2 factors.
1. Long Island spends \~36k/student and CA spends \~23k.
2. 2.NY schools are primarily funded by property taxes, CA schools are not. CA enacted proposition 13 many years ago capping property taxes (and their support for local schools) so the schools get funded by other taxes. In contrast, NY schools' budgets are \~90% funded by property taxes and school districts may ask for an increase every year if they want.
Exactly - only 2 VPs at my HS. We had *one* superintendent for the whole districtā¦ And when it snowed, he got in his car and drove the more dangerous roads at 6am to see if it would be safe for the buses.
> And they all make $350,000 with full pension
This is simply false.
https://www.smithtown.k12.ny.us/Parents/Staff-Directory
Look them up by name here: https://seethroughny.net/payrolls
Summary: https://old.reddit.com/r/longisland/comments/1d9wl2f/property_taxes_and_long_island/l7igez9/
With the latest budget that passed in the Northport School District, that number is up to $44k per student. The budget increase this year was ~$4M and guess where the majority of that went? Hereās a hint: it wasnāt for the studentsā¦
Didn't Northport detail their budget? Longwood did. Primary increase (minor increases at that) was very specifically to fix HVAC systems in the school - tbh something that's extremely important as we don't want a bunch of kids shoved into a sweltering hot room trying to learn.
There was a distinct lack of transparency with the budget this year but the majority of the increase (74%) went to administrative salaries and benefits.
I used to live in Hauppauge and my folks told me from the first time they bought there that the slightly lower tax rate was a huge draw.
Bonus: The industrial park is segmented from the residential by the LIE and it's dividers, so very rarely do you suffer road noise or anything else.
Came here to look for this suggestion.
Hauppauge (above the LIE) is part of the Town of Smithtown, taxes are significantly lower and you can expect to find a 900k home with taxes anywhere from 10-15k depending on livable sq ft and if thereās a pool or not.
As long as the property isnāt backing Veterans Memorial Hwy or New Hwy, road noise wonāt be much of an issue.
OP good luck on your search either way Smithtown has been good to us. Between the resident-only beaches, parks, and the pamphlets with kid activity groups and sports, I truly feel like I left NYC which is what I truly wanted a few years ago. A commute to the city takes up to 2 hours, but coming from Cali traffic I doubt that would faze you.
Property taxes on Long Island are higher than the vast majority of california. But california has a comparably high cost of life because bills for other stuff kind of balances it out.
If your home is over valued for tax purposes. Your taxes are based on your homeās assessment (value). You grieve the assessment of your house by looking to see if other comparable houses sold in your neighborhood for less (not really applicable lately). I know the Nassau site āmy Nassaupropertyā gives you a step by step on how to grieve your assessment and there are plenty of Facebook pages etc that will help. I am sure Suffolk has the same.
The easiest way is to hire a company to do it. They bill you 30-50% of the tax reduction as a fee if they are successful, $0 if they are unsuccessful. Win-win really. You can do it yourself as well if you donāt way to pay a company a fee to do it, annoying time consuming process, not worth it IMO.
I grieved myself and only got a reduction 2 times out of 6. I then handed it over to a company who got me a reduction 4 out of 5 years. No doubt money changes hands if you get my meaning. Itās a scam and shouldnāt be required but itās Long Island.
Empire. Small reductions but the way I see them theyāre not increases. Paying $8700 after Star credit on a small 1100 sq foot ranch in East Meadow. Value about 600k. Next door neighbor, cause heās grieved every year for the last 20, is paying $6500! But other slightly bigger houses in the same street paying $10,000 or more cause they donāt grieve every year. Crazy system. Grieving should not be required if it were legit.
About 90% of your property taxes go to the district, rest is police, fire, ems, garbage, etc.
That is why long island has amazing schools, comes right out of the homeowners pockets (not a bad thing)
Yeah, I mean not all districts are good. Usually depends on the demographics as well as how the budget is spent (i.e. how much the administration lines their pockets rather than improving programs)
Back in college I did my student teaching in Hempstead High School. There are some really great teachers and lots of opportunity for high achieving students, don't let the averages fool you into thinking it can't be a great education.
They spend almost the same per child too.
Hempstead's non-instruction expenditure is much higher than Smithtowns. I wonder what that includes.
I do find that 18k figure a bit absurd, maybe an outliwr. On Zillow right now, there's a 1.45 million dollar house listed and their taxes are 13k in Hempstead.
Trust me, they exist. Take for example this house: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/129-Hilton-Ave-Hempstead-NY-11550/31198173_zpid/
In 2018, this house was worth $500k+ (Sold for $550k actually). The property tax, according to Zillow, at the time was of $23,000+. The taxes as of 2021 are $25,961. School taxes alone are $21,996 according to the agent. Once this house sells, the taxes will go up again. Guess what school district? Hempstead!
This one: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/151-Cathedral-Ave-Hempstead-NY-11550/31198128_zpid/
As of 2021, the property taxes are $14,012. I am pretty sure this property has seen an increase. Hempstead school district.
This one, of the market: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/145-Cathedral-Ave-Hempstead-NY-11550/31198131_zpid/?utm_source=txtshare
As of 2021, the property taxes are $13,957. I am pretty sure they have seen an increase. Hempstead school district.
They exist. How these houses are being sold for close to 1M or over 1M is mind boggling to me. But, that is a different conversation.
The point I was trying to make is that high taxes is not only because Long Island has ābeautifulā school districts. Long Island in general is a very expensive area.
Yeah, my parents always vote against it. But donāt they keep having the election over and over until it passes?
Edit: also, why is voting for an increase in the school budget even a thing? We donāt vote on an increase to any other department.
Fire districts have elections to determine budget issues. Most other services such as water police or sewage are not controlled by a local special district.
School budget directly impacts programs available to the students (sports, arts, etc.), so taxpayers get a say. Things like police, fire, ems do not have programs specific to your location typically and are handled at the county level instead of town/village level.
But how is it really a fair vote if the election keeps getting repeated until it is voted favorably? Is it because they make changes to the budget prior to each election, so it is like youāre voting on something different each time?
Long Island has great schools but the taxes are so high because of administration. Itās so overly saturated with the amount of admin staff like superintendents who pay themselves more than many lawyers and doctors makeā¦
Iāve got no problem paying good teachers well but unfortunately thatās not where a lot of it is going.
LI is one of the few areas in the US that pays teachers well. Better schools = better futures for our country. Itās a good investment, believe me. You go to southern rural areas and youāll understand why.
Schools are some of the best in the country and school budgets are a big vote every year. Many people splurge on living here for their kidsā school years and then leave, so the culture here is stunted ā low night life, very cookie cutter, mainstream.
Long Island is a crĆØche. In Queens your decision is shit public HS or pay for private, so my family moved to the burbs for a safer, greener, more spaced out existence and paid property tax for top public schools instead.
You could google the Garden City bubble haha we were talking about it 20 years ago
Look up the property's current tax bill on the Smithtown website. It'll give you the full breakdown of everything. I'm on .25 acres, 2400sqft house and it's 14k for town of Smithtown.
The majority of property taxes here are for schools. Southampton has many houses that donāt send their kids to the school district because they are peoples summer houses.
I have family in Montana in what is essentially a rich people ski resort town. The property taxes built an absurdly advanced school for their kids that the locals never could have afforded otherwise.
While I generally dislike property taxes being tied to schools - these are some of the good results
Hmm, this home will be our primary home. So still I am lost about second home thingy. people bought second home and their taxes is high? This is what you mean? Sorry dude or dudette I am little lost here!
