Property Tax in Westchester County, New York
The median real estate tax bill in Westchester County, New York is $10,001 per year, and the median home is worth $638,400. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Westchester County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Westchester County homeowners pay more than $10,001 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $638,400, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.57%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
Westchester County by the numbers
| Measure | Westchester County | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $10,001 | $6,450 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $638,400 | $403,000 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.57% | 1.60% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $833 | $538 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Westchester County at a glance
- Median tax rank in New York: #1 of 62 counties
- Median home value rank in New York: #6 of 62
- Population rank in New York: #7 of 62 (996,888 residents)
- Population density rank: #7 of 62 (2,314 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in New York: #47 of 62 (430 sq mi, 0.9% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $833; per $1,000 of home value: $1.57
How Westchester County compares
Set against its state, Westchester County's median bill of $10,001 is about 55% higher than the New York median ($6,450). Against the country as a whole it is about 237% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #1 of 62 New York counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Westchester County's median home, at $638,400, ranks #6 by value in New York, while its derived rate of 1.57% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Westchester County: the median bill works out to about $833 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,567 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 996,888 people — the #7 most populous county in New York, spread over 430 square miles, a density of about 2,314 people per square mile. Its median home value, $638,400, ranks #6 among the state's 62 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 14 record a higher median tax bill than Westchester County — it sits in the top 1% nationally. The county holds roughly 5.0% of New York's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $638,400 versus $403,000), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.57% adds up to about 15.67% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Hamilton County, medians $2,369 — $7,632 less than Westchester County per year.
Counties nearest Westchester County in the New York ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockland County, NY | $10,001 | $564,200 | 1.77% |
| Suffolk County, NY | $10,001 | $539,500 | 1.85% |
| Orange County, NY | $8,463 | $361,100 | 2.34% |
| Dutchess County, NY | $7,226 | $368,100 | 1.96% |
How the tax is worked out
Think of the final bill as three ingredients: the assessed value of the property, the exemptions subtracted from it, and the combined rate of every district the property sits in. Westchester County's medians imply a derived rate of 1.57%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $6,268 a year, or around $522 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Westchester County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Westchester County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Westchester County, New York?
The median real estate tax paid in Westchester County, New York is $10,001 per year, on a median home value of $638,400 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Westchester County, New York?
On a derived basis, 1.57%: the county's median tax bill of $10,001 divided by its median home value of $638,400. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Westchester County compare with the rest of New York?
Westchester County ranks #1 of 62 New York counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $10,001 is about 55% higher than the New York median of $6,450.
How are property taxes calculated in Westchester County, New York?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Westchester County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $10,001 on a median home value of $638,400.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Westchester County, New York?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Westchester County assessor's office and check it for errors, then compare your assessed value with recent sales of similar homes. If it still looks too high, file a formal appeal with the local review board named on your assessment notice before the deadline printed on the notice — windows are short, often 30 to 90 days.