Southern Tier
Big Flats, New York
Big Flats is a town in Chemung County, in New York's Southern Tier region, home to about 7,800 people as of the 2020 census.
Binghamton spiedies, Corning glass, and the wooded Pennsylvania border. Big Flats sits in that part of the state.
- Type
- Town
- County
- Chemung
- Region
- Southern Tier
- Population (2020)
- 7,791
Local Almanac
Notes in and around Big Flats
Short, sourced notes tied to this place, its county, or nearby communities.
This place · History & Culture
Big Flats Is a Chemung River Town Before It Is an Airport Exit
Big Flats' official self-portrait ties the town to the Chemung River, parks, walking trails, preserves, and glider history.
Read this note ->This place · Home & Property
Big Flats Building Permits Need a Site Plan Early
Big Flats building permits are issued in set windows, and the town says required documents must be received and reviewed early.
Read this note ->This place · History & Culture
Big Flats Is Named For The Valley Shape
Big Flats' name is a geography lesson: the Chemung Valley widens into broad flatland that shaped settlement and local work.
Read this note ->This place · History & Culture
Big Flats Has an Airport-Edge Suburban Pattern
Big Flats reads as a Chemung County crossroads because airport, retail, and road access sit close to older town land.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Corning's Glass Identity Is a Real Civic Anchor
Corning's glass identity is grounded in a major museum collection that connects art, science, technology, and local industry.
Read this note ->Nearby · The Outdoors
Catlin State Forest Is a Quiet Old-Farm-Lane Walk
Catlin State Forest gives the town a low-key outdoor story of old farm lanes, woods, and a little extra walking.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Elmira Holds Twain's Study and Civil War Memory
Elmira's story blends Mark Twain's writing legacy with Woodlawn National Cemetery and a difficult Civil War chapter.
Read this note ->Nearby · Home & Property
Elmira Occupancy Paperwork Comes Before Use
Elmira's permit page says certificates of occupancy are required before occupancy for new residential and all commercial structures.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Elmira College Gives the City a Women's Education Story
Elmira College adds a local institution tied to early rigorous college education for women.
Read this note ->Property tax snapshot
Roughly $23–$28 per $1,000
Combined full-value rate — county + town/city + school district, per $1,000 of market value (FY2025). On a $300,000 home that's about $7,033–$8,518 a year before the STAR break.
A planning estimate, not a bill. Your exact rate depends on your school district and any village. Confirm with the assessor.
Statewide links
Statewide starting points.
Good to know
- • Your assessed value usually isn't your market value — ask for the equalization rate.
- • Register for STAR; new applicants generally receive a credit instead of an automatic exemption on the bill.
- • Outside the cities, check the well, the septic, and the FEMA flood map before you buy.
Nearby
Nearby places
Tax rates: NYS Dept of Taxation & Finance (ORPTS), Real Property Tax Rates and Levy Data by Municipality, data.ny.gov dataset iq85-sdzs. (FY2025). Population: U.S. Census 2020. Reviewed June 2026. Source data ->
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