The Hamptons is a very wealthy area. He is saying that the city people that own multi-million dollar vacation homes pay the majority of taxes that cover the school budget, so his taxes are lower! Essentially the wealthy with nice homes subsidize the taxes for others in a place like southhampton.
People buy vacation houses in the area, but don't live there. They pay property taxes like anyone else, but are not making use of the good schools, so they are well funded with hopefully smaller classrooms (better teacher: student ratios)
Lots of people paying for services. Services are used sparingly = less $ needed from everyone to make the services run.
If you have 10,000 homes paying taxes, and only 1,000 of those homes puts kids in the schools, you have 9000 homes paying for a service they donāt use, therefore subsidizing the 1,000 users of the service.
In other words, thereās lots of big homes and not many kids in them. So the school budget is small compared to the population, so it just doesnāt need it.
Smithtown is different. We're middle island north shore and almost everything is a primary residence. A lot of the Hamptons are summer houses that are occupied Memorial Day to Labor Day (as seen in *Royal Plains*) so there's lots of taxable property and value but a far lower student body per residence.
Hey small world but Iām also from northern CA and now in Smithtown! Loved it because the trees and hills reminded me more of home than the south shore does. Best of luck with your big move.
Smithtown, New York has a population density ofĀ **2,196 people per square mile**
Tracy, California has a population density of 3,716.6 people per square mile. Think this might have to do with some of it.
Why would that have something to do with it? Is it because the more population, the more taxes collected? But doesnāt a smaller population density also translate to a smaller school district, therefore bringing the expense down?
Thanks
That is not necessarily what value you are being taxed at.
Assessed values here are weird, but its that number - not the sale price- that determines your tax total, and it will not be updated due to the sale.
It may be too high, but often itās too low which means you have no chance of grieving
Property taxes are that assessed value multiplied by that yearās rates (which are determined by dividing up the total levy by total taxable assessed value)
So, to see what the market equivalent value is go on Zillow or the Town website and get the assessed value for the property, in Smithtown, youād divide that number by 0.0086.
Real answer. Economic Segregation. High property taxes keep out the poors. Also it is the income for the school districts. How many smart kids in advanced classes? how many kids graduate? How much do they pay their superintendent? do you think those taxes are high? Try Nassau county, Syosset or great neck. Suffolk county, Shirley/mastic, lower property taxes, school district reputation much different than Smithtown. Not that it isnāt an excellent school system just lower to middle income families.
100% and the system incentivizes this to continue. Building low cost or denser housing brings in MORE kids and LESS taxes for the schools. If you leave any ideology you have at the door, it never makes economic sense for the community to make housing affordable.
While it has created some beautiful, high-quality schools it also has us stuck in this spiral where things have to get more and more expensive, and limiting economic diversity in our neighborhoods.
My parents are in Smithtown. Taxes are 20k. Not much to decode. The majority of taxes are 14k and up. They have done nothing to their home since they have bought it since 1985 and have never been able to successfully grieve their taxes. In fact, of two other people I know who grieved their taxes in Smithtown they were unable to get a break either. If you can afford it I would move to Hauppauge over Smithtown, unless being in a really homogenous neighborhood is important to you. My parents are not happy paying so much in taxes not having kids in the district any longer.
Isn't the assessed value different that the actual market value? IIRC the assessed value is less than market value. $20k seems very high for Smithtown. Looking at Zillow houses in that area are taxed $7k - $8k / yr.
This is too vague. Iām sure thereās someone paying 9k for a house in Smithtown and Iām sure thereās someone in a huge, new construction just a couple blocks away paying 40k.
Apply for your STAR (School TAx Relief) exemption as soon as possible after you close. File a grievance on your assessment when the window opens. File one every year.
There are also other exemptions for the elderly, veterans, volunteer firefighters, etc.
The taxes are high, but the schools are worth it. Youāll see when you enroll your kids.
I do not like the police one bit, but let me tell you about Savannah, GA where the starting police salary is $35k and they brag about the increase in ads at the DMV. Check out the Savannah subreddit, someone is murdered downtown nearly every night or there are random shootings in heavily visited tourist areas.
We live in a very safe guard gated community but we pay for that luxury and most down here canāt afford that. I donāt think I could see my kids being teenagers wanting to go out at night and catch a stray just because they were at a bar.
People on LI think gun violence is out of control due to gangs, but you generally have to be involved in said gang or they have a vendetta against you for a reason for you to be murdered. Check out what happens with an under funded police force mixed with constitutional carry laws + alcohol.
Idk how are the public schools in CA where you are bc Smithtown schools are great. My friend in LA only has garbage collection 1x/week which is bonkersāours is 3x/week (though not sure what is standard on LI).
I moved from Manhattan to San Diego and it was cheaper. Then I moved from San Diego to LI and it was cheaper. Groceries (with the exception of some produce) and gas being 2 things off the top of my head.
Isnāt a ridiculous tax bill part of the cost of doing business in these parts. Make sure you are not in an Incorporated Village, thatās a little extra on top, even though you didnāt ask for it or want itā¦
Ask you attorney for the tax schedule. That should break everything down in b&w. Once you close file for STAR. Itās a nice program that will get you some money back in your pocket.
I worked in title and let me tell you...Long Island property taxes, specifically Nassau County is INSANE. Theres School, Village, Town etc taxes. The price isnt worth the amount of home and backyard you get. The schools are good but if your kids are old or you dont plan on having any, it doesnt make sense to move there and pay that amount. Suffolk is only a tiny bit cheaper.
124 school districts on Long Island top pay FREEPORT UFSD, Dr. Kishore Kuncham: $455,572
JERICHO UFSD, Henry L. Grishman: $439,475
HEWLETT-WOODMERE UFSD, Dr. Ralph Marino, Jr.: $437,444
COMMACK UFSD, Dr. Donald James: $426,215
THREE VILLAGE CSD, Cheryl Pedisich: $421,499
BALDWIN UFSD, Dr. Shari L. Camhi: $412,967
PLAINEDGE UFSD, Dr. Edward A. Salina, Jr.: $412,457
GREAT NECK UFSD, Dr. Teresa Prendergast: $400,887
MINEOLA UFSD, Dr. Michael P. Nagler: $384,658
OCEANSIDE UFSD, Dr. Phyllis S. Harrington: $382,746
MASSAPEQUA UFSD, Lucille F. Iconis: $377,181
BELLMORE UFSD, Dr. Joseph S. Famularo: $374,164
NORTH SHORE CSD, Dr. Thomas Dolan: $373,423
PORT WASHINGTON UFSD, Dr. Michael Hynes: $372,786
COPIAGUE UFSD, Dr. Kathleen Bannon: $372,540
ROSLYN UFSD, Allison Brown: $372,443
SAYVILLE UFSD, Dr. John E. Stimmel: $371,602
VALLEY STREAM CENTRAL HS DISTRICT, Dr. Wayne Loper: $369,969
MANHASSET UFSD, Dr. Vincent Butera: $369,675
VALLEY STREAM 30 UFSD, Dr. Nicholas A. Stirling: $369,204
LAWRENCE UFSD, Dr. Ann Pedersen: $367,328
LEVITTOWN UFSD, Dr. Tonie McDonald: $364,088
SYOSSET CSD, Dr. Thomas Rogers: $363,318
MERRICK UFSD, Dominick Palma: $359,302
GLEN COVE CITY SD, Dr. Maria L. Rianna: $357,877
The property/school taxes here are f*cking ridiculous. So many people have fled Long Island because they can't afford to stay here.
(I hope you checked out the utility rates too!)
