Westchester property tax, explained
Westchester homeowners often ask the same question in three different accents: why is my tax bill this high, and how does the assessor’s number turn into dollars I owe? Dale Ledger exists to make that path legible — without pretending to be your tax bill.
This guide explains the shared machinery across Scarsdale, Larchmont, and the City of Rye: assessed value, equalization, mill rates, STAR, and the special-district lines that never fit neatly in a single “estimate.” It is original editorial explanation from Infarill LLC. It is not legal or tax advice.
Assessed value is not “what your house is worth”
Municipalities publish an assessed value on the roll. Some rolls are meant to track full market value closely; others use a low equalization rate so the assessed number is a small fraction of market. City of Rye, for example, commonly shows assessed values near roughly one percent of full market on PROS — which means mill rates look enormous until you remember they apply to that small assessed base.
Scarsdale and Village of Larchmont rolls are easier for newcomers to read because full market and assessed figures sit closer together in spirit (Larchmont’s village roll is described as a 100% basis in published rate sheets). Always read the roll’s own uniform percentage / equalization notes.
Mill rates: dollars per $1,000 of assessed value
A mill rate is a price: how many dollars of tax per $1,000 of taxable assessed value. Your rough tax is:
(taxable assessed value ÷ 1,000) × mill rate, summed across county, municipal, and school lines (and sometimes special districts).
Dale Ledger’s on-site estimates multiply the roll’s assessed value by published county / municipal / school mills for that edition, then subtract STAR school exemptions when the roll lists the matching exemption codes. We deliberately omit some special-district lines when they vary parcel-by-parcel and would lie if flattened into one number.
Why three towns feel different
- Scarsdale — Village + Scarsdale UFSD + county mills on the village roll; school zones are elementary attendance areas inside one high-school district.
- Larchmont — Village roll plus Mamaroneck UFSD; town/county composites from Town of Mamaroneck rate sheets can include sewer/refuse lines that Scarsdale’s simple three-line estimate excludes.
- City of Rye — City roll via PROS, Rye City School District, low equalization → high nominal mills on a small AV.
Compare carefully. A “$20,000 tax” on one roll is not the same economic object as a “$20,000 tax” on another if the assessment bases differ.
STAR and other exemptions
New York’s School Tax Relief (STAR) program can reduce the school portion of the bill when the parcel carries the right exemption codes on the roll. Dale Ledger applies basic/enhanced STAR only when those codes appear. If your bill shows STAR but our card does not (or the reverse), trust the bill and the assessor — rolls and billing cycles are not always in lockstep on a hobbyist scrape.
How to use Dale Ledger without fooling yourself
- Find the parcel in the town edition search or on a street hub.
- Read assessed value, full market (if shown), and the estimated tax as a ballpark.
- Open the official PROS or assessor link we show on the card.
- Compare to your actual tax bill, including special districts.
Town-specific deep dives
- Scarsdale property tax estimates
- Larchmont property tax estimates
- Rye property tax estimates
- Comparing the three Dale Ledger editions
- How Dale Ledger builds estimates
FAQ
Is Dale Ledger’s tax number my bill?
No. It is an estimate from published mill rates and roll assessments. Confirm on your tax bill and official sources.
Why do Rye mill rates look huge?
Rye’s assessed values are often a small fraction of full market (low equalization). Mills apply to that assessed base.
Unofficial. Confirm figures on each edition’s official roll or PROS before decisions.