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Essex County

New York · Upcoming sale ·

Sale dateNovember 12, 2026
Sale typedeed
PlatformNYSAuctions.com (live at Best Western Plus Ticonderoga, with online bidding, 10am)
New York rate / penaltyNone at county auctions; Nassau liens bid down from 10% per 6 months

County snapshot

Population (2024)36,744
Change since 2020-1.5%
Net migration (2024)+209

Essex County has lost 1.5% of its population since 2020, with net migration of 209 in 2024. Shrinking counties are where tax liens go wrong: redemption rates fall, and the property you end up owning can be worth less than the taxes you paid on it.

By population, Essex County is the 56th largest of New York's 62 counties. It has grown more slowly than the state average (-0.6% across New York) — often where the less contested certificates are, and also where the risk sits. Of the 2024 change, 209 came from people moving in and 259 from deaths outnumbering births.

Counties of similar size in New York with a sale on our calendar: Orleans County, Lewis County, Dutchess County. Useful if this county's sale has already closed and you want the next comparable one.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Census population estimates. Population figures are estimates, not a count.

Property & tax profile

Median home value$211,900
Median tax / year$3,119
Tax / home value1.5%
Owned outright53.9%
“Other vacant”5.5%
Median year built1969

The median homeowner in Essex County pays $3,119 a year in property tax — below the New York median of $6,582 (U.S.: $3,119). That is roughly what a typical home here owes for each year it goes unpaid — the debt that the opening bid at a deed sale is usually built from, plus interest and costs. Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $3,680; homes owned outright, $2,684.

On a home with a mortgage, the lender has its own reason to pay a delinquent tax bill: the tax lien outranks the mortgage, and a tax deed can wipe out the loan. On a home owned outright, nobody but the owner — or the heirs — has that reason. In Essex County, 53.9% of owner-occupied homes are owned outright (New York: 42.2%, U.S.: 39.4%). That is more than the state as a whole, so a larger share of the delinquent bills here have no lender behind them.

35.9% of all housing units in Essex County are vacant. 28.2% of all units are seasonal or vacation homes, empty by design rather than abandoned. The figure that matters for a buyer at the tax sale is the Census “other vacant” category — not for rent, not for sale, not a holiday home, but a catch-all that includes foreclosures, homes held up by legal proceedings or family reasons, homes needing repairs, and abandoned ones. Here it is 5.5% of all units (New York: 3.4%, U.S.: 3.6%). That is above the state rate, so expect more empty properties on the delinquent list: the ones least likely to redeem, and the most likely to need work if the deed ends up yours. Drive by before you bid.

Half of the homes in Essex County were built in or before 1969 (New York: in or before 1959) — newer than most of the state. The typical tax bill is 4.4% of the median household income of $71,661 (New York: 7.7%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013) — see the figures on data.census.gov. Survey estimates with margins of error; anything too uncertain to state is left out.

Note

Online bidding opens Nov 10 at 10am; showings Nov 11. Terms to be posted about 30 days before.

View official source ↗

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Quick answers

When is the Essex County tax sale?+

The Essex County, New York tax sale is scheduled for November 12, 2026, hosted via NYSAuctions.com (live at Best Western Plus Ticonderoga, with online bidding, 10am).

Is Essex County a good county to buy tax deed properties in?+

Essex County has lost 1.5% of its population since 2020, with net migration of 209 in 2024. Shrinking counties are where tax liens go wrong: redemption rates fall, and the property you end up owning can be worth less than the taxes you paid on it. Population in 2024: 36,744. These are U.S. Census Bureau estimates, not a recommendation — the county's own delinquency and redemption history matters more, and only the New York treasurer publishes that.

How much is the property tax in Essex County?+

The median homeowner in Essex County pays $3,119 a year, about 1.5% of the median home value of $211,900 (New York: 1.6%). Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $3,680, homes owned outright $2,684. These are U.S. Census Bureau survey estimates (American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates); the exact bill for a parcel depends on its assessed value and local rates, and the county tax collector has it.

What type of sale is it?+

Essex County holds a tax deed sale. New York's statewide system: tax deed (county foreclosure). What the buyer earns: none at county auctions; Nassau liens bid down from 10% per 6 months.

What's the redemption period in Essex County?+

Essex County follows New York's statewide redemption period: 2 years after lien date (3–4 if extended locally).

Other New York sales near this date

Every New York page →

Other sales in November 2026

All November 2026 sales →

Want the full statutory picture for New York, not just Essex County? Read the New York state page for the rate, redemption period, and every other county we've sourced, or compare it with tax lien interest rates in every state. If a past sale left money over, how surplus funds are claimed in New York.

Before you bid: how to research a tax sale property, what a tax lien or deed really costs and the risks investors run.

See every other scheduled sale on the full auction calendar, every sale in November 2026, the upcoming New York sales, or sign up for deal alerts to hear about new New York dates as soon as we add them.

This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Auction dates get postponed, cancelled, or rescheduled — always confirm against the official source above before showing up or bidding. Verified 2026-10-16.