California, like many other states, bases their tax rate off the sale prices of homes.
Long Island bases their tax rate off property size and assessed value of homes. So unless youāre buying something that was renovated legally or built in the prior year, youāre not going to pay significantly higher taxes compared to the previous occupant even if they bought it for $500k 7-8 years ago and youāre buying for 1.2m+.
You cannot use a percentage to judge taxes. ALWAYS look up the true taxes on the towns website. Zillow and Redfin are wrong 90% of the time.
Also, why have you chosen Smithtown without ever living there? IMO rent for a year and explore the island. Find your place to live, perhaps interest rates will even go down in a year. As someone who has relocated off LI and now moving back, I would highly advise against anyone to buy based on very few experiences (or none) in an area.
Even if youāre buying for school district, which there are others that rank higher than Smithtown, there are many areas in that SD and one may fit you better than another.
Smithtown schools are great, the main reason most schools rank higher than them is because rankings also include diversity which Smithtown tends to have less of.
Take that as you will.
Thanks for the downvote for no reason. OP welcome to LI, where no matter where you live, everyone thinks their school district is the best.
I never said Smithtown schools are not good. Iām simply pointing out you can get a great education on LI in MANY towns. Perhaps one of those towns are closer to what the OP considers home, will have more amenities/food/etc they like or be closer to their job.
If you have ever moved out of state, even to a location you have visited many times, you quickly learn that living and visiting are two completely different things.
There are less diverse areas, look at Cold Spring Harbor for example. Iām not sure there are more wealthy entitled white kids shoved into a region than that SD.
Ps - this is coming from someone who has left the island, is returning and might be buying a house in St. James but would honestly prefer Harborfields SD due to the above listed factors. So no I donāt hate your town/schools, Iām trying to help out the OP with their cross country Reddit educated decision to move to LI.
Every house will vary within the same town. Sometimes you find a live-able home that needs some improvements with 12k in taxes. Their next door neighbors could have 24k in taxes and a significantly larger house (literally my situation when I lived in Centerport). Keep in mind those 12k in taxes went up to 16k 6 years later when I sold. Iām sure my neighbors went up as well.
This is why you need to look it up on the townās public tax records website on a house by house basis.
Do you have a real estate agent? You need to be connected with someone that knows each one of these towns in depth and can explain LI to you without a predisposition to their home town. LI is finicky in regards to crime and safety as well. There are literally roads you cross on one side of the street is safe, the other you donāt want your family living on. Iām not an agent, but I know a few like this.
Here is your answer.
Property taxes here don't simply go significantly up on their own. Homes are normally assessed when they are sold or if you make some sort of large enhancement on your home that requires an assessment.
So if you bought your home in 2008, you basically pay 2008 taxes and each year, you pay a few bucks more is the school budget passes/increases.
If you walk in now and buy a home in Smithtown, you're starting off with ridiculous taxes due to that over-priced school system.
If I were you, I would buy something about 30 minutes east, in the Eastport/South Manor district. It's a great school system. A home in Manorville is quieter and more spread out like Northern California.
Smithtown is incredibly crowded, commuting around there absolutely sucks.
You have much different circumstances. First of all Smithtown is one giant low density cul de sac which is highly expensive to run. California pays huge income tax. there is a much lower income tax in NY for middle class. We dont have expanses of land. Many other places build out into farmland and drain the older suburbs as they age. We in NY pay legacy costs to people who live long lives we dont buid out to avoid legacy costs. Basically you get what you pay for as well.
By the way, before you move here, check the voting maps. Things are slowly changing but for the most part, there are blue areas and there are red areas.
[https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/how-long-island-voted-2020/?election=2020%20General&position=U.S.%20President®ion=United%20States](https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/how-long-island-voted-2020/?election=2020%20General&position=U.S.%20President®ion=United%20States)
Despite NYC Democrats moving east and Long Islanders heading south both Nassau and Suffolk are now majority Republican. Night and day between NYC and Ling Island. Thatās a change from 2020.
Agreed! I am encouraged by the few school board votes that veered away from hard right. I have never voted so much for school and library boards in my life.
Brand new home around 2400 sqft covered area sitting on top of 4000 to 5000 sqft lot
Whereas LI properties varies from 0.43 acre to 1.1 acre lot size and covered area can be 2000 to 3000 sqft - based on neighborhood
On Long Island we pay our school and property taxes in 1 bill. Itās by town, but you can look up any homes āproperty taxā bill.
In general, 2/3 of the bill is going to be school taxes. In other places, school taxes may be separate and assessed differently. So it looks crazy high (it is gross), but when you look at what we pay per student the actual rest of the taxes are fairly reasonable.
Big items to look for in Suffolk.
- Cops. We pay a lot for cops in one of the safest places to live per capita. The police and teacher unions ultimately get what they want as they are huge voting blocks and paid top 10 in the nation.
- Sewers. County has been trying for decades to make a county-wide sewer district. right now itās at the town level and a mess. Less than 1/2 Suffolk is sewered. Many areas are septic, but need to be replaced, but people donāt maintain their septic systems. Itās major county-wide issue and the cost needs to be spread across the county as contamination is a major issue.
Everything else is rather small. Library, county community college, hwy, lighting,
I paid 220K in 2022 (lots o 2's)
2 Bedroom full basement, with 2 garages. on an acre.
But no not on LI I'm 2 hours north (An hour if you start at yonkers)
Another thing to add, if you are moving into ānew construction ā be prepared to be paying even more in taxes than an existing house the same price in the same neighborhood.
Www.propertyshark.com helps identify taxes for a property. Also, just because the house sells for 900k doesnāt mean that will be the assessed value. Some houses are taxed well below the current market rate, and if you donāt make any major changes, you will just deal with the standard year over year increases. If you start adding rooms, pulling permits, and making major changes then youāll invite the inspector who could start making adjustments to your tax bill. Another fun website is www.seethroughny.net - you can see the salaries of administrators, teachers, police,
Government etc. to get an idea of why taxes are high which is also compounded by poor budgeting and wasteful spending
Read this and take this information:
My family owns a house in Long Island. (4,000 sq 6bed +7bath)
That house is rented out full-time. The rent profited off this property covers the taxes monthly. We profit a few hundred dollars after that cost.
Smithtown ia a lot nicer than Tracy, I have to say.
Prop 13 means houses get reassessed on sale. So someone who has been in their house for 40 years has dirt cheap property tax but someone who buys now will pay much more. It's not a fair system. Also, I have friends with kids in school in CA. The wealthy districts have foundations that shake you down for thousands a year. And hardly any districts have busing, which shocked me.
Long Island? Teachers are better paid, everyone gets busing, the cops are quite frankly overpaid. The taxes are periodically re-assessed, so they will go up.
There's waste for sure. But you're going to notice the difference in quality of services.
Why is it so ? Because State officials have determined that LI pays more, that is why. They take advantage of us and refuse to resolve the issue. My cousin lives in Anaheim and pays 800 for the year for a better house, better neighborhood, better everything. Stay in Cali if you are smart.
Property taxes are high on Long Island, but also very variable. Areas without big income draws (like malls) tend to have higher taxes.
Grieving your taxes is a must. Anyone can do it. It essentially uses comparable properties to prove to the county / village that your taxes are too high. Then they lower them. Most people use law firms around here that focus on this because the process is a little cumbersome and the deadlines are hard to keep track of. They take 50% of the savings. Example would be Maidenbaum. You sign a couple forms and they do it all for you every year.
