Southern Tier
Chemung County is home to 84,148 people in the Southern Tier region. Binghamton spiedies, Corning glass, and the wooded Pennsylvania border.
How Chemung County works
County government does some local jobs, but not all of them. Cities, towns, villages, schools, and courts each keep their own work.
A parcel's value usually comes from the city or town assessor, while the county property office backs that up with tax maps and parcel details. Deeds and mortgages live with the County Clerk — and the tax bill itself may be collected by a different office again.
Most building permits in Chemung County start with the city, town, or village. County public health may join the job for a well, septic system, food business, or another health rule.
County offices are often the right place for health programs, benefits, family services, voting help, and emergency alerts. The office may be in another town, but it serves the whole county.
Ordinary example
The city, town, or village handles the building and zoning start. County public health may handle the septic work. The County Clerk keeps the deed, and the school district controls its own tax and enrollment line. The county name alone does not choose every office.
Property tax in Chemung County
The FY2025 source rows combine county + town/city + school on a full-value basis. On a $300,000 home, that is roughly $5,260–$11,893 a year before STAR, exemptions, village taxes, and special-district charges. This is not a county minimum or maximum bill; it is a broad comparison across different municipalities and school districts.
Who handles this here
New York divides everyday work among municipal, county, state, court, and City offices. This is the routing map. Confirm current forms, fees, hours, and deadlines on the official office page before acting.
Open the official Chemung County website ->County service directory
These links open the responsible county department, not a general homepage. A city, town, court, school district, or state agency may still own the final step.
County Clerk and land records
Chemung County ClerkDeeds, mortgages, recorded documents, copies, and the county's official records handoff.
Real property and tax maps
Chemung County Real Property Tax ServicesCounty tax maps, parcel resources, and assessment support. Check whether the county or local assessor owns the roll.
Elections and voter help
Chemung County Board of ElectionsRegistration, polling places, absentee or early-mail voting, and local election information.
Public health
Chemung County Health DepartmentLocal public-health programs, environmental-health contacts, and current notices.
Social services
Chemung County Department of Social ServicesCounty-administered benefits, family services, adult services, and help finding the right program.
Emergency management and alerts
Chemung County Fire & Emergency ManagementPreparedness, local emergency information, and the county's route to public alerts.
Official county pages reviewed 2026-07-13. Confirm current forms, fees, hours, and deadlines with the office before acting.
Probate, administration, and small estates
Chemung County Surrogate's CourtNew York Courts routes estate proceedings through the Surrogate's Court in the county of the person's domicile.
Driver and vehicle counter service
The serving DMV officeOffice ownership and available transactions vary. Use DMV's location finder before traveling, and check whether an appointment is expected.
Birth, death, marriage, and divorce records
The office that holds that event recordThe right owner depends on the event, date, and whether it happened in New York City. The records guide sorts those lanes first.
Confirm the current service arrangement on the responsible official page.
Local stories & notes
Short, sourced notes tied to this county, with the local color and the things worth knowing before you make a plan.
Outdoors
Catlin State Forest gives the town a low-key outdoor story of old farm lanes, woods, and a little extra walking.
History & Culture
Elmira's story blends Mark Twain's writing legacy with Woodlawn National Cemetery and a difficult Civil War chapter.
History & Culture
The Town of Elmira's official description explains its split personality: residential West Elmira, East Hill farms, and a Chemung River edge.
Money & Taxes
Chemung's delinquent tax page blocks online direct payment and points owners to treasurer payment and installment routes.
History & Culture
Horseheads' local identity ties Chemung Valley movement, canal-era Fairport, and a Revolutionary War naming story that should be told carefully.
Home & Property
Chemung County owners planning a new onsite wastewater system should call Environmental Health before the yard plan gets too far along.
History & Culture
Big Flats' official self-portrait ties the town to the Chemung River, parks, walking trails, preserves, and glider history.
Home & Property
Elmira's permit page says certificates of occupancy are required before occupancy for new residential and all commercial structures.
History & Culture
Elmira College adds a local institution tied to early rigorous college education for women.
Official starting points
Start with the county website for departments and local services. Use ORPTS for assessor, equalization-rate, and municipal profile data. Exact forms and deadlines still come from the office that owns the work.
Use this carefully: The county website comes from New York State's locality directory. Follow any redirect and confirm the current department, form, deadline, and parcel-specific details before acting.
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.
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