Local government sales tax collections in New York state totaled $18.2 billion between January and September, an increase of 4.3% compared to the same period last year, according to a quarterly report released Thursday by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
DiNapoli said growth so far this year is higher than the 3.8% average growth rate seen from the same nine-month period between the years of 2010 to 2019, a period of recovery and expansion following the Great Recession.
According to the report, New York City’s sales tax collections totaled $8.1 billion, an increase of 5.7% year over year. Outside of the city, regional growth ranged from a low of 0.6%, in the Mohawk Valley, to a high of 4.3%, in Western New York.
Hamilton County, with 12%, saw the highest growth, followed by the counties of Yates and Chenango, each at 10.4%, Delaware with 10.3% and Orleans with 9.7%.
Seeing the steepest decline was Sullivan County (-4.7%), followed by Schoharie (-4.4%), Livingston (-2.5%) and St. Lawrence (-2.1%).
DiNapoli said more than half of cities outside of New York City that impose their own sales tax experienced growth in collections. The city with the largest increase was Norwich, with 17.2%, followed by Salamanca (8.7%). The city of Utica had the steepest decline (-8.9%), followed by Gloversville (-7.2%) and Oneida (-5.3%).
“New York’s local sales tax revenues rose through September compared to last year, but federal policy actions create significant fiscal risk for municipalities amid signs of a slowing economy,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “Local officials who rely on these revenues should take advantage of the financial planning tools and guidance my office offers to help them bolster their fiscal resilience.”
The comptroller reported earlier this year that sales tax collections grew in 2024, but by a slower amount than years past.