Mohawk Valley
Columbia, New York
Columbia is a town in Herkimer County, in New York's Mohawk Valley region, home to about 1,600 people as of the 2020 census.
Whether you're moving in or you've been here for years, the checks that matter most are the school district, the assessment and STAR, and — outside the cities — the well, the septic, and the flood map.
- Type
- Town
- County
- Herkimer
- Region
- Mohawk Valley
- Population (2020)
- 1,569
Local Almanac
Notes in and around Columbia
Short, sourced notes tied to this place, its county, or nearby communities.
This place · History & Culture
Columbia's name story has more than one answer
Columbia in Herkimer County has a formation story with Staley's Second Tract, an early town meeting, veterans' graves, and competing name explanations.
Read this note ->Nearby · The Outdoors
Richfield Shares a Lake With a Fishing Calendar
Canadarago Lake gives Richfield a year-round lake identity, from summer bass tournaments to winter ice fishing and a practical state boat launch.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Winfield Sits on a Route 20 Farm Edge
Winfield's town page frames the southwest Herkimer County town through Route 20, West Winfield, farms, creeks, and county borders.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
German Flatts Holds Fort Herkimer in Stone
Fort Herkimer Church gives German Flatts a Mohawk Valley landmark tied to limestone, worship, and frontier memory.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Ilion keeps civic memory in the library and veterans auditorium
Ilion's civic memory can be read through its official motto, public library, and Veterans' Memorial Auditorium name program.
Read this note ->Herkimer County · History & Culture
Frankfort Grew as a Canal-Side Mohawk Village
Frankfort's village story is tied to the Mohawk River, the Erie Canal, early patents, and a canal-side growth pattern.
Read this note ->Herkimer County · History & Culture
Fairfield's academy story gives the hill town a second life
Fairfield's quick facts point to a Herkimer hill town with New England roots, an academy, and medical-college memory.
Read this note ->Herkimer County · History & Culture
Little Falls Locks Into the Mohawk
Little Falls is shaped by Mohawk River rapids, the Erie Canal, Lock 17, and a rugged canal-side landscape.
Read this note ->Herkimer County · History & Culture
The Town of Little Falls sits around the famous canal city
The Town of Little Falls has its own Mohawk Valley frame around routes, hills, rural homes, and Lock 17 access.
Read this note ->Property tax snapshot
Roughly $15–$20 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 $4,531–$5,925 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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