Property tax rates compared: Oneida, Madison and Herkimer County, NY (2026)
Short answer: At the 2026 rates, a typical home pays about 2.13% of its value a year in Oneida County, 2.19% of its value a year in Herkimer County, 2.32% of its value a year in Madison County; the town, school district and village matter more than the county.
The three counties side by side
Typical effective property tax, as a share of what the home is worth, weighted by the number of homes in each town (2026 rates, before special districts and exemptions):
Oneida County: about 2.13% of value a year, or $5,314 on a $250,000 home (lowest in the Town of Forestport at 1.13%, highest in the City of Utica at 2.45%).
Herkimer County: about 2.19% of value a year, or $5,471 on a $250,000 home (lowest in the Town of Webb at 0.78%, highest in the City of Little Falls at 3.60%).
Madison County: about 2.32% of value a year, or $5,792 on a $250,000 home (lowest in the Town of De Ruyter at 1.91%, highest in the City of Oneida at 2.86%).
Why the county is not the whole story
Every home pays county, town, school and often village and library tax, and the school district is usually the largest part. Two homes in the same county can differ by a full percentage point of value because of the school district and village they are in.
Towns also assess at different shares of market value, so the tax rate per $1,000 of assessed value is not comparable between towns. The effective rate, tax as a share of what the home is worth, is the fair comparison.
Comparing homes across county lines
A $250,000 home at the lowest town rate in this area pays about $1,828 a year and at the highest about $8,988. Look up each address you are considering to see the actual bill a new owner would pay, since the seller’s exemptions end with the sale.
Questions
- Which county has the lowest property taxes: Oneida, Madison or Herkimer?
- By the home-weighted typical rate at the 2026 rates, Oneida County is lowest (about 2.13% of value) and Madison County is highest (about 2.32%). The range inside each county is wider than the gap between them.
- How is the effective property tax rate calculated?
- It is the combined tax rate per $1,000 of assessed value times the town’s level of assessment, so it shows the tax as a share of the home’s market value.
See it for a real home
Look up any address in Oneida, Madison or Herkimer County: the bill for a new owner, the STAR credit, an assessment check and closing costs.
Look up an address