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- 62K Residents
- $5B County GDP
- $73,088 GDP per Capita
Columbia County
Columbia County
Columbia County is on the east bank of the Hudson River about two hours north of NYC, anchored by Hudson (county seat) and Kinderhook. The economy mixes Hudson's antiques and design tourism, agriculture (apple orchards, dairy), Bard College Berkshire/CCS-adjacent culture, and a fast-growing weekender / second-home market. The County Clerk operates from 560 Warren Street.
Property in Columbia
What every owner, heir, and investor should know.
Owning a home in Columbia.
Columbia is one of the Hudson Valley's hottest second-home and weekend-house markets.
- STAR / Enhanced STAR, senior, veteran, and agricultural exemptions apply.
- Property tax cycle: school bills September; county/town bills January.
- Hudson, Chatham, Kinderhook reassessments and equalization rates vary.
- Tax-foreclosure redemption under RPTL Article 11 (two-year window).
- Foreclosure surplus rights under RPAPL § 1361.
- Watch for short-term-rental caps in Hudson and certain villages, historic-district restrictions, and agricultural-district rules.
Investing in Columbia.
Columbia offers strong NYC-weekend rental demand, agricultural land plays, and Hudson historic-rehab opportunities.
- Tax-foreclosure auctions run by the County Treasurer (annual).
- Judicial foreclosure auctions held at the Columbia County Courthouse, Hudson.
- Land records search via Columbia County Clerk records.
- Real Property Tax Services parcel lookup.
- NYSCEF case search for lis pendens.
- Watch for STR ordinances (City of Hudson), historic-district approvals, and ag-district restrictions.
After a Columbia foreclosure or tax deed sale.
Columbia uses New York's judicial foreclosure process and runs in rem tax foreclosure under RPTL Article 11.
- Mortgage foreclosures filed in Supreme Court, 3rd Judicial District.
- Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale executed by court-appointed Referee.
- Surplus money proceedings under RPAPL § 1361.
- County Treasurer holds annual tax-foreclosure auction (historically via Auctions International).
- Post-Tyler v. Hennepin reforms require return of tax-foreclosure surplus to former owner.
- Notices published in the Register-Star.
Courts and records in Columbia.
- Columbia County Courthouse — 401 Union Street, Hudson, NY 12534 — 3rd Judicial District
- 560 Warren Street — Hudson (County Clerk's Office)
- Supreme Court & County Court — Columbia County Courthouse
- Family Court — Columbia County Courthouse
- Surrogate's Court — Columbia County Courthouse
- 3rd Judicial District (Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster)
- Appellate Division, 3rd Department — Justice Building, Empire State Plaza, Albany
- County Clerk — 560 Warren Street, Hudson — (518) 828-3339 — columbiacountyny.com
- Real Property Tax Services — 560 Warren Street — (518) 828-7334
- County Treasurer — 15 N. Sixth Street, Hudson — (518) 828-0513
- Sheriff — 85 Industrial Tract, Hudson — (518) 828-0601