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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Cortland County, New York

Cortland County has an effective property tax rate of 2.56%. On the median home value of $162,100, that's roughly $4,149 per year. Median household income is $70,418.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
2.56%
median tax $4,149 ÷ median home $162,100
Median Home Value1
$162,100
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$70,418
per-capita $34,752
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$4,149
at 2.56% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricCortland CountyNew York (state context)
Effective property tax rate12.56%2.04%
Median home value1$162,100—
State income tax3top rate 10.90%top rate 10.90%
State sales tax38.54% combined8.54% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Cortland County, NY

Cortland County's effective property tax rate of 2.560% places it well above New York's statewide median of 2.040%, and far beyond the national median of 0.794%. Among the state's 62 counties, it ranks 5th highest. That ranking signals a heavier reliance on property taxes to fund local services than most New York communities carry. The median home value here is $162,100, generating a median annual tax bill of $4,149. With median household income at $70,418, that bill consumes a noticeable share of yearly earnings. Per-capita income sits at $34,752. Communities like Little York, Mc Graw, and Preble fall within this county, and homeowners there face the same elevated rate regardless of which town they live in. Compared with most of the country, Cortland County homeowners pay substantially more relative to their property's worth.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Cortland County, NY?
The effective rate is 2.56% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 2.56% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($162,100), the estimated annual bill is about $4,149.
Is Cortland County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 2.04% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Cortland County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Cortland County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.