Onondaga Property Tax: Rates, Exemptions & Appeals (2026)

Direct answer: For most Onondaga County homeowners outside the City of Syracuse, the 2026 assessment grievance deadline was Tuesday, May 26, 2026—the fourth Tuesday in May—and the next regular town deadline is Tuesday, May 25, 2027. File Form RP-524, Complaint on Real Property Assessment with your city or town assessor or Board of Assessment Review, not with Onondaga County RPTS; Syracuse is the major exception and uses a January filing window through its City Board of Assessment Review. (tax.ny.gov)

How assessments work in Onondaga County

Onondaga County does not have one county assessor. The county says each town and city appoints its own assessors and assessing clerks, while county Real Property Tax Services (RPTS) publishes tax/assessment data, rate books, maps, and bills for many non-Syracuse properties. (onondaga.gov)

That local structure matters because you appeal in the assessing unit where the home sits: Camillus, Cicero, Clay, DeWitt, Elbridge, Fabius, Geddes, LaFayette, Lysander, Manlius, Marcellus, Onondaga, Otisco, Pompey, Salina, Skaneateles, Spafford, Tully, Van Buren, or the City of Syracuse. Onondaga County RPTS provides a town/city/village contact page, but it is not the countywide filing desk for grievances. (onondaga.gov)

For the towns, the annual roll cycle is the New York standard: tentative assessment rolls are posted, homeowners review them before Grievance Day, the Board of Assessment Review hears complaints, and the final roll is filed around July 1. Onondaga’s assessment database warns that assessment information can change during the year and is not final for taxing purposes until the town final assessment roll is filed “on or about July 1.” (onondaga.gov)

The 2026 county assessment-roll page includes both 2026 Tentative Assessment Rolls and 2026 Final Assessment Rolls for the county towns. Use the tentative roll to decide whether to grieve; once the final roll is filed, your administrative appeal window for that year has closed. (onondaga.gov)

Equalization is especially important here. Onondaga County explains that the 19 towns and the City of Syracuse can assess at different percentages of market value; equalization rates are used to compare those assessment levels and apportion county taxes fairly. Some towns assess at 100% of market value, while others assess below full value, so do not compare raw assessed values across town lines without adjusting for the local level of assessment. (onondaga.gov)

Whether you should appeal

Appeal if your tentative assessed value is higher than a supportable market value, if your home is assessed at a higher percentage of value than similar homes on the same roll, if an exemption was denied or miscalculated, or if the property is misclassified. New York’s grievance form and instructions recognize these grounds as excessive, unequal, unlawful, or misclassified assessment claims. (onondaga.gov)

Start with three local checks:

1. Look up your parcel in Onondaga’s Beacon/Image Mate assessment search and the 2026 tentative roll for your town. The county’s tax-estimate page specifically tells homeowners to find the current assessment first, then subtract exemptions and apply the applicable tax rates. (onondaga.gov)
2. Compare recent arms-length sales in your neighborhood and school district. A sale in Skaneateles, Clay, or Syracuse may not be a good comp for DeWitt or Manlius because assessment levels and tax rates differ.
3. Check exemptions before you grieve value. Onondaga RPTS points homeowners to STAR, disability, veterans, senior citizens, and agricultural exemption information, and says the deadline for county properties outside Syracuse city limits is March 1. (onondaga.gov)

There is no official countywide success-rate table or median assessment-reduction table published on the RPTS pages I found. Syracuse does publish workload figures: its FY 2025–26 budget materials list Board of Assessment Review grievances heard as 508 actual for 2023/24, 550 estimated for 2024/25, and 600 anticipated for 2025/26—but those are volume numbers, not win rates or median reductions. (syr.gov)

Step-by-step how to file

1. Confirm your assessing unit and deadline. For most Onondaga towns, Grievance Day is the fourth Tuesday in May; in 2026 that was May 26, 2026. New York warns that mailed grievances must be received by the assessor or BAR by Grievance Day—not merely postmarked by then. (tax.ny.gov)

Syracuse exception: The City of Syracuse Board of Assessment Review says it accepts grievance applications and supporting documents during the last two weeks of January. The city’s BAR page says residents file with the Board of Assessment Review, may mail or drop off the form at City Hall Suite 130, must use an original signature, and should call the Secretary of the Board at 315-448-8270 to schedule a hearing or ask process questions. (syr.gov)

