New York City
Brooklyn, New York City
Brooklyn is one of New York City's five boroughs, home to about 2.7 million people — a city's worth of people inside the city. People here find home by neighborhood, not by county name.
Property in Brooklyn is taxed under New York City's four-class system, run by the city's Department of Finance — a different world from the rest of the state. The STAR school-tax break, co-op vs. condo ownership, and rent rules all work their own way in the five boroughs.
- Type
- Borough
- Borough of
- New York City
- Region
- New York City
- Population (2020)
- 2,736,074
Local Almanac
Notes in and around Brooklyn
Short, sourced notes tied to this place, its county, or nearby communities.
This place · Home & Property
DOB Checks Often Need Both DOB NOW And Old BIS
For a Brooklyn building question, check DOB NOW for newer records and BIS for older filings before assuming the permit history is empty.
Read this note ->This place · Rules & Licenses
DSNY Setout Rules Start With the Clock and the Bin
Before you drag bags to the curb, check DSNY's setout time and container rules for your building size and collection type.
Read this note ->This place · Rules & Licenses
Brooklyn Pop-Ups Should Check the Business Wizard Before Opening
A Brooklyn pop-up or storefront should check NYC's Business Wizard and New York's sales-tax certificate route before opening day.
Read this note ->This place · Cars & Driving
Alternate Side Parking Needs The Sign And The Calendar
Before you circle for parking, check the posted street sign and DOT's alternate-side suspension calendar together.
Read this note ->This place · Money & Taxes
Brooklyn Judgment Searches Start With Kings County Clerk
Before a Brooklyn closing or debt question gets fuzzy, use the Kings County Clerk route for money judgment search basics.
Read this note ->This place · History & Culture
Brooklyn Navy Yard Keeps the Working Waterfront Visible
The Brooklyn Navy Yard explains a different Brooklyn: shipbuilding, federal industry, wartime labor, reuse, and a working waterfront still tied to jobs.
Read this note ->This place · Rules & Licenses
OATH Summonses Have Online Hearing Choices Before Default
An OATH summons is easier to handle before the hearing date, when online, phone, mail, or in-person options may still be open.
Read this note ->This place · Rules & Licenses
Street Opening Work Starts With DOT, Not Just A Contractor
If a job cuts into a Brooklyn street or sidewalk area, check the DOT street opening permit route before the work starts.
Read this note ->This place · Home & Property
Check the NYC Certificate of Occupancy Before Renting
DOB records can show the legal use and occupancy details behind an advertised New York City apartment.
Read this note ->Property tax snapshot
A different system: New York City's four classes
New York City uses a separate 4-class property-tax system run by the NYC Department of Finance — not the upstate equalization-rate system. A 1–3 family home, and many small condos, are Class 1, assessed at 6% of market value with annual caps; co-ops, larger condos, and rentals usually use the Class 2 system. The class tax rate is set each year by the city.
NYC property-tax guide ->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
The other boroughs
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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