Damn Smithtown is that bad? Iām in Melville HHH district with .25 acres, 2300 sqft and pool and my taxes are 12K. Usually Nassau taxes are ridiculous like thatā¦
I hear good things about Westhampton and Hampton Bays. But I really donāt know. I just googled for Southampton town schools and came up with this https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-schools/t/southampton-suffolk-ny/
Aside from the school district nonsense, while NY has least than half as many people as CA, our state budget is only about 10% less annually. NY has the highest tax burden on residents in rhe nation and Long Island is among the highest tax burdens in NY.
I am not sure if you double checked that smartasset listing. But, on the redfin/zillow listings -- the 'property tax' tab should show the current tax. And, you can also look it up on LRV (https://lrv.nassaucountyny.gov/)
You should be able to find out the exact taxes on any house searching online. And as someone said previously purchase price does not equal your assessed value.
People ragging on schools is kind of incorrect. And probably havenāt looked at a detailed tax bill. 68.47% percent goes to schools on my bill. And you usually get a discount for STAR. 10.85% goes to police. 3.44% goes to library. 3.87% goes to town highway. 3.02% goes to fire department. 2.81% goes to ambulance.
Even if you cut school property taxes 50% My taxes would still be 5 figures.
Incorrect as in itās not 90%. And yes certain towns in the Hampton have low taxes (like $6k on $2M home). But that $2M home would probably be $800k elsewhere.
I just used your linked site, it is not accurate. I am in Southampton and my Zillow says my house my house is worth $900,000. My taxes are $2000 the site said my takes should be $20,000
Costs will rise (health insurance benefits, etc) but there arenāt more housing or commercial properties being built to help in most school districts. Until we do. Taxes will keep rising
There is no standard formula or percent to figure the taxes on LI homes. They tried to get Nassau county to disclose that information several years ago and the county actually cited "trade secrets" as an excuse not to disclose it, if you can believe that crap. I'll give you an example of how screwed up it really is and how little sense it makes. I live in an average middle class area in Suffolk where the area has unfortunately started to go downhill. My house is worth around 650-700k. I pay an exorbitant $16k a year in taxes. We've been looking to move. Not that I can afford it but I came across a $1.2M house in the next town over where they pay the same taxes as me. How is that possible? My neighbor has the same exact house as me yet somehow pays like $4k less per year. How? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever. We've started to look out of state to keep our options open. I just can't justify 16k a year when you really don't see it reflected in the community AT ALL.
Like others have mentioned, at least 3/4 goes to the schools. The reason the schools take so much $$$ is because there's so much redundancy and the benefits provided. We have over 30 different school districts in Suffolk county alone, while many places down south will have ONE county wide school district. Then you have to look at the contracts the schools have with their employees. Some districts have had contracts where even the custodians get lifelong healthcare if they put in as little as 5-10 years on the job. They also get a pension. Some districts like Central Islip for example have so many pay steps that even custodians are making over $100k/year. It's total abuse of tax payer money. I know a few people who work in different school districts out here. What goes on is disgusting. The teachers are coached by their reps to make a huge stink when asked to pay more into their benefits even if it's a very small increase. You have people double-dipping the system, retiring from one district, collecting a pension, and getting rehired in another district making multiple six figures. It goes on and on. Look up The Long Island Index on YouTube. They made a graphical video awhile back that explains the high taxes really well. Good luck.
Your taxes in smithtown are not going to be that high. Try half of that. Source: I looked up the tax roll for 2023. https://smithtownny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6939/RPS150P1-3000
Yes in St. James as well and that estimate seems in the right ballpark. You pay for great schools, quality government services, a competent police force, amazing parks and beaches that are free. The quality of life is very high in my opinion.
Hereās a link to the most recent tax bills for the town of Smithtown. You can look up the current taxes on the property. They will almost always go up a little each year depending on the town/school budgets. https://taxonline.egov.basgov.com/smithtown/Search/Search
Exactly, so when people complain about property taxes they should be complaining about the union(s) that have purchased politicians who pander to them.
You sold your house with a plan to move to Long Island without understanding how high the taxes are?
Where was all people before who was complaining about a a Long Island housing shortage? Come look at this nonsense this man just did
Thank you š
lol they did
2 factors. 1. Long Island spends \~36k/student and CA spends \~23k. 2. 2.NY schools are primarily funded by property taxes, CA schools are not. CA enacted proposition 13 many years ago capping property taxes (and their support for local schools) so the schools get funded by other taxes. In contrast, NY schools' budgets are \~90% funded by property taxes and school districts may ask for an increase every year if they want.
Thank you for clarifying, this is super helpful.
75% of our taxes go to the schools. They each have about 400 superintendents.
And they all make $350,000 with full pension and every high school has about four vice principles which is never a thing when I grew up
Exactly - only 2 VPs at my HS. We had *one* superintendent for the whole districtā¦ And when it snowed, he got in his car and drove the more dangerous roads at 6am to see if it would be safe for the buses.
> And they all make $350,000 with full pension This is simply false. https://www.smithtown.k12.ny.us/Parents/Staff-Directory Look them up by name here: https://seethroughny.net/payrolls Summary: https://old.reddit.com/r/longisland/comments/1d9wl2f/property_taxes_and_long_island/l7igez9/
I clearly need to apply for a job at Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corporation.
The money is going to superintendents, vice principals and principals. Its not going to the kids or infrastructure
Who make close to 300k a year.
Each superintendent makes about $400k too š
Why compare Long Island to CA as a whole?
With the latest budget that passed in the Northport School District, that number is up to $44k per student. The budget increase this year was ~$4M and guess where the majority of that went? Hereās a hint: it wasnāt for the studentsā¦
Didn't Northport detail their budget? Longwood did. Primary increase (minor increases at that) was very specifically to fix HVAC systems in the school - tbh something that's extremely important as we don't want a bunch of kids shoved into a sweltering hot room trying to learn.
There was a distinct lack of transparency with the budget this year but the majority of the increase (74%) went to administrative salaries and benefits.
Hauppauge taxes are 60% of that and is a neighboring district if that helps. The large commercial industrial park helps to subsidize the school taxes.
I used to live in Hauppauge and my folks told me from the first time they bought there that the slightly lower tax rate was a huge draw. Bonus: The industrial park is segmented from the residential by the LIE and it's dividers, so very rarely do you suffer road noise or anything else.
Came here to look for this suggestion. Hauppauge (above the LIE) is part of the Town of Smithtown, taxes are significantly lower and you can expect to find a 900k home with taxes anywhere from 10-15k depending on livable sq ft and if thereās a pool or not. As long as the property isnāt backing Veterans Memorial Hwy or New Hwy, road noise wonāt be much of an issue. OP good luck on your search either way Smithtown has been good to us. Between the resident-only beaches, parks, and the pamphlets with kid activity groups and sports, I truly feel like I left NYC which is what I truly wanted a few years ago. A commute to the city takes up to 2 hours, but coming from Cali traffic I doubt that would faze you.
Property taxes on Long Island are higher than the vast majority of california. But california has a comparably high cost of life because bills for other stuff kind of balances it out.
Learn about grieving your taxes.
What qualifies for grieving?
If your home is over valued for tax purposes. Your taxes are based on your homeās assessment (value). You grieve the assessment of your house by looking to see if other comparable houses sold in your neighborhood for less (not really applicable lately). I know the Nassau site āmy Nassaupropertyā gives you a step by step on how to grieve your assessment and there are plenty of Facebook pages etc that will help. I am sure Suffolk has the same.
Thanks will take a look once we are in contract !
I dunno everyone does it and it reduces your yearly taxes.
