New to Rockland County?
A plain-language orientation for new residents: how the county is organized, how to figure out which town you actually live in, and where to find the things you'll need in your first few months.
How Rockland County is organized
Rockland County is divided into five towns. Every address in the county falls inside one of them:
Inside those towns are incorporated villages (which have their own village government, on top of the town government) and hamlets (neighborhoods with a name and a post office, but no separate government — the town governs them directly).
Here's the part that trips up almost everyone who moves here: your mailing address is a post office name, not necessarily your town. If your mail says "Nanuet" you live in the Town of Clarkstown. If it says "Pearl River" you live in the Town of Orangetown. Your town — not your mailing address — determines your property taxes, building permits, leaf pickup, and local elections. (School districts follow their own boundaries entirely.)
Which town governs each village and hamlet? (full list)
Town of Clarkstown: Bardonia, Congers, Nanuet, New City, Upper Nyack (village), Valley Cottage
Town of Haverstraw: Garnerville, Haverstraw Village (village), Pomona (village), Thiells, West Haverstraw (village)
Town of Orangetown: Blauvelt, Grand View-on-Hudson (village), Nyack (village), Pearl River, Piermont (village), Sparkill, Tappan
Town of Ramapo: Airmont (village), Chestnut Ridge (village), Hillburn (village), Kaser (village), Monsey, Montebello (village), New Hempstead (village), New Square (village), Pomona (village), Sloatsburg (village), Spring Valley (village), Suffern (village), Viola, Wesley Hills (village)
Town of Stony Point: Grassy Point, Jones Point, Tomkins Cove
Pomona straddles the Haverstraw/Ramapo town line — which town governs you depends on which side of the village you're on.
Not sure which town you're in?
- Check your property tax bill — it names your town at the top. (Renters: your lease or your landlord's tax bill does the same.)
- Look it up on the county's GIS map at Rockland County Planning & GIS — search your address and it shows town, village, and school district boundaries.
- Browse our town guides — each of the 39 towns, villages, and hamlets has a page with demographics, school district, and local government contacts.
First-few-months checklist
- Read your town's guide — government contacts, school district, and what's nearby.
- Set up utilities — electric and gas are Orange & Rockland Utilities; most of the county's water is Veolia (formerly SUEZ). Garbage and recycling rules vary by town — see our recycling guide.
- Find your school district — 8 public districts with calendars, plus private school listings. District lines don't follow town lines.
- Homeowners: apply for STAR — New York's school tax relief program. New owners register with NY State, not the town.
- Need work done on the house? Use the contractor directory — every contractor licensed by the county, not a paid listing service. Check whether your project needs a permit first.
- Get a library card — Rockland libraries share a catalog, so one card works county-wide.
- Learn the commute — buses, trains, and getting to NYC.
- See what's happening — local events updated daily, or the weekly email if you'd rather not check.
- Save the essentials — police, hospitals & utility emergency numbers.
- Find your park — Harriman, Bear Mountain, Rockland Lake, and a dozen more.
Official resources
- Rockland County government — county departments and services
- County Clerk — records, passports, notary
- NY DMV — you have 30 days to update your license and registration after moving to New York
- Your town and village websites — linked from each of our town guides
Spot something wrong or missing? Email [email protected] — this site is maintained by a Piermont resident and corrections ship fast.