Nassau Is Highest Taxed, Most Indebted County In New York

Everyone who lives in Nassau County knows that the taxes are high. But figures recently compiled by the Empire Center for Public Policy show that it is the second-highest taxed county in the state, and also has the highest amount of debt per capita.

Every year, the Empire Center puts out a benchmarking report, allowing residents to compare how their municipalities fare against others financially. It collects statistics from the state comptroller about counties, towns, villages, cities and school districts. The numbers are presented per capita, or by dividing the total amount by the number of residents.

“Benchmarking is a powerful tool that allows New Yorkers to see how each of their local governments’ spending practices compare to others,” said Tim Hoefer, executive director of the Empire Center. “It breaks down the revenues and expenses across more than 100 categories, and lets users make apples-to-apples comparisons of how each layer of local government is collecting and spending public money.”

In Nassau, the average taxes come out to $1,622 per year. It was second only to Hamilton county, which had a whopping $2,373 per capita. Suffolk came in sixth overall, with $1,355.

But what may be shocking to more residents is how much debt Nassau has racked up despite its high taxes. The county has a massive $2,983 in debt per capita, making it the most-indebted county in the state. That means the county owes nearly $3,000 per resident. Suffolk was high on the list too, coming in fourth with $1,561. At the bottom of the list was Hamilton County, which had no debt.

Despite the high taxes residents pay, the data shows that they get little back from the state in return. Nassau ranks 52 out of 57 for the amount of state aid per capita, receiving just $202 per resident. Suffolk is only slightly better at No. 51 with $212 per resident. It's nothing compared to Hamilton County, which gets $1,079 per capita.

Some of Long Island's towns are also among the high-taxing municipalities. Shelter Island has the third-highest town taxes in the state at $4,310 per capita, and East Hampton was close behind at No. 5, with $3,872. East Hampton also had the second-highest debt for any town in the state, owing $4,701 per resident.

For the full statistics for every municipality on Long Island, you can access the Empire Center's report by clicking here.

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