Finger Lakes
Phelps, New York
Phelps is a town in Ontario County, in New York's Finger Lakes region, home to about 6,600 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
- Ontario
- Region
- Finger Lakes
- Population (2020)
- 6,637
Local Almanac
Notes in and around Phelps
Short, sourced notes tied to this place, its county, or nearby communities.
This place · History & Culture
Phelps Keeps Its Flavor in Flint Creek and Sauerkraut
Phelps has a lively village identity around Flint Creek Falls, historic downtown walks, Ontario Pathways, and its annual sauerkraut tradition.
Read this note ->This place · History & Culture
Phelps Keeps Its Sauerkraut Joke and Civic Calendar Alive
Phelps' sauerkraut identity survives as an official town event and a visible piece of local civic humor and memory.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Waterloo's Memorial Day Story Belongs to the Whole Village
Waterloo's Memorial Day identity is strongest when told as a village-wide observance, official recognition, and continuing civic memory.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Waterloo's Hunt House Holds the Convention Spark
Waterloo's women's-rights identity is anchored by the Hunt House, where a July 1848 gathering helped launch the Seneca Falls convention.
Read this note ->Nearby · Money & Taxes
Waterloo Tax Checks Start With County Rolls
Waterloo property questions should begin with Seneca County's current tax rolls, then move to the town assessor or collector when needed.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Junius once held the map that became several towns
Junius is a Seneca County town whose Military Tract story helps explain later town lines across the north county map.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Geneva Grew Nurseries Beside Seneca Lake
Geneva's identity connects Seneca Lake, nursery agriculture, Hobart and William Smith, and long-running Finger Lakes institutions.
Read this note ->Nearby · Home & Property
Manchester Permits Start with the Town Code Office
Manchester residents should separate building-permit questions, town/county taxes, water payments, dog licenses, and village-specific permit forms before starting paperwork.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Manchester's Railroad Memory Still Has a Roundhouse Shape
Manchester and Shortsville carry a rail-town identity through preserved railroad signs, park memory, and the old roundhouse story.
Read this note ->Property tax snapshot
Roughly $23–$25 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 $6,776–$7,559 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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