2. Use the right form. The form is RP-524, Complaint on Real Property Assessment for 20__. The official New York assessment-grievance forms page also lists RP-525, Notice of Determination of Board of Assessment Review, which is the decision notice you receive after the BAR acts. (tax.ny.gov)

3. Attach evidence. Strong evidence usually means a recent appraisal, a closing statement if you recently bought the home, photos/contractor estimates for condition problems, or a comp grid using similar homes in the same assessing unit. On the RP-524, be careful about the assessment you request; state guidance warns you may be limited to the reduction requested. (onondaga.gov)

4. File locally. For towns, file with your town assessor or the town Board of Assessment Review at the town address listed through Onondaga’s tax collectors/assessors page. For Syracuse, the filing address is Board of Assessment Review, Secretary of Board of Assessment Review, 233 E. Washington St., City Hall, Suite 130, Syracuse, NY 13202. (onondaga.gov)

5. Fees and online filing. There is no fee to grieve an assessment at the administrative BAR level, and a lawyer is not required. Onondaga County does not advertise a countywide grievance portal; use email or an online submission only if your specific town/city assessor confirms that method will be accepted on time. (tax.ny.gov)

What happens after

The appeal authority is the local Board of Assessment Review—often called the BAR. State guidance says a BAR generally has three to five members appointed by the local governing board, and the assessor and assessor’s staff cannot be BAR members. The assessor may attend and respond. (onondaga.gov)

The hearing is usually short and practical, not a courtroom trial. You or your authorized representative explain why the tentative assessment should be reduced, the assessor may respond, and the BAR can ask for more evidence. You have the right to attend, but the BAR can also decide based on submitted paperwork; if it requires you to appear or answer material questions and you refuse, you may lose the reduction. (tax.ny.gov)

After review, you receive a written determination stating whether the tentative assessment was reduced and the reasons. If you still disagree, most owner-occupied one-, two-, or three-family homeowners can file Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR); the state lists a $30 filing fee and a deadline of 30 days after the final assessment roll is filed or notice of filing, whichever is later. (tax.ny.gov)

Local tips

Use the county rate book for savings math. Onondaga’s formula is taxable value divided by 1,000 times the applicable rate. In a realistic DeWitt outside-village example in the Jamesville-DeWitt school district, the 2026 rate book shows DeWitt outside town tax 2.5000, highway 1.0800, state-mandated/county line 2.9309, and Jamesville-DeWitt school tax 16.303153 per $1,000. A $30,000 assessment reduction would save about $684 per year before any special district, library, or village charges: $30,000 ÷ 1,000 × 22.814053 = $684.42. (onondaga.gov)

Do not rely only on “my taxes are too high.” The BAR reviews assessment value, exemptions, legality, and classification; it does not set school, town, village, sewer, or county budget levies. Onondaga County’s own tax-rate explanation separates local assessments, equalization rates, and the total county levy. (onondaga.gov)

Check STAR and senior/veteran status early. STAR amounts vary by school district and town in the 2026 rate book, and exemption deadlines can arrive before the grievance period. If your issue is a missed or denied exemption, bring the filed exemption application and any denial or calculation notice to the BAR. (onondaga.gov)

Onondaga County Property Tax Rate

2026 county full-value tax rate: $2.93 per $1,000 of full value (0.293%). Onondaga County also publishes 2026 assessed-value county tax rates by municipality, which vary because equalization rates differ. The 2026 county budget shows county tax per $100,000 of full value generally about $292–$295 by municipality (for example, DeWitt: $293 per $100,000; Syracuse: $292 per $100,000).

Source: https://onondaga.gov/finance/wp-content/uploads/sites/193/2025/12/2-Fiscal-Summary-1.pdf

When Are Property Taxes Due in Onondaga County?

For the 19 towns outside the City of Syracuse, county/town/special-district taxes are due the first business day in January and may be paid without penalty through January 31; unpaid taxes go to Onondaga County for collection on April 1. For the City of Syracuse, the county’s official statement says Syracuse collects county taxes in quarterly installments due January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31. For delinquent County/Town taxes on parcels outside the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County accepts partial payments of at least $200, but partial payments alone do not stop enforcement; eligible owners may call RPTS about an Onondaga Payment Agreement.

