Guide · Sources reviewed September 20, 2026
Moving to Nassau County: how property taxes work
Nassau’s effective rate is about 1.7% of home value, close to Westchester and North Jersey and roughly double New York City’s. Your address sets the rates, the seller’s exemptions end at closing, and most neighbors appeal every year.
How Nassau compares with other commuter areas
Measured as a share of home value, Nassau sits in the middle of the suburbs around New York City and well above the City itself. The last column applies each area’s typical rate to a $700,000 home, as an illustration only.
| Area | Effective rate, 2024 | On a $700,000 home |
|---|---|---|
| Nassau CountyLong Island | 1.72% | $12,000 |
| Suffolk CountyLong Island | 1.62% | $11,300 |
| BrooklynNew York City | 0.56% | $3,900 |
| ManhattanNew York City | 0.71% | $5,000 |
| QueensNew York City | 0.75% | $5,300 |
| BronxNew York City | 0.78% | $5,500 |
| Staten IslandNew York City | 0.88% | $6,200 |
| Westchester CountyNew York | 1.84% | $12,900 |
| Bergen CountyNew Jersey | 1.89% | $13,200 |
| Essex CountyNew Jersey | 2.10% | $14,700 |
| Union CountyNew Jersey | 2.03% | $14,200 |
| Morris CountyNew Jersey | 1.84% | $12,900 |
| Hudson CountyNew Jersey | 1.56% | $10,900 |
| Western ConnecticutConnecticut: Greenwich, Stamford, Norwalk | 1.17% | $8,200 |
| Greater BridgeportConnecticut: Fairfield, Westport, Bridgeport | 1.65% | $11,600 |
Source: the Tax Foundation, median taxes paid over median home value from the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. Rates within each county vary widely by town and school district, so use them to compare regions, not houses.
How the systems differ matters as much as the rate:
- New York City taxes homes on a capped assessment set by the City, and appeals go to the NYC Tax Commission by March 15. The low rate comes with a City income tax.
- Westchester follows the same New York State rules as Nassau, but each town or city has its own assessor and its own grievance day. The State says grievance day is typically the fourth Tuesday in May; confirm the date with the assessor.
- New Jersey towns assess, and appeals go to the County Board of Taxation by April 1 (May 1 after a town-wide revaluation). The State runs its own relief programs, ANCHOR and Stay NJ.
- Connecticut towns set a mill rate (dollars per $1,000 of assessed value), and also tax cars, a bill Long Island does not have.
Nassau is different in one way: the County, not your town, assesses almost every home, and one County commission hears every appeal.
Your address decides your rates
A Nassau bill adds up the rates of every district your home sits in: the County, your town or city, your school district, and special districts for things like sanitation, water, fire and libraries. Many homes are also in a village, which bills separately. Two houses a block apart can pay quite different amounts because a school district line runs between them.
School taxes are usually the largest part. Compare districts on our school district taxes and school levies pages, or browse every town and district. The bill calculation guide walks through the arithmetic.
The County’s value is not a price
Your bill shows an assessed value that looks tiny: the County applies a small level of assessment to its estimate of market value (0.1% for homes on recent rolls, per the County FAQ), and tax rates are set against those small figures. The County’s market value is also measured at a fixed date, so it rarely matches a recent sale price. Read understanding your assessment before comparing the numbers.
Common questions
Are Nassau County property taxes higher than New Jersey’s?
About the same, measured as a share of home value. The Tax Foundation puts Nassau’s effective rate at 1.72% for 2024, against 1.89% in Bergen County, 2.10% in Essex County and 1.56% in Hudson County. Westchester is 1.84%. The dollar bills are among the highest in the country in all of them because homes cost so much.
Figures are the Tax Foundation’s county table, built from the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. They describe the typical owner in each county, not any one town or house.
Why are New York City property taxes so much lower?
New York City taxes one-to-three family homes on a small, capped share of their value. The City’s guide says a home’s assessed value cannot exceed 6% of market value and cannot rise more than 6% a year or 20% over five years, so most homes are assessed below that. The City also collects an income tax that Nassau residents do not pay.
See the City’s Class 1 property tax guide. Leaving the City usually means a larger property tax bill and a smaller income tax bill; compare the two together.
Will my taxes go up when I buy a house in Nassau County?
The County does not reassess a home because it sold. You take over the existing assessment. What changes is the exemptions: STAR, senior, veterans’ and similar exemptions belong to the seller and end with the sale, so your first bill can be higher than the seller’s even though the assessment did not move.
Look up the address and choose “buying” on its page to see an estimate of the bill without the seller’s exemptions, where the County’s bill is on file. Then read what new owners should check.
Do I get STAR if I buy a home in Nassau County?
If the home is your primary residence and your household income qualifies, you register for the STAR credit with New York State. New buyers no longer get the STAR exemption on the bill. The State sends a check instead, so the bill itself is higher and the credit arrives separately.
Register at New York State’s STAR page, and see our STAR guide and every relief program for what else your household may qualify for.
What changes when you buy
The assessment stays with the house; the exemptions stay with the seller. A listing’s tax figure is usually the seller’s bill after their STAR, senior, veterans’ or other exemptions, so it can understate what you will pay. Apply in your own name for anything your household qualifies for: the STAR credit with the State, and the rest through the County’s exemptions office. Our exemptions guide lists them.
Two bills a year, each in two halves
Nassau sends a general tax bill (County, town and special districts) and a school tax bill, each payable in two halves, collected by your town or city receiver. If your mortgage has an escrow account, your lender pays them. The due dates guide has the exact dates.
Most of your neighbors appeal every year
Nassau homeowners can ask the Assessment Review Commission to lower their assessment each year, free and without a lawyer. Most do: a grievance was filed for 62% of the County’s one-to-three family homes on the 2028 roll. Because the levy is spread across everyone, owners who never file end up carrying a larger share. See whether it is worth it and how often your area files.
Your first-year checklist
- Before you buy, look up the address and compare the estimated bill without the seller’s exemptions with the listing’s tax figure.
- After closing, register for the STAR credit and apply for any County exemptions you qualify for.
- Check the County’s record of your home: size, bathrooms, lot and condition. A wrong record is grounds for a correction.
- Calendar the filing window, January 4–March 1, 2027. See the deadline guide, and village grievances if your home is in a village that assesses on its own.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rates and dates change each year; confirm them with the offices linked above.
Keep reading
Just bought or built a home in Nassau County?
Your price and the County’s value are measured at different times. Check the record and apply for exemptions in your own name.
How your tax bill is calculated
Taxable assessed value times each district’s rate. A grievance lowers your share, not the levy.
See how it applies to a real home
Look up any County record alongside what you’ve learned.
Check a property