(10/04/06) NORTH MASSAPEQUA ? The U.S. Census Bureau confirmed Wednesday something most Long Island residents knew all to well ? Nassau and Suffolk property taxes are among the highest in the country.

Nassau County barely missed out on the dubious honor of ranking first. Nassau?s average annual property tax bill is $7,025, second only to Westchester?s $7,337 per year. Suffolk, also in the top ten of U.S. counties on the list, averages $6,131 per household each year. Out of the highest-paying 35 counties examined in the new study, more than half were in New York.

The report also reveals Nassau residents spend approximately 8 percent of their total income on property taxes alone.