Adirondacks & North Country

Star Lake, New York

Star Lake is a Census-designated community in St. Lawrence County, part of New York's Adirondacks & North Country region, with about 631 residents at the 2020 census. Its Census boundary is used for statistics; it is not an incorporated village or a municipal government.

Type: Census place (CDP)
County: St. Lawrence
Region: Adirondacks & North Country
Population (2020): 631

How Star Lake works

The community name is real. The local government is somewhere else.

Usually, the street address chooses among the towns of Fine and Clifton. Star Lake crosses municipal lines, and a Census-designated place is a statistical community, not a separate city, town, or village government.

The Census boundary does not create a town hall

Star Lake is mapped so the Census Bureau can publish useful local statistics. The government crosswalk shows that it crosses the towns of Fine and Clifton. Use the exact address to choose the right municipality and county.

Town of Fine page Town of Clifton page Census explanation of CDPs

Permits and local records follow the governing municipality

Building, zoning, local code, assessment, and tax-payment work follows the city or town that serves the parcel. The post office name or CDP name does not prove which counter owns the form.

Fine official website Clifton official website Government and office map

The school district is a separate map

The current state tax-rate data connects Star Lake with 2 school districts, including Edwards-Knox, Clifton-Fine. District boundaries can cross municipal lines, so the exact address decides enrollment and the school-tax part of the bill.

NYSED school and district profiles New York school-enrollment guide

Mail, fire, school, county, and municipal lines can differ

A mailing name helps locate the community, but the school district, fire or special district, county, and governing municipality each use their own boundary. The county clerk keeps the recorded deed for the parcel's county.

St. Lawrence County land records Find the county page

Ordinary example

A resident sees Star Lake on the mailing address

They do not look for a Star Lake village office. They use the street address to choose among the towns of Fine and Clifton, then use the responsible municipality for building or assessment work, the county clerk for the deed, and the school district for enrollment.

Property tax snapshot

Parent-government planning range: $20.4–$23.5 per $1,000

The FY2025 state rows for Fine town / Clifton town combine county + parent town/city + school district on a full-value basis. On a $300,000 home, that base is about $6,126–$7,047 a year before STAR, exemptions, and special-district charges.

This Census place has no municipal government of its own. The exact address decides which parent government and school-district rows apply. Treat this as a route to the right records, not a bill estimate for a specific parcel.

Local government

Star Lake crosses Fine and Clifton.

A census-designated place is a named community for Census purposes, not a separate incorporated municipal government. The city or town layer is the practical local-government starting point.

City or town relationship

Fine town official site Clifton town official site

The Census relationship is geographic. It tells you which city or town overlaps this place; the official municipal pages still control the current division of services.

Assessment and exemptions

ORPTS Municipal Profiles

Confirm the assessing unit in Municipal Profiles. A village can use its own assessment or the town roll, and a CDP follows the assessing municipality rather than the community name alone.

Building, zoning, and local rules

Property office checklist

Check the governing city or town before work begins. Local agreements can put code enforcement, zoning, roads, water, or sewer at different counters.

County records and estate court

St. Lawrence County Clerk Estate path

Deeds and mortgages usually route through the county clerk outside NYC. Probate and administration route through the county Surrogate's Court.

Municipal relationships: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 New York Block Assignment Files. Census source. Confirm current responsibilities on the official village, city, town, and county pages before acting.

Official starting points

Local first, then the state system.

Fine Town website STAR property-tax break (register / check)ORPTS Municipal Data Portal — assessors & rates New York DMV — registration & licenses DEC — outdoors, wells & environment

County service offices (St. Lawrence)

St. Lawrence County directory

County Clerk and land records Real property and tax maps Elections and voter help Public health Social services Emergency management and alerts

Direct official office pages. Reviewed 2026-07-13; confirm current forms, hours, and deadlines before acting.

Local stories & notes

Notes in and around Star Lake

Short, sourced notes tied to this place, its county, or nearby communities.

Browse Stories & Notes ->

Nearby · History & Culture

Russell Has an Arsenal Story Hiding Behind the Hills

Russell's town history ties an old arsenal, mills, spruce gum, minerals, dairy, logging, and an early horseless carriage into one North Country story.

Read this note ->

Nearby · History & Culture