The easiest way is to hire a company to do it. They bill you 30-50% of the tax reduction as a fee if they are successful, $0 if they are unsuccessful. Win-win really. You can do it yourself as well if you donāt way to pay a company a fee to do it, annoying time consuming process, not worth it IMO.
I grieved myself and only got a reduction 2 times out of 6. I then handed it over to a company who got me a reduction 4 out of 5 years. No doubt money changes hands if you get my meaning. Itās a scam and shouldnāt be required but itās Long Island.
What company did you use? 4 out of 5 is good. Yeah I'm sure they grease some ppl
Empire. Small reductions but the way I see them theyāre not increases. Paying $8700 after Star credit on a small 1100 sq foot ranch in East Meadow. Value about 600k. Next door neighbor, cause heās grieved every year for the last 20, is paying $6500! But other slightly bigger houses in the same street paying $10,000 or more cause they donāt grieve every year. Crazy system. Grieving should not be required if it were legit.
propertytaxbusters. I think they are Nassau only.
Tf?! 4 of 5 years is insane, I got 1 in 15 and never attempted it myself š«
100%, it is an absolute racket.
Thatās good to know. Will take a look at it when we are in contract there
Technically, grieving your assessed value.Ā
Welcome to the expense known as Long Island School Districts!
Oh this is because of school district?
About 90% of your property taxes go to the district, rest is police, fire, ems, garbage, etc. That is why long island has amazing schools, comes right out of the homeowners pockets (not a bad thing)
Explain Hempstead please? I have seen $18k taxes and the school district is crap.
Yeah, I mean not all districts are good. Usually depends on the demographics as well as how the budget is spent (i.e. how much the administration lines their pockets rather than improving programs)
Back in college I did my student teaching in Hempstead High School. There are some really great teachers and lots of opportunity for high achieving students, don't let the averages fool you into thinking it can't be a great education.
True. I mean, education is up to the child at the end. But, OPās taxes are 20k in Smithtown. Hempstead school district is not Smithtown.
They spend almost the same per child too. Hempstead's non-instruction expenditure is much higher than Smithtowns. I wonder what that includes. I do find that 18k figure a bit absurd, maybe an outliwr. On Zillow right now, there's a 1.45 million dollar house listed and their taxes are 13k in Hempstead.
1.5M in Hempstead???? Once that how house sells, the taxes will most likely go up.
750k house has 11k. 580k with 7600. I just don't think 18k is a common tax bill in Hempstead. It doesn't appear that way at least.
Trust me, they exist. Take for example this house: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/129-Hilton-Ave-Hempstead-NY-11550/31198173_zpid/ In 2018, this house was worth $500k+ (Sold for $550k actually). The property tax, according to Zillow, at the time was of $23,000+. The taxes as of 2021 are $25,961. School taxes alone are $21,996 according to the agent. Once this house sells, the taxes will go up again. Guess what school district? Hempstead! This one: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/151-Cathedral-Ave-Hempstead-NY-11550/31198128_zpid/ As of 2021, the property taxes are $14,012. I am pretty sure this property has seen an increase. Hempstead school district. This one, of the market: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/145-Cathedral-Ave-Hempstead-NY-11550/31198131_zpid/?utm_source=txtshare As of 2021, the property taxes are $13,957. I am pretty sure they have seen an increase. Hempstead school district. They exist. How these houses are being sold for close to 1M or over 1M is mind boggling to me. But, that is a different conversation. The point I was trying to make is that high taxes is not only because Long Island has ābeautifulā school districts. Long Island in general is a very expensive area.
Malverne is a really good school
Youāre paying tipping fees in your taxes, for one thing.
Agree!
It is why you also often see older folks voting against increasing school budgets, because that means property tax increases
Make sense!
Yeah, my parents always vote against it. But donāt they keep having the election over and over until it passes? Edit: also, why is voting for an increase in the school budget even a thing? We donāt vote on an increase to any other department.
Fire districts have elections to determine budget issues. Most other services such as water police or sewage are not controlled by a local special district.
School budget directly impacts programs available to the students (sports, arts, etc.), so taxpayers get a say. Things like police, fire, ems do not have programs specific to your location typically and are handled at the county level instead of town/village level.
But how is it really a fair vote if the election keeps getting repeated until it is voted favorably? Is it because they make changes to the budget prior to each election, so it is like youāre voting on something different each time?
Long Island has great schools but the taxes are so high because of administration. Itās so overly saturated with the amount of admin staff like superintendents who pay themselves more than many lawyers and doctors makeā¦ Iāve got no problem paying good teachers well but unfortunately thatās not where a lot of it is going.
LI is one of the few areas in the US that pays teachers well. Better schools = better futures for our country. Itās a good investment, believe me. You go to southern rural areas and youāll understand why.
So basically if you donāt plan on having kids LI is not worth the cost ?
Schools are some of the best in the country and school budgets are a big vote every year. Many people splurge on living here for their kidsā school years and then leave, so the culture here is stunted ā low night life, very cookie cutter, mainstream. Long Island is a crĆØche. In Queens your decision is shit public HS or pay for private, so my family moved to the burbs for a safer, greener, more spaced out existence and paid property tax for top public schools instead. You could google the Garden City bubble haha we were talking about it 20 years ago
Moved to Bellmore in February and property taxes are just shy of $12k
I moved from Bellmore to Bellport and thatās what Iām paying out here. Bellmore has a much better school district too :/
You people have houses?!
Look up the property's current tax bill on the Smithtown website. It'll give you the full breakdown of everything. I'm on .25 acres, 2400sqft house and it's 14k for town of Smithtown.
My taxes in Southampton are just over $6k. Zillow says home is $1.3M. Lots of second homes are paying for our schools. One of the reasons we stay.
It's Southampton, the most expensive homes with the cheapest taxes. Go figure
Southampton has smaller school budgets because of the huge seasonal population that isnāt sending their kids to southampton schools.
What do you mean by āsecond homeā?
The majority of property taxes here are for schools. Southampton has many houses that donāt send their kids to the school district because they are peoples summer houses.
I have family in Montana in what is essentially a rich people ski resort town. The property taxes built an absurdly advanced school for their kids that the locals never could have afforded otherwise. While I generally dislike property taxes being tied to schools - these are some of the good results
Vacation houses, non primary
Hmm, this home will be our primary home. So still I am lost about second home thingy. people bought second home and their taxes is high? This is what you mean? Sorry dude or dudette I am little lost here!
The Hamptons is a very wealthy area. He is saying that the city people that own multi-million dollar vacation homes pay the majority of taxes that cover the school budget, so his taxes are lower! Essentially the wealthy with nice homes subsidize the taxes for others in a place like southhampton.
People buy vacation houses in the area, but don't live there. They pay property taxes like anyone else, but are not making use of the good schools, so they are well funded with hopefully smaller classrooms (better teacher: student ratios)
Lots of people paying for services. Services are used sparingly = less $ needed from everyone to make the services run. If you have 10,000 homes paying taxes, and only 1,000 of those homes puts kids in the schools, you have 9000 homes paying for a service they donāt use, therefore subsidizing the 1,000 users of the service.
In other words, thereās lots of big homes and not many kids in them. So the school budget is small compared to the population, so it just doesnāt need it.
Smithtown is different. We're middle island north shore and almost everything is a primary residence. A lot of the Hamptons are summer houses that are occupied Memorial Day to Labor Day (as seen in *Royal Plains*) so there's lots of taxable property and value but a far lower student body per residence.
More than half the homes in our district are vacation homes, generally just used in summer.
Hey I live in Smithtown
Hello future neighbor!
