The short answer: the median effective property tax rate on Long Island is roughly 1.98% of your home's market value per year. That's the median across 121 school districts. Nassau and Suffolk differ — Nassau median is 2.08%, Suffolk median is 1.83% — and individual districts range from about 0.27% to 3.16%.
Quick answer: Long Island's median effective property tax rate is 1.98% of home value per year. That's the rate a typical homeowner pays. The exact rate depends on your school district, town, and special districts — enter your address to see your specific rate.
| Effective rate (median) | How it compares | |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island (overall) | 1.98% | ~2x the U.S. median (0.99%) |
| Nassau County | 2.08% | Higher rate, lower home values at median |
| Suffolk County | 1.83% | Lower rate, higher home values at median |
| United States (median) | 0.99% | Tax Foundation, 2024 |
| Lowest LI district (median) | 0.27% | Eastern Suffolk villages |
| Highest LI district (median) | 3.16% | Some Nassau working-class districts |
Two different "rates" get used in LI property tax conversations and they're not the same thing:
For comparison shopping, use effective rate. For understanding your specific bill, look at the per-district millage breakdown on your Nassau or Suffolk bill.
Long Island's effective rate of 1.98% is roughly twice the U.S. median. Three structural drivers:
For the full structural explanation, see Why LI taxes are so high.
The "Long Island rate" is the median. Your specific rate could be 30% above or below it depending on:
The fastest way to see your exact rate: type your address into the calculator. It looks up every district that taxes your parcel and gives you the effective rate plus the dollar bill.
No. Rates vary by school district, town, and special districts. 1.98% is the median — the actual range is from about 0.27% (lowest-tax LI districts, mostly eastern Suffolk villages) to 3.16% (highest, mostly Nassau districts where assessed values are kept close to market).
Counterintuitively, Nassau's effective rate (2.08%) is higher than Suffolk's (1.83%) even though Nassau is generally perceived as the "richer" county. Two reasons: Nassau's annual reassessment cycle keeps assessed values close to current market (so the same tax dollars produce a higher effective rate against accurate values), and Nassau's housing stock skews lower-priced at the median. Full Nassau vs. Suffolk comparison.
LI median household income is about $130k. LI median tax bill is $11,129/yr. That's about 8.5% of pre-tax household income on the median — one of the highest ratios in the country. By comparison, the U.S. median household pays roughly 3% of income in property tax.
Yes — "property tax" on LI includes school + county + town + village + special districts in one combined effective rate. School tax is the biggest component (65-70% of most bills). When someone says "my property taxes are X" they mean the total, not just one piece. The 1.98% median effective rate is the combined-everything number.
Use the calculator with your address — it shows your district's effective rate and the dollar bill. Or browse Nassau districts and Suffolk districts directly.
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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.