This is not the same as the assessment appeal deadline above. The appeal deadline is your window to contest your assessed value; the payment due date is when the resulting tax bill must be paid. Missing one does not affect the other, but missing either has real consequences — one forfeits your right to appeal for the year, the other can trigger penalties and interest.

Source: https://onondaga.gov/rpts/taxpayers-guide/

Property Tax Exemptions in Onondaga County

• STAR (School Tax Relief) credit/exemption — Owner-occupied primary residences meeting NYS STAR eligibility rules. Basic STAR has no age restriction and has income limits; Enhanced STAR is for eligible seniors age 65 or older meeting the Enhanced STAR income limit.. Basic STAR is based on the first $30,000 of full value; Enhanced STAR is based on the first $88,500 of full value for the 2026-2027 school year. STAR applies to school taxes, with special city-tax treatment in Syracuse noted by NYS. Yes for new homeowners: register once with the NYS Tax Department for the STAR credit. Existing STAR exemption recipients may continue if eligible. Apply by Register as soon as the home becomes your primary residence; no annual re-registration unless ownership or eligibility changes.. (Source: https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/star/eligibility.htm)
• Senior citizens exemption — Homeowners age 65 or older who meet ownership, residency, income, and other local requirements.. Onondaga County’s 2026 legislative packet lists a sliding-scale exemption from 65% for income up to $46,999.99 down to 5% for income up to $58,399.99, and states the county is amending Resolution 175-67 to the maximum allowable under RPTL §467. Yes; file the applicable senior exemption form with the local assessor. Renewal may be required. Apply by March 1 for county properties outside Syracuse City limits per Onondaga County RPTS; confirm with the local assessor for city/village variations.. (Source: https://onondaga.gov/legislature/wp-content/uploads/sites/201/2026/02/3.3.26-REVISED-Session-Agenda-Packet.pdf)
• Exemption for persons with disabilities and limited incomes — Eligible disabled homeowners whose property is their legal residence and who meet local income and other requirements; NYS lists acceptable proof such as SSDI/SSI, Railroad Retirement disability, legally blind certification, VA disability pension, or Workers’ Compensation disability documentation.. NYS describes a reduction of up to 50% of the assessed value where the locality offers the exemption, with possible sliding-scale benefits; Onondaga County RPTS lists this exemption among property-tax exemption resources. Yes; file Form RP-459-c for first-time applicants or RP-459-c-Rnw for renewal with the local assessor. Apply by March 1 for county properties outside Syracuse City limits per Onondaga County RPTS; confirm with the local assessor for city/village variations.. (Source: https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/exemption/disablexempt.htm)
• Veterans exemptions — Eligible veterans, depending on the exemption type: alternative veterans exemption, Cold War veterans exemption, or eligible funds exemption. NYS says only one of the three veterans exemptions may be received.. Partial exemption; benefit depends on the veterans exemption type and local adoption. NYS notes alternative and Cold War veterans exemptions are optional local exemptions and do not apply to special district charges. Yes; NYS says obtaining a veterans exemption is not automatic and the eligible veteran must submit the initial application to the assessor. Apply by Generally March 1 in most communities; Onondaga County RPTS says March 1 is the deadline for county properties outside Syracuse City limits. Confirm with the local assessor.. (Source: https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/exemption/vetexempt.htm)
• Agricultural assessment — Farmland used in agricultural production that meets NYS acreage and gross-sales requirements; generally at least seven acres used in the preceding two years for production for sale of crops, livestock, or livestock products, with average annual gross sales of at least $10,000, with separate rules for smaller enterprises and horse boarding operations.. Taxes on eligible farmland are based on the land’s agricultural assessment rather than its full assessment; any assessed value above the agricultural assessment is exempt from real property taxation. Yes; file Form RP-305 or RP-305-r with the assessor, and coordinate soil group information with the county Soil and Water Conservation District. Apply by By Taxable Status Date; NYS says this is March 1 in most towns, and Onondaga County RPTS says March 1 is the deadline for county properties outside Syracuse City limits. Confirm with the assessor.. (Source: https://www.tax.ny.gov/research/property/assess/valuation/ag_overview.htm)

How to Look Up Your Property Record in Onondaga County

You can look up your property's official record at https://ocfintax.ongov.net/Imate/disclaimer.aspx. Onondaga County Image Mate Online provides town property and owner information, assessment values, property/tax information, prior sales, dimensions, and delinquent County/Town tax information where applicable.