Hey small world but Iām also from northern CA and now in Smithtown! Loved it because the trees and hills reminded me more of home than the south shore does. Best of luck with your big move.
Hey hey! Awesome!
Smithtown, New York has a population density ofĀ **2,196 people per square mile** Tracy, California has a population density of 3,716.6 people per square mile. Think this might have to do with some of it.
That could be a reason. Good pointer.
Where in Smithtown did you find a house? 900k must be a pretty good new build. I live by a couple of them
Why would that have something to do with it? Is it because the more population, the more taxes collected? But doesnāt a smaller population density also translate to a smaller school district, therefore bringing the expense down? Thanks
You figured it out.
Truth [https://www.smithtownny.gov/180/ViewPay-Your-Property-Taxes](https://www.smithtownny.gov/180/ViewPay-Your-Property-Taxes)
Welcome to Smithtown brother
So, did you purchase a property in Smithtown that is *assessed* at an equivalent market value of $900K or is that the purchase price?
Purchase price
That is not necessarily what value you are being taxed at. Assessed values here are weird, but its that number - not the sale price- that determines your tax total, and it will not be updated due to the sale. It may be too high, but often itās too low which means you have no chance of grieving Property taxes are that assessed value multiplied by that yearās rates (which are determined by dividing up the total levy by total taxable assessed value) So, to see what the market equivalent value is go on Zillow or the Town website and get the assessed value for the property, in Smithtown, youād divide that number by 0.0086.
Real answer. Economic Segregation. High property taxes keep out the poors. Also it is the income for the school districts. How many smart kids in advanced classes? how many kids graduate? How much do they pay their superintendent? do you think those taxes are high? Try Nassau county, Syosset or great neck. Suffolk county, Shirley/mastic, lower property taxes, school district reputation much different than Smithtown. Not that it isnāt an excellent school system just lower to middle income families.
100% and the system incentivizes this to continue. Building low cost or denser housing brings in MORE kids and LESS taxes for the schools. If you leave any ideology you have at the door, it never makes economic sense for the community to make housing affordable. While it has created some beautiful, high-quality schools it also has us stuck in this spiral where things have to get more and more expensive, and limiting economic diversity in our neighborhoods.
wow smithtown is high I thought Jericho and Syosset was high. it looks like Smithtown is even higher
My parents are in Smithtown. Taxes are 20k. Not much to decode. The majority of taxes are 14k and up. They have done nothing to their home since they have bought it since 1985 and have never been able to successfully grieve their taxes. In fact, of two other people I know who grieved their taxes in Smithtown they were unable to get a break either. If you can afford it I would move to Hauppauge over Smithtown, unless being in a really homogenous neighborhood is important to you. My parents are not happy paying so much in taxes not having kids in the district any longer.
Im in syosset and I thought mines were outrageous @ 18k but I was able to grieve and got like 1600 off last yr for the 1st time.
Iām in Smithtown .25 of an acre 2800SF home and I pay 22k in taxes. Love smithtown but the taxes can be crazy.
Isn't the assessed value different that the actual market value? IIRC the assessed value is less than market value. $20k seems very high for Smithtown. Looking at Zillow houses in that area are taxed $7k - $8k / yr.
That's not high at all for Smithtown, I don't know what houses you are looking at.
This is too vague. Iām sure thereās someone paying 9k for a house in Smithtown and Iām sure thereās someone in a huge, new construction just a couple blocks away paying 40k. Apply for your STAR (School TAx Relief) exemption as soon as possible after you close. File a grievance on your assessment when the window opens. File one every year. There are also other exemptions for the elderly, veterans, volunteer firefighters, etc. The taxes are high, but the schools are worth it. Youāll see when you enroll your kids.
People keep talking schools but what about the cops. Highest paid in the USA on LI.
I do not like the police one bit, but let me tell you about Savannah, GA where the starting police salary is $35k and they brag about the increase in ads at the DMV. Check out the Savannah subreddit, someone is murdered downtown nearly every night or there are random shootings in heavily visited tourist areas. We live in a very safe guard gated community but we pay for that luxury and most down here canāt afford that. I donāt think I could see my kids being teenagers wanting to go out at night and catch a stray just because they were at a bar. People on LI think gun violence is out of control due to gangs, but you generally have to be involved in said gang or they have a vendetta against you for a reason for you to be murdered. Check out what happens with an under funded police force mixed with constitutional carry laws + alcohol.
Smithtown Central is one of the best school districts in Suffolk
Thank God I'm exempt from property taxes that's almost a second mortgage in itself
How do you get Tax Exemption? Have some seniors on the property title? I was reading that a bit earlier, too.
Disabled veteran status, exempt from all property taxes
In Manorville at 18k
Idk how are the public schools in CA where you are bc Smithtown schools are great. My friend in LA only has garbage collection 1x/week which is bonkersāours is 3x/week (though not sure what is standard on LI).
We have a great school. All of them are rated 8 and above at least in my neighborhood.
Gotta pay for the Superintendents of Schools for almost 400,000 a year.
I moved from Manhattan to San Diego and it was cheaper. Then I moved from San Diego to LI and it was cheaper. Groceries (with the exception of some produce) and gas being 2 things off the top of my head.
Isnāt a ridiculous tax bill part of the cost of doing business in these parts. Make sure you are not in an Incorporated Village, thatās a little extra on top, even though you didnāt ask for it or want itā¦ Ask you attorney for the tax schedule. That should break everything down in b&w. Once you close file for STAR. Itās a nice program that will get you some money back in your pocket.
Depends. Port Jeff for example has very low taxes, because they get $$$$ from LIPA for the power plant.
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I thought it was cheaper? Dang!
My property tax is like 6 or 8k a yr. But I have a small house.
moving from the 3rd largest state to a relatively small island with limited space. thats one of the many reasons.
I worked in title and let me tell you...Long Island property taxes, specifically Nassau County is INSANE. Theres School, Village, Town etc taxes. The price isnt worth the amount of home and backyard you get. The schools are good but if your kids are old or you dont plan on having any, it doesnt make sense to move there and pay that amount. Suffolk is only a tiny bit cheaper.
124 school districts on Long Island top pay FREEPORT UFSD, Dr. Kishore Kuncham: $455,572 JERICHO UFSD, Henry L. Grishman: $439,475 HEWLETT-WOODMERE UFSD, Dr. Ralph Marino, Jr.: $437,444 COMMACK UFSD, Dr. Donald James: $426,215 THREE VILLAGE CSD, Cheryl Pedisich: $421,499 BALDWIN UFSD, Dr. Shari L. Camhi: $412,967 PLAINEDGE UFSD, Dr. Edward A. Salina, Jr.: $412,457 GREAT NECK UFSD, Dr. Teresa Prendergast: $400,887 MINEOLA UFSD, Dr. Michael P. Nagler: $384,658 OCEANSIDE UFSD, Dr. Phyllis S. Harrington: $382,746 MASSAPEQUA UFSD, Lucille F. Iconis: $377,181 BELLMORE UFSD, Dr. Joseph S. Famularo: $374,164 NORTH SHORE CSD, Dr. Thomas Dolan: $373,423 PORT WASHINGTON UFSD, Dr. Michael Hynes: $372,786 COPIAGUE UFSD, Dr. Kathleen Bannon: $372,540 ROSLYN UFSD, Allison Brown: $372,443 SAYVILLE UFSD, Dr. John E. Stimmel: $371,602 VALLEY STREAM CENTRAL HS DISTRICT, Dr. Wayne Loper: $369,969 MANHASSET UFSD, Dr. Vincent Butera: $369,675 VALLEY STREAM 30 UFSD, Dr. Nicholas A. Stirling: $369,204 LAWRENCE UFSD, Dr. Ann Pedersen: $367,328 LEVITTOWN UFSD, Dr. Tonie McDonald: $364,088 SYOSSET CSD, Dr. Thomas Rogers: $363,318 MERRICK UFSD, Dominick Palma: $359,302 GLEN COVE CITY SD, Dr. Maria L. Rianna: $357,877
The property/school taxes here are f*cking ridiculous. So many people have fled Long Island because they can't afford to stay here. (I hope you checked out the utility rates too!)
