Southern Tier
West Elmira, New York
West Elmira is a hamlet — a community without a village government of its own — in Chemung County, part of New York's Southern Tier region, with about 4,900 residents at the 2020 census.
Binghamton spiedies, Corning glass, and the wooded Pennsylvania border. West Elmira sits in that part of the state.
- Type
- Hamlet (CDP)
- County
- Chemung
- Region
- Southern Tier
- Population (2020)
- 4,850
Local Almanac
Notes in and around West Elmira
Short, sourced notes tied to this place, its county, or nearby communities.
Nearby · History & Culture
Elmira Holds Twain's Study and Civil War Memory
Elmira's story blends Mark Twain's writing legacy with Woodlawn National Cemetery and a difficult Civil War chapter.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Elmira Town is West Elmira streets, East Hill farms, and a river edge
The Town of Elmira's official description explains its split personality: residential West Elmira, East Hill farms, and a Chemung River edge.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Horseheads Carries a Hard Name
Horseheads' local identity ties Chemung Valley movement, canal-era Fairport, and a Revolutionary War naming story that should be told carefully.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Big Flats Is a Chemung River Town Before It Is an Airport Exit
Big Flats' official self-portrait ties the town to the Chemung River, parks, walking trails, preserves, and glider history.
Read this note ->Nearby · Home & Property
Elmira Occupancy Paperwork Comes Before Use
Elmira's permit page says certificates of occupancy are required before occupancy for new residential and all commercial structures.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Elmira College Gives the City a Women's Education Story
Elmira College adds a local institution tied to early rigorous college education for women.
Read this note ->Nearby · Home & Property
Big Flats Building Permits Need a Site Plan Early
Big Flats building permits are issued in set windows, and the town says required documents must be received and reviewed early.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Southport Is Elmira's Pennsylvania Edge
Southport's identity starts with geography: southwest of Elmira, close to Pennsylvania, with neighborhoods, business areas, farms, and rural land.
Read this note ->Nearby · History & Culture
Elmira's Arnot Museum Gives the City a Civic Art Address
Elmira's local identity includes an old civic art institution alongside river, college, and Mark Twain memory.
Read this note ->Property tax snapshot
About $18–$40 per $1,000 in Chemung County
Combined full-value rate — county + town/city + school district, per $1,000 of market value (FY2025). On a $300,000 home that's about $5,260–$11,893 a year before the STAR break. A hamlet has no government of its own — it's taxed at the rates of the town it sits in.
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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