Southern Tier
Spencer, New York
Spencer is a town in Tioga County, in New York's Southern Tier region, home to about 3,000 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
- Tioga
- Region
- Southern Tier
- Population (2020)
- 2,968
Local Almanac
Notes in and around Spencer
Short, sourced notes tied to this place, its county, or nearby communities.
This place · History & Culture
Spencer's Old Names Keep the Creek-and-Mill Story Visible
Spencer's story lives in Catatonk Creek, Drake Settlement, Pumpkin Hook, Spencer Springs, Milltown, Huggtown, and other old place names.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Barton and Waverly Sit in a Railroad Border Valley
Barton reads as Southern Tier border country, with Waverly, Lockwood, river valleys, town roads, and rail-era village growth shaping the place.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Candor's Early Story Is Timber, Water, Mills, and a Name People Still Ask About
Candor's historical society frames the town through 1794 settlement, timber, water power, mills, farming, and local-history research.
Read this note ->Nearby · Home & Property
Barton Floodplain Work Needs a Permit Check Early
Barton owners near flood-prone land should treat maps and local flood-damage rules as an early project check, not a closing surprise.
Read this note ->Nearby · Rules & Licenses
Barton Permits Should Start With Code Enforcement
Barton owners should contact Code Enforcement before work begins, because the town says permits are required for all stages of work.
Read this note ->Nearby · Money & Taxes
Tioga Assessment Rolls Are a May 1 Check for Candor Owners
Tioga County says tentative rolls are published each May 1 and should be reviewed for ownership, address, inventory, and assessment errors.
Read this note ->Nearby · Money & Taxes
Tioga Property Taxes Start With the Local Collector
Tioga County says current property taxes are paid to the levying town, village, or school district, while county tools help with lookup.
Read this note ->Nearby · The Outdoors
Danby's State Forest Makes the Town Feel Like Working Woods
Danby State Forest gives the town a working-woods identity with trails, wildlife habitat, timber, hunting, skiing, and rustic camping.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Van Etten grew from Hall's Corners into a bark-and-rail place
Van Etten's local story runs through Hall's Corners, a log tavern, hemlock-bark extract works, and several railroad lines.
Read this note ->Property tax snapshot
Roughly $26–$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 $7,942–$8,440 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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