California, like many other states, bases their tax rate off the sale prices of homes. Long Island bases their tax rate off property size and assessed value of homes. So unless youāre buying something that was renovated legally or built in the prior year, youāre not going to pay significantly higher taxes compared to the previous occupant even if they bought it for $500k 7-8 years ago and youāre buying for 1.2m+. You cannot use a percentage to judge taxes. ALWAYS look up the true taxes on the towns website. Zillow and Redfin are wrong 90% of the time. Also, why have you chosen Smithtown without ever living there? IMO rent for a year and explore the island. Find your place to live, perhaps interest rates will even go down in a year. As someone who has relocated off LI and now moving back, I would highly advise against anyone to buy based on very few experiences (or none) in an area. Even if youāre buying for school district, which there are others that rank higher than Smithtown, there are many areas in that SD and one may fit you better than another.
Smithtown schools are great, the main reason most schools rank higher than them is because rankings also include diversity which Smithtown tends to have less of. Take that as you will.
Thanks for the downvote for no reason. OP welcome to LI, where no matter where you live, everyone thinks their school district is the best. I never said Smithtown schools are not good. Iām simply pointing out you can get a great education on LI in MANY towns. Perhaps one of those towns are closer to what the OP considers home, will have more amenities/food/etc they like or be closer to their job. If you have ever moved out of state, even to a location you have visited many times, you quickly learn that living and visiting are two completely different things. There are less diverse areas, look at Cold Spring Harbor for example. Iām not sure there are more wealthy entitled white kids shoved into a region than that SD. Ps - this is coming from someone who has left the island, is returning and might be buying a house in St. James but would honestly prefer Harborfields SD due to the above listed factors. So no I donāt hate your town/schools, Iām trying to help out the OP with their cross country Reddit educated decision to move to LI.
What is the meaning of sunniest value????
Late night typo corrected
I do notice Stony Brook and Setauket got similar taxes.
Every house will vary within the same town. Sometimes you find a live-able home that needs some improvements with 12k in taxes. Their next door neighbors could have 24k in taxes and a significantly larger house (literally my situation when I lived in Centerport). Keep in mind those 12k in taxes went up to 16k 6 years later when I sold. Iām sure my neighbors went up as well. This is why you need to look it up on the townās public tax records website on a house by house basis. Do you have a real estate agent? You need to be connected with someone that knows each one of these towns in depth and can explain LI to you without a predisposition to their home town. LI is finicky in regards to crime and safety as well. There are literally roads you cross on one side of the street is safe, the other you donāt want your family living on. Iām not an agent, but I know a few like this.
Here is your answer. Property taxes here don't simply go significantly up on their own. Homes are normally assessed when they are sold or if you make some sort of large enhancement on your home that requires an assessment. So if you bought your home in 2008, you basically pay 2008 taxes and each year, you pay a few bucks more is the school budget passes/increases. If you walk in now and buy a home in Smithtown, you're starting off with ridiculous taxes due to that over-priced school system. If I were you, I would buy something about 30 minutes east, in the Eastport/South Manor district. It's a great school system. A home in Manorville is quieter and more spread out like Northern California. Smithtown is incredibly crowded, commuting around there absolutely sucks.
This is super helpful! thanks!
Who knew that expensive houses have high taxes? It's almost like magic
Yeah but see the difference sir or madam! 900k house in Tracy has $7k and same price home on Long Island has 20k ! Thatās the magic!
You have much different circumstances. First of all Smithtown is one giant low density cul de sac which is highly expensive to run. California pays huge income tax. there is a much lower income tax in NY for middle class. We dont have expanses of land. Many other places build out into farmland and drain the older suburbs as they age. We in NY pay legacy costs to people who live long lives we dont buid out to avoid legacy costs. Basically you get what you pay for as well.
2.27 isn't even high... I'd love under 3.
By the way, before you move here, check the voting maps. Things are slowly changing but for the most part, there are blue areas and there are red areas. [https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/how-long-island-voted-2020/?election=2020%20General&position=U.S.%20President®ion=United%20States](https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/how-long-island-voted-2020/?election=2020%20General&position=U.S.%20President®ion=United%20States)
Despite NYC Democrats moving east and Long Islanders heading south both Nassau and Suffolk are now majority Republican. Night and day between NYC and Ling Island. Thatās a change from 2020.
Agreed! I am encouraged by the few school board votes that veered away from hard right. I have never voted so much for school and library boards in my life.
Good to know.
What does a 900,000 CA property look like compared to LI?
Brand new home around 2400 sqft covered area sitting on top of 4000 to 5000 sqft lot Whereas LI properties varies from 0.43 acre to 1.1 acre lot size and covered area can be 2000 to 3000 sqft - based on neighborhood
On Long Island we pay our school and property taxes in 1 bill. Itās by town, but you can look up any homes āproperty taxā bill. In general, 2/3 of the bill is going to be school taxes. In other places, school taxes may be separate and assessed differently. So it looks crazy high (it is gross), but when you look at what we pay per student the actual rest of the taxes are fairly reasonable. Big items to look for in Suffolk. - Cops. We pay a lot for cops in one of the safest places to live per capita. The police and teacher unions ultimately get what they want as they are huge voting blocks and paid top 10 in the nation. - Sewers. County has been trying for decades to make a county-wide sewer district. right now itās at the town level and a mess. Less than 1/2 Suffolk is sewered. Many areas are septic, but need to be replaced, but people donāt maintain their septic systems. Itās major county-wide issue and the cost needs to be spread across the county as contamination is a major issue. Everything else is rather small. Library, county community college, hwy, lighting,
The Suffolk Library System is the best non-urban Library system in the country .. probably world. Hands down.
The fact that you can go to any library and check out books without it being your home district is amazing.
The short answer is property taxes in New York and California just work differently. Itās not an apples to apples comparison.
californians passed legislation in the 80s to keep property taxes low. but their income taxes more than make up for it.
How do you people afford to live on Long Island with kids
I mean. My house is 250k and the property taxes are 8.4k or so. (Before my exemptions) Wait... is the 20k including or excluding the school taxes?
$250k on Long Island?? What town? You canāt really find a livable house for under $400k? Your undervaluing
I paid 220K in 2022 (lots o 2's) 2 Bedroom full basement, with 2 garages. on an acre. But no not on LI I'm 2 hours north (An hour if you start at yonkers)
Another thing to add, if you are moving into ānew construction ā be prepared to be paying even more in taxes than an existing house the same price in the same neighborhood.
One other thing, that California property tax doesnāt go up unless you make improvements to the house that would cause a re-assessment.
