Property tax in Putnam County, New York
In Putnam County, the property tax bill comes from the Receiver of Taxes in your town (each of Putnam County's six towns has its own). The 2027 county and town taxes bill is due January 31, 2027. Taken from Putnam County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Putnam County, New York is $10,000+ a year, which is at least 2.12% of the county's median home value of $471,300. The Census stops counting at $10,000: it reports only that the median bill here is $10,000 or more, so the true bill and rate are higher than shown. That effective rate is higher than the typical New York county (2.04%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Who sends the property tax bill in Putnam County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Receiver of Taxes in your town (each of Putnam County's six towns has its own). The value it is based on is set by a separate office, your town's assessor (each of Putnam County's six towns assesses its own properties), which is who to ask if the value looks wrong.
Putnam County homeowners get two property tax bills a year from their town's Receiver of Taxes: county and town taxes (plus fire, park and other district charges) in January, and school taxes in September. Village residents in Brewster, Cold Spring and Nelsonville also pay village taxes to the village. The county does not assess homes: your town assessor sets values, takes exemption applications (due March 1, the taxable status date) and hears the first appeal. Each town runs its own payment options; the county's online payment site is for taxes owed to the Commissioner of Finance after they are returned unpaid.
When are property taxes due in Putnam County?
For the 2027 county and town taxes (January 1 to December 31, 2027; bills mailed in late December 2026 or early January 2027) bill, Putnam County has one due date: January 31, 2027. County and town taxes are due in full by January 31 without interest. You can instead pay exactly half by January 31 and the second half in any month from February through July 31, with interest of 1% for each month after January (6% by July). January 31, 2027 is a Sunday. State law automatically extends a tax deadline that falls on a weekend or holiday to the next business day, so the last day without interest is Monday, February 1, 2027. Payments must be in the receiver's office by the due date or carry a U.S. Postal Service postmark dated that day; a postage-meter mark does not count. A full payment made late carries 1% interest in February, 2% in March and 3% in April, and some towns add a small mailing fee in the later months. After April 30, unpaid taxes must be paid to the Putnam County Commissioner of Finance, not the town. An unpaid second half goes to the Commissioner of Finance after July 31. The county offers a payment agreement for delinquent taxes and forecloses on and auctions property with long-unpaid taxes.
From Putnam County's published schedule, checked September 23, 2026. The county had not posted a calendar labeled for this cycle when we checked, so these dates come from state law and the county's standing schedule; the date on your bill is the one that binds you.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Putnam County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Putnam County's average effective rate of 2.12% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $9,992 / year
Property tax in Putnam County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $10,000+ |
| Median home value | $471,300 |
| Effective tax rate | at least 2.12% |
| Typical New York county rate | 2.04% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Putnam County compare in New York?
Among New York's 62 counties, Putnam County has the 27th highest effective property-tax rate: 26 rank higher and 35 rank lower. Nationally, it ranks 60th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. Both ranks use the capped $10,000 bill, so the county's true rate, and its true rank, may be higher still. See every New York county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Putnam County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Putnam County's 29,778 owner-occupied homes, 91.9% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 94.4% pay at least $2,000, and 1.4% pay under $800. Another 1.5% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 410 | 1.4% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 379 | 1.3% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 412 | 1.4% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 750 | 2.5% |
| $3,000 or more | 27,378 | 91.9% |
| No property tax paid | 449 | 1.5% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $10,000+ and owners without one pay $10,000+. At least one of those medians hits the Census cap, so the gap between them cannot be measured here. Census table B25103.
Property tax in counties next to Putnam County
Putnam County borders 5 counties, 1 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County, NY | 2.19% | $8,494 | $387,900 |
| Putnam County, NY (this county) | at least 2.12% | $10,000+ | $471,300 |
| Dutchess County, NY | 1.89% | $7,562 | $400,600 |
| Rockland County, NY | at least 1.68% | $10,000+ | $596,900 |
| Westchester County, NY | at least 1.51% | $10,000+ | $663,200 |
| Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT | 1.42% | $9,295 | $652,900 |
How is a home assessed in Putnam County?
New York sets the assessment rules and Putnam County applies them. How New York assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Putnam County?
Not as a flat dollar amount. New York's main owner-occupancy benefit is STAR, which reduces school taxes for owners with income up to $500,000 (STAR credit) or $250,000 (STAR exemption). That is the New York rule, and it applies in Putnam County. New York's exemptions and relief programs in full.
On top of the New York programs, Putnam County runs its own:
- Volunteer firefighter and ambulance worker exemption: Putnam County offers this exemption on county taxes under a state law that currently applies only in Putnam County, for an enrolled member of an incorporated volunteer fire company, fire department or ambulance service with at least five years of service, on a primary residence in the area that company serves: 10% of assessed value, up to $3,000 times the state equalization rate. File the application with your town assessor every year. Apply by March 1.
- Cold War veterans exemption: Putnam County grants the state-authorized exemption on county taxes for veterans who served during the Cold War, on a primary residence, with an added amount for a service-connected disability. Apply to your town assessor. Apply by March 1.
- Partial exemption for persons with disabilities and limited incomes: Putnam County grants the state-authorized partial exemption on county taxes for homeowners with disabilities whose incomes are limited; it must be renewed every year with your town assessor. Apply by March 1.
- Senior citizens exemption: Putnam County grants the state-authorized partial exemption on county taxes for homeowners 65 and older with limited incomes, on a primary residence. Your town, village and school district decide separately whether to grant it on their own taxes. Apply to your town assessor, and renew as the assessor directs. Apply by March 1.
How to appeal your Putnam County property assessment
In Putnam County you appeal to the Your town's Board of Assessment Review. The deadline: File a written complaint (state Form RP-524) with your town assessor or Board of Assessment Review by Grievance Day, the fourth Tuesday in May (May 25, 2027). The tentative assessment roll comes out May 1 and the final roll July 1. If the Board denies your complaint, you can file for Small Claims Assessment Review or a tax certiorari case within 30 days of the filing of the final roll. A village that does its own assessing holds a separate grievance day, usually in February. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against the official appeal rules.
How New York's appeal process works, including the next level if the first one turns you down.
New York rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the New York page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Putnam County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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New York income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what New York actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Putnam County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Putnam County, New York: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.