New Jersey’s highest-in-the-nation average property tax bill hit $9,112 last year.
And while the average property tax bill in the state and in each municipality tells us how much New Jersey’s homeowners are really paying, it’s not the best way to measure which towns take the biggest bite.
Those with with million-dollar houses will inevitably have higher average property tax bills, which are a function of property values and property tax rates.
The best way to compare tax bills is using the equalized tax rate.
Property taxes are figured by the rate towns charge and how much the town says your house is worth, something called the assessed value.
Some towns assess the value of homes at about 100 percent of what they’ll sell for on the market. Others, however, assess homes at a much lower value because decades have passed since their last revaluation.
As a result, those towns might charge a higher tax rate on its properties to generate the same amount of tax revenue as another town. So your tax rate could be higher than someone who owns a similar house in another town, but you may not actually pay more if your town says your house is worth less.
The equalized tax rate shows what your tax rate would look like if every house was assessed at 100 percent of what it will get on the open market.
The average equalized tax rate in New Jersey was 2.279 in 2020, according to data from the Department of Community Affairs.
Here is the list of 30 New Jersey towns with the highest property tax rates.
30. Barrington
Equalized tax rate in Barrington Borough, Camden County, was 4.069 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.400
Average property value: $192,616
Average property tax bill: $8,475
29. Wenonah
Equalized tax rate in Wenonah Borough, Gloucester County, was 4.120 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Gloucester County: 3.212
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.213
Average property value: $258,863
Average property tax bill: $10,905
28. Oaklyn
Oaklyn Fire Department
Equalized tax rate in Oaklyn Borough, Camden County, was 4.134 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.671
Average property value: $163,004
Average property tax bill: $7,614
27. Clementon
Equalized tax rate in Clementon Borough, Camden County, was 4.179 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.299
Average property value: $119,112
Average property tax bill: $5,120
26. Washington Borough
Equalized tax rate in Washington Borough, Warren County, was 4.206 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Warren County: 2.967
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 5.161
Average property value: $143,257
Average property tax bill: $7,393
25. Lawnside
Equalized tax rate in Lawnside Borough, Camden County, was 4.213 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.235
Average property value: $135,851
Average property tax bill: $5,754
24. Pennsville
Equalized tax rate in Pennsville Township, Salem County, was 4.285 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Salem County: 3.476
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.482
Average property value: $154,041
Average property tax bill: $6,904
23. Gloucester City
Equalized tax rate in Gloucester, Camden County, was 4.343 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.498
Average property value: $107,496
Average property tax bill: $4,835
22. Merchantville
Equalized tax rate in Merchantville Borough, Camden County, was 4.367 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.730
Average property value: $186,569
Average property tax bill: $8,825
21. Paulsboro
Equalized tax rate in Paulsboro Borough, Gloucester County, was 4.427 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Gloucester County: 3.212
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.205
Average property value: $104,143
Average property tax bill: $4,379
20. Mount Ephraim
Equalized tax rate in Mount Ephraim Borough, Camden County, was 4.442 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.745
Average property value: $145,244
Average property tax bill: $6,891
19. Woodbury Heights
Gateway Regional High School in Woodbury Heights. (Google Maps)Google Maps
Equalized tax rate in Woodbury Heights Borough, Gloucester County, was 4.442 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Gloucester County: 3.212
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.593
Average property value: $177,831
Average property tax bill: $8,167
18. National Park
Equalized tax rate in National Park Borough, Gloucester County, was 4.446 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Gloucester County: 3.212
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.500
Average property value: $138,039
Average property tax bill: $6,211
17. Westville
Equalized tax rate in Westville Borough, Gloucester County, was 4.502 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Gloucester County: 3.212
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.662
Average property value: $125,322
Average property tax bill: $5,842
16. Pine Hill
Equalized tax rate in Pine Hill Borough, Camden County, was 4.520 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 5.003
Average property value: $114,653
Average property tax bill: $5,736
15. Beverly
Equalized tax rate in Beverly City, Burlington County, was 4.550 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Burlington County: 2.676
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.637
Average property value: $126,108
Average property tax bill: $5,848
14. Woodbury
Equalized tax rate in Woodbury, Gloucester County, was 4.582 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Gloucester County: 3.212
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.937
Average property value: $139,165
Average property tax bill: $6,871
13. Bridgeton
Equalized tax rate in Bridgeton, Cumberland County, was 4.598 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Cumberland County: 3.089
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.981
Average property value: $71,203
Average property tax bill: $3,546
12. City of Orange
Equalized tax rate in City of Orange Township, Essex County, was 4.679 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Essex County: 2.824
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 5.607
Average property value: $177,574
Average property tax bill: $9,956
11. Laurel Springs
Equalized tax rate in Laurel Springs Borough, Camden County, was 4.803 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 5.193
Average property value: $162,746
Average property tax bill: $8,451
10. Lindenwold
Equalized tax rate in Lindenwold Borough, Camden County, was 4.810 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.878
Average property value: $95,674
Average property tax bill: $4,667
Workers clear snow at Civic Square in Irvington.John Jones | For NJ Advance Media
9. Irvington
Equalized tax rate in Irvington Township, Essex County, was 4.890 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Essex County: 2.824
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 5.975
Average property value: $138,498
Average property tax bill: $8,276
8. Pleasantville
Equalized tax rate in Pleasantville City, Atlantic County, was 4.903 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Atlantic County: 2.560
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 4.772
Average property value: $101,058
Average property tax bill: $4,823
7. Egg Harbor City
Equalized tax rate in Egg Harbor City, Atlantic County, was 5.044 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Atlantic County: 2.560
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 5.281
Average property value: $120,580
Average property tax bill: $6,368
6. Trenton
Equalized tax rate in Trenton, Mercer County, was 5.264 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Mercer County: 2.760
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 5.535
Average property value: $61,848
Average property tax bill: $3,423
5. Hi-nella
Equalized tax rate in Hi-nella Borough, Camden County, was 5.306 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 5.228
Average property value: $149,671
Average property tax bill: $7,824
4. Penns Grove
Penns Grove Borough Hall.Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media
Equalized tax rate in Penns Grove Borough, Salem County, was 5.556 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Salem County: 3.476
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 5.009
Average property value: $87,056
Average property tax bill: $4,361
3. Audubon Park
Equalized tax rate in Audubon Park Borough, Camden County, was 6.311 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 6.319
Average property value: $41,483
Average property tax bill: $2,621
2. Salem
Equalized tax rate in Salem, Salem County, was 6.519 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Salem County: 3.476
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 7.112
Average property value: $45,784
Average property tax bill: $3,256
1. Woodlynne Borough
Equalized tax rate in Woodlynne Borough, Camden County, was: 7.384 in 2020
Average equalized tax rate in Camden County: 3.470
Tax rate on homeowners’ bills: 