Central New York
Clay, New York
Clay is a town in Onondaga County, in New York's Central New York region, home to about 60,500 people as of the 2020 census.
Syracuse, Finger Lakes edges, and quiet countryside. Clay sits in that part of the state.
- Type
- Town
- County
- Onondaga
- Region
- Central New York
- Population (2020)
- 60,527
Local Almanac
Notes in and around Clay
Short, sourced notes tied to this place, its county, or nearby communities.
This place · History & Culture
Clay Meets at Three Rivers Point
Clay's northern waterfront gathers the Oneida, Seneca, and Oswego rivers into a canal-era place story.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Salina Comes From Salt Springs and Onondaga Lake
Salina's town story links Onondaga Lake, salt springs, Liverpool, and the county Salt Museum.
Read this note ->Onondaga County · Home & Property
Skaneateles Building Projects Start With Codes, Not Guesswork
Skaneateles owners should check town or village code offices before construction, alterations, occupancy changes, or shoreline-adjacent work gets expensive.
Read this note ->Onondaga County · History & Culture
Elbridge Explains Itself Through Creeks, Canal Villages, and Route 5
Elbridge has a two-village pattern shaped by Skaneateles Creek, Jordan canal commerce, Route 5, and a glacial drumlin landscape.
Read this note ->Onondaga County · Money & Taxes
Onondaga Town and County Taxes Split by Calendar
Onondaga County says current town and county taxes start with local collectors before April, then move to the county after April 1.
Read this note ->Onondaga County · History & Culture
Skaneateles Town Is a Lake, a Creek, and a Waterpower Drop
Skaneateles' town historian connects the long glacial lake to creek-powered mills, Syracuse water, and the town's tourism turn.
Read this note ->Onondaga County · History & Culture
Baldwinsville Begins at the Seneca River Crossing
Baldwinsville's village story starts with the Seneca River, shallow rifts near Paper Mill Point, and the McHarrie family's 1794 arrival.
Read this note ->Onondaga County · Home & Property
Onondaga Septic Work Starts With Health Engineering
Onondaga County routes septic, sewer, water-source, subdivision, and pool plan review through Public Health Engineering.
Read this note ->Onondaga County · History & Culture
Marcellus Is Military Tract Land Cut by Nine Mile Creek Mills
Marcellus' identity joins the Military Tract naming pattern with the creek valley, mills, paper work, and Marcellus Falls waterpower.
Read this note ->Property tax snapshot
Roughly $22–$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 $6,479–$8,342 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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