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- $8B County GDP
- $77,966 GDP per Capita
Tompkins County
Tompkins County
Tompkins County is in New York's Finger Lakes region at the southern end of Cayuga Lake, anchored by Ithaca (county seat and largest city). The economy is dominated by Cornell University (largest employer in the region), Ithaca College, Cayuga Health (Cayuga Medical Center), Borg Warner / former Morse Chain manufacturing, and a robust local-food / wine-trail tourism economy along Cayuga Lake. The County Clerk operates from 125 East Court Street.
Property in Tompkins
What every owner, heir, and investor should know.
Owning a home in Tompkins.
Tompkins is a high-priced Finger Lakes / college-town market with strong Cornell-driven demand.
- STAR / Enhanced STAR, senior, veteran, Cold War veteran, and disability exemptions apply.
- Property tax cycle: school bills September; county/town/city bills January.
- City of Ithaca and Tompkins towns reassess periodically.
- Tax-foreclosure redemption under RPTL Article 11 (two-year window).
- Foreclosure surplus rights under RPAPL § 1361.
- Watch for Cornell PILOT-related tax base, City of Ithaca historic districts, gorge / steep-slope overlays, and Cayuga Lake shoreline rules.
Investing in Tompkins.
Tompkins is one of upstate NY's strongest investor markets, with Cornell / Ithaca College student-rental demand and Finger Lakes STR upside.
- Tax-foreclosure auctions run by the County Finance Department (annual).
- Judicial foreclosure auctions held at the Tompkins County Courthouse, Ithaca.
- Land records search via Tompkins County Clerk online records.
- Real Property parcel lookup at tompkinscountyny.gov.
- NYSCEF case search for lis pendens.
- Watch for Ithaca rental registry, lead-paint compliance, gorge / steep-slope overlays, and STR rules.
After a Tompkins foreclosure or tax deed sale.
Tompkins uses New York's judicial foreclosure process and runs in rem tax foreclosure under RPTL Article 11.
- Mortgage foreclosures filed in Supreme Court, 6th Judicial District.
- Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale executed by court-appointed Referee.
- Surplus money proceedings under RPAPL § 1361.
- County Finance Department / Treasurer holds annual tax-foreclosure auction.
- Post-Tyler v. Hennepin reforms require return of tax-foreclosure surplus to former owner.
- Notices published in The Ithaca Journal and Ithaca Times.
Courts and records in Tompkins.
- Tompkins County Courthouse — 320 North Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 — 6th Judicial District
- County Office Building — 125 East Court Street, Ithaca (County Clerk)
- Supreme Court & County Court — Tompkins County Courthouse
- Family Court — 320 North Tioga Street, Ithaca
- Surrogate's Court — 320 North Tioga Street, Ithaca
- 6th Judicial District (Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga, Tompkins)
- Appellate Division, 3rd Department — Justice Building, Empire State Plaza, Albany
- County Clerk — 125 East Court Street — (607) 274-5431 — tompkinscountyny.gov
- Department of Assessment — 128 East Buffalo Street, Ithaca — (607) 274-5517
- County Finance — 125 East Court Street, Ithaca — (607) 274-5545
- Sheriff — 779 Warren Road, Ithaca — (607) 257-1345