    NY taxes are the reason we’re selling our home and rental property and moving out of state. Thanks NY for pricing us out with your crazy high taxes! Who is going to support all the inner city, lazy welfare lifers when all the good taxpayers leave the state?

    For every taxpayer that smartens up and leaves NY, the rest of NY’ers have to pay higher taxes to make up for the void.


  15. Neil Weinerz says:

    Bring the tax revolt to the ’12 voting booth NY. Who sets Western NY’s tax rates? Albany? They forcing a tax war of attrition on Western NY’s stronghold of Republicans through property tax? Notice it’s just Western NY that has high tax burden, not the prancing flamboyants in Albany.

  16. Colin M says:

    @#15: Albany doesn’t have high taxes? My tax bill is certainly high. Way too high to be justified, in fact.

  17. elmer says:

    etc.–you continue to make ZERO sense, here or elsewhere.

    To explain why you live somewhere you profess to hate, you say it’s because you travel a lot. Well, if you travel a lot, why not live anywhere you want? And why live somewhere that has among the higher airline rates in the country?