Finger Lakes
Gaines, New York
Gaines is a town in Orleans County, in New York's Finger Lakes region, home to about 3,200 people as of the 2020 census.
Eleven glacial lakes lined with waterfalls, gorges, and the state's biggest wine country. Gaines sits in that part of the state.
- Type
- Town
- County
- Orleans
- Region
- Finger Lakes
- Population (2020)
- 3,226
Local Almanac
Notes in and around Gaines
Short, sourced notes tied to this place, its county, or nearby communities.
This place · History & Culture
Gaines ties Albion-area history to a town map
Gaines has its own town layer around Albion-area roads, older settlement names, and Orleans County history.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Albion's Cemetery Tower Holds County Grief in Stone
Albion's Mount Albion Cemetery gives Orleans County a dramatic Civil War memorial, rural cemetery landscape, and Medina sandstone landmark.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Holley's Canal Story Runs Through Public Square
Holley ties its Erie Canal origin to Public Square, Canal Park, a lift bridge, and trails down to the village waterfall.
Read this note ->Nearby · Home & Property
Albion Building Work Can Trigger Town and County Review
Albion projects should check town building-permit rules and Orleans County Planning Board referral triggers before assuming a local approval is enough.
Read this note ->Nearby · Money & Taxes
Albion Property Checks Start at Orleans County
Albion property owners should use Orleans County real property, local assessor, and tax-bill pages before assuming the town handles every tax question.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Clarendon Gives Orleans County a Sandstone-and-Quarry Frame
Clarendon's town route and Orleans County sandstone memory give the place a local frame of hamlets, quarries, cemetery care, and town records.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Albion's Square Tells a Canal-and-Sandstone Story
Albion's Courthouse Square links county government, Medina sandstone buildings, Erie Canal growth, and a compact historic village core.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Lyndonville Grew Where Johnson Creek Had Work To Do
Lyndonville's story turns on Johnson Creek waterpower, Yates town history, a small Main Street, and local institutions that keep village memory close.
Read this note ->Nearby · Home & Property
Ridgeway Has a Two-Step Property Paperwork Check
Ridgeway residents should pair the town permits page with Orleans County assessor and tax-bill pages before starting property work or tax lookup.
Read this note ->Property tax snapshot
Roughly $21–$22 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 $6,197–$6,485 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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