WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. - s4story -- Property taxes have always factored into buying a home in Westchester County, but in 2026 that conversation has changed shape. Westchester routinely ranks among the highest-taxed counties in New York State, and a major federal tax change is now reshaping how far that bill reaches into a buyer's budget. According to John Buoninfante, Westchester County Realtor and Associate Broker at Real Broker NY LLC, understanding property taxes is no longer a footnote in the home buying process. It is central to every serious buyer's decision.

"Property taxes in Westchester aren't a surprise to buyers anymore. They're a lens buyers use to decide whether they'll buy a house at all. I have buyers who start their search by asking what the tax bill looks like before they even ask about square footage. That's how serious a concern it is to buyers in Westchester County." — John Buoninfante, Westchester County Realtor

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Why Westchester's tax bills run high, and why they vary so much

High home values layered with separate county, municipal, and school district levies drive Westchester's tax bills up, and that layering is why two homes at the same list price in different towns can carry very different bills. In Hastings-on-Hudson, for example, the 2025-2026 school district tax rate is $18.8488 per $1,000 of assessed value, according to the Westchester County Tax Commission. Buyers comparing towns need to look past list price and into the underlying rate.

The SALT deduction change buyers need to know about

For years, the federal $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions, known as SALT, made Westchester's high property taxes even harder to absorb. According to IRS guidance on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, that cap rises to $40,000 for 2025 and $40,400 for 2026, for buyers with modified adjusted gross income under $505,000, phasing down above that threshold. For qualifying Westchester buyers, this meaningfully lowers the after-tax cost of homeownership heading into the summer market.

For more information, visit https://johnwestchesterrealtor.com/