Long Island property tax by town

Median property tax bill, median home value, and effective tax rate for every 15 Long Island towns and cities. All numbers pulled live from the 2025 Nassau and Suffolk assessment rolls (825,886 residential parcels).

Long Island towns + cities
15
Total residential parcels
825,886
Median LI tax bill
$10,612
across all towns
Nassau / Suffolk split
5 / 10

Long Island towns ranked

Click any town for the full breakdown. Effective rate is median tax bill ÷ median home value. The U.S. national average for context is 0.99% and the NY State average is 1.86%.

TownCountyHomesMedian home valueMedian tax billEffective rate
Glen Cove (City)Nassau6,451 homes$512,000$11,5002.25%
HempsteadNassau204,144 homes$481,000$10,6122.21%
Long Beach (City)Nassau7,333 homes$579,000$9,3591.62%
North HempsteadNassau62,144 homes$739,000$13,8161.87%
Oyster BayNassau90,956 homes$531,000$12,6122.38%
BabylonSuffolk54,809 homes$577,966$12,6452.19%
BrookhavenSuffolk134,506 homes$533,333$10,2251.92%
East HamptonSuffolk18,755 homes$1,781,250$10,0210.56%
HuntingtonSuffolk64,481 homes$744,444$12,1091.63%
IslipSuffolk81,611 homes$576,347$11,4081.98%
RiverheadSuffolk11,376 homes$567,402$8,9481.58%
Shelter IslandSuffolk2,485 homes$1,652,000$9,8140.59%
SmithtownSuffolk36,943 homes$678,750$14,0002.06%
SouthamptonSuffolk36,644 homes$1,385,556$9,3620.68%
SoutholdSuffolk13,248 homes$1,090,909$9,8740.91%

How to read this table

  • Median home value is the middle home in each town — half are worth less, half are worth more — based on the assessor's declared full market value on the 2025 roll.
  • Median tax bill is the middle bill across the school districts in that town. A single town can include several school districts with very different tax loads (e.g., the Town of Hempstead has 30+ districts ranging from Long Beach to Lawrence).
  • Effective rate is the median bill divided by the median home value, expressed as a percentage. For context, the U.S. national average is 0.99% and New York State's average is 1.86%.

What drives the differences

Three factors explain most of the variation between Long Island towns:

  1. School district mix. Schools are 60–70% of a typical LI tax bill. A town that includes high-spending districts (Half Hollow Hills, Plainview, Syosset) will have a higher median bill than one anchored by lower-spending districts.
  2. Home values. Where home values are higher (East Hampton, Southampton, Oyster Bay's North Shore), the same rate produces a larger bill. East End towns often have lower effective rates but higher absolute bills because the homes are much more expensive.
  3. Special districts. Fire, library, sewer, ambulance, and water districts each add a few percent to the bill. Some Suffolk towns have particularly heavy special-district loads (waterfront fire and sewer).

Drill down to a specific town

Each town has its own page with the school-district breakdown, ZIP coverage, tax-payment schedule, and links to grievance and exemption guides:

  • Glen Cove (Nassau) — 6,451 homes, median bill $11,500, effective rate 2.25%
  • Hempstead (Nassau) — 204,144 homes, median bill $10,612, effective rate 2.21%
  • Long Beach (Nassau) — 7,333 homes, median bill $9,359, effective rate 1.62%
  • North Hempstead (Nassau) — 62,144 homes, median bill $13,816, effective rate 1.87%
  • Oyster Bay (Nassau) — 90,956 homes, median bill $12,612, effective rate 2.38%
  • Babylon (Suffolk) — 54,809 homes, median bill $12,645, effective rate 2.19%
  • Brookhaven (Suffolk) — 134,506 homes, median bill $10,225, effective rate 1.92%
  • East Hampton (Suffolk) — 18,755 homes, median bill $10,021, effective rate 0.56%
  • Huntington (Suffolk) — 64,481 homes, median bill $12,109, effective rate 1.63%
  • Islip (Suffolk) — 81,611 homes, median bill $11,408, effective rate 1.98%
  • Riverhead (Suffolk) — 11,376 homes, median bill $8,948, effective rate 1.58%
  • Shelter Island (Suffolk) — 2,485 homes, median bill $9,814, effective rate 0.59%
  • Smithtown (Suffolk) — 36,943 homes, median bill $14,000, effective rate 2.06%
  • Southampton (Suffolk) — 36,644 homes, median bill $9,362, effective rate 0.68%
  • Southold (Suffolk) — 13,248 homes, median bill $9,874, effective rate 0.91%

Frequently asked questions

Which Long Island town has the lowest property tax?
It depends on whether you mean "lowest bill" or "lowest rate". Cities like Long Beach often have lower absolute bills because of lower home values, while East End towns (East Hampton, Southampton) have lower effective rates but much higher absolute bills due to expensive homes. Use the table above to see both metrics side-by-side, then click any town for the school-district detail.
Why does the same town have a wide range of tax bills?
Because a Long Island town typically includes many school districts, and schools drive most of the bill. The Town of Hempstead alone covers 30+ districts ranging from low-cost (Long Beach, Roosevelt) to high-cost (Lawrence, Manhasset). The "median bill" shown here is the middle of that range — your actual bill depends on your specific district.
Are these the official numbers?
The home values and parcel counts come from the official 2025 NY State assessment roll. The median tax bills are computed from district-level data we maintain (also sourced from official tax rate publications). For the exact bill on a specific parcel, use our address search at the top of any page.
How often are these numbers updated?
Assessment rolls publish annually (April finalization). Tax rates publish at each jurisdiction's budget adoption. We re-pull from the state roll annually and update tax rates as each jurisdiction publishes them.
Estimate yours

See your home's estimated tax bill

The town median is a starting point — but your specific bill depends on your school district, exemptions, and home value. Type your address to get the parcel-level estimate.

Search by address →

Sources & citations

Last verified: 2026-05-23. Tax rules change; we re-verify each page quarterly.

Estimates and educational content only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Verify with your county or town receiver, an attorney, or a CPA before making financial decisions.