SWIS = "Statewide Information System." It's a 6-digit code NY State assigns to every municipality (town, city, village). On Long Island, every parcel's SWIS code tells you which town's assessor handles it and which tax-rate row applies.
Every NY State municipality has a 6-digit SWIS code. The structure:
The combination uniquely identifies the assessor responsible for each parcel and the tax rate row in NY State's rate file.
| SWIS Code | Municipality | County | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 280500 | Glen Cove | Nassau | City |
| 280600 | Glen Cove | Nassau | City |
| 280900 | Long Beach | Nassau | City |
| 281000 | Long Beach | Nassau | City |
| 282000 | Hempstead | Nassau | Town |
| 282200 | North Hempstead | Nassau | Town |
| 282400 | Oyster Bay | Nassau | Town |
| 472000 | Babylon | Suffolk | Town |
| 472200 | Brookhaven | Suffolk | Town |
| 472400 | East Hampton | Suffolk | Town |
| 472600 | Huntington | Suffolk | Town |
| 472800 | Islip | Suffolk | Town |
| 473000 | Riverhead | Suffolk | Town |
| 473200 | Shelter Island | Suffolk | Town |
| 473400 | Smithtown | Suffolk | Town |
| 473600 | Southampton | Suffolk | Town |
| 473800 | Southold | Suffolk | Town |
When a Long Island school district spans multiple towns (24 out of 120 do), each town within the district has its own combined tax rate. The SWIS code is how the County figures out which rate applies to your parcel.
Example: Jericho School District (282415) spans both Oyster Bay (SWIS 282400) and North Hempstead (SWIS 282200). Parcels in Oyster Bay pay a combined rate of about $20.08/$1,000. Parcels in North Hempstead pay about $26.16/$1,000. Same school district, different rates — because of the SWIS code.
It's usually printed on your property tax bill. You can also look it up on the Nassau Land Records Viewer (Nassau) or your town's online assessor portal (Suffolk).
If you're in different parts of Jericho (one in Oyster Bay, one in North Hempstead), you're subject to different combined rates because each town has its own town and county levies. The school portion is the same; the town + county portions differ.
No. SWIS is a municipal identifier (set by NY State). ZIP code is a USPS postal identifier. They overlap loosely — a single SWIS can have multiple ZIPs, and a single ZIP can span multiple SWIS codes.
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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.