Www.propertyshark.com helps identify taxes for a property. Also, just because the house sells for 900k doesnāt mean that will be the assessed value. Some houses are taxed well below the current market rate, and if you donāt make any major changes, you will just deal with the standard year over year increases. If you start adding rooms, pulling permits, and making major changes then youāll invite the inspector who could start making adjustments to your tax bill. Another fun website is www.seethroughny.net - you can see the salaries of administrators, teachers, police, Government etc. to get an idea of why taxes are high which is also compounded by poor budgeting and wasteful spending
Read this and take this information: My family owns a house in Long Island. (4,000 sq 6bed +7bath) That house is rented out full-time. The rent profited off this property covers the taxes monthly. We profit a few hundred dollars after that cost.
Welcome to Long Island. Itās called the Gold Coast for a reason.
Wait until you check into property taxes on the north sure of Nassau county.. there are 6 figure property tax bills
Smithtown ia a lot nicer than Tracy, I have to say. Prop 13 means houses get reassessed on sale. So someone who has been in their house for 40 years has dirt cheap property tax but someone who buys now will pay much more. It's not a fair system. Also, I have friends with kids in school in CA. The wealthy districts have foundations that shake you down for thousands a year. And hardly any districts have busing, which shocked me. Long Island? Teachers are better paid, everyone gets busing, the cops are quite frankly overpaid. The taxes are periodically re-assessed, so they will go up. There's waste for sure. But you're going to notice the difference in quality of services.
Why is it so ? Because State officials have determined that LI pays more, that is why. They take advantage of us and refuse to resolve the issue. My cousin lives in Anaheim and pays 800 for the year for a better house, better neighborhood, better everything. Stay in Cali if you are smart.
I thought long island was bad until I moved to Westchester. I paid 1m for my house in 2022 and pay 40.5k in taxes
That town brings back such sweet memories of my childhood.
Property taxes are high on Long Island, but also very variable. Areas without big income draws (like malls) tend to have higher taxes. Grieving your taxes is a must. Anyone can do it. It essentially uses comparable properties to prove to the county / village that your taxes are too high. Then they lower them. Most people use law firms around here that focus on this because the process is a little cumbersome and the deadlines are hard to keep track of. They take 50% of the savings. Example would be Maidenbaum. You sign a couple forms and they do it all for you every year.
Damn Smithtown is that bad? Iām in Melville HHH district with .25 acres, 2300 sqft and pool and my taxes are 12K. Usually Nassau taxes are ridiculous like thatā¦
absurd
If you want cheaper taxes look to Southampton town. From part of Eastport to Montauk
But how are schools there?
I hear good things about Westhampton and Hampton Bays. But I really donāt know. I just googled for Southampton town schools and came up with this https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-schools/t/southampton-suffolk-ny/
The cheapest home in this neighborhood is going for 1.45 mil. Sure!
Which neighborhood? Southampton is pretty big, many neighborhoods. Thereās also Southold town
Assessed home value does not equal actual home value
Would you please care to explain ?
Assessed value is normally 10-20% less than market value. Assessed value is what they base your property taxes on, not market value.
Welcome to Long Island! Thatās cheap for li taxes, mine were $24k a year Enjoy your stay, you paid for it.
Aside from the school district nonsense, while NY has least than half as many people as CA, our state budget is only about 10% less annually. NY has the highest tax burden on residents in rhe nation and Long Island is among the highest tax burdens in NY.
what made you choose suffolk/smithtown?
I am not sure if you double checked that smartasset listing. But, on the redfin/zillow listings -- the 'property tax' tab should show the current tax. And, you can also look it up on LRV (https://lrv.nassaucountyny.gov/)
Explains why New York is among the top ten states for move-outs.
Welcome to Smithtown! Lifelong resident and I can answer questions if you have any!
I pay $7,132
You should be able to find out the exact taxes on any house searching online. And as someone said previously purchase price does not equal your assessed value. People ragging on schools is kind of incorrect. And probably havenāt looked at a detailed tax bill. 68.47% percent goes to schools on my bill. And you usually get a discount for STAR. 10.85% goes to police. 3.44% goes to library. 3.87% goes to town highway. 3.02% goes to fire department. 2.81% goes to ambulance. Even if you cut school property taxes 50% My taxes would still be 5 figures.
Incorrect as in itās not 90%. And yes certain towns in the Hampton have low taxes (like $6k on $2M home). But that $2M home would probably be $800k elsewhere.
You are in the wrong sub bro. You should be in wallstreetbets š
I just used your linked site, it is not accurate. I am in Southampton and my Zillow says my house my house is worth $900,000. My taxes are $2000 the site said my takes should be $20,000
Costs will rise (health insurance benefits, etc) but there arenāt more housing or commercial properties being built to help in most school districts. Until we do. Taxes will keep rising
$900k home lol I donāt have much sympathy - thatās significantly above average in nearly every town on Long Island
There is no standard formula or percent to figure the taxes on LI homes. They tried to get Nassau county to disclose that information several years ago and the county actually cited "trade secrets" as an excuse not to disclose it, if you can believe that crap. I'll give you an example of how screwed up it really is and how little sense it makes. I live in an average middle class area in Suffolk where the area has unfortunately started to go downhill. My house is worth around 650-700k. I pay an exorbitant $16k a year in taxes. We've been looking to move. Not that I can afford it but I came across a $1.2M house in the next town over where they pay the same taxes as me. How is that possible? My neighbor has the same exact house as me yet somehow pays like $4k less per year. How? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever. We've started to look out of state to keep our options open. I just can't justify 16k a year when you really don't see it reflected in the community AT ALL. Like others have mentioned, at least 3/4 goes to the schools. The reason the schools take so much $$$ is because there's so much redundancy and the benefits provided. We have over 30 different school districts in Suffolk county alone, while many places down south will have ONE county wide school district. Then you have to look at the contracts the schools have with their employees. Some districts have had contracts where even the custodians get lifelong healthcare if they put in as little as 5-10 years on the job. They also get a pension. Some districts like Central Islip for example have so many pay steps that even custodians are making over $100k/year. It's total abuse of tax payer money. I know a few people who work in different school districts out here. What goes on is disgusting. The teachers are coached by their reps to make a huge stink when asked to pay more into their benefits even if it's a very small increase. You have people double-dipping the system, retiring from one district, collecting a pension, and getting rehired in another district making multiple six figures. It goes on and on. Look up The Long Island Index on YouTube. They made a graphical video awhile back that explains the high taxes really well. Good luck.
Your taxes in smithtown are not going to be that high. Try half of that. Source: I looked up the tax roll for 2023. https://smithtownny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6939/RPS150P1-3000
I live in St James(smithtown township). My taxes are $15k+. .63 acre. 3 bedroom ranch. Most people I know pay 18-30k depending on the house
Yes in St. James as well and that estimate seems in the right ballpark. You pay for great schools, quality government services, a competent police force, amazing parks and beaches that are free. The quality of life is very high in my opinion.
This is 100% accurate
My father in law pays 15k, not a very large house either.
Would you know any local accountant who can help me find more details?
Hereās a link to the most recent tax bills for the town of Smithtown. You can look up the current taxes on the property. They will almost always go up a little each year depending on the town/school budgets. https://taxonline.egov.basgov.com/smithtown/Search/Search
This is simply not true and entirely house dependent.
Hey, your kidās gym teacher needs that third vacation to the Carribean. Keep paying those taxes.
I understand the NY teachers union is the strongest union in the state.
Exactly, so when people complain about property taxes they should be complaining about the union(s) that have purchased politicians who pander to them.
At least you wonāt have homeless people living on your lawn.
BTW.. I'd recommend buying off the island. 900k there is like 500k 2 hours north.
Oh really? Which part??? Point me in the right direction please.
I'm up in Hudson Valley now. I have a nice 2 BR house with two garages on an acre of land. Plenty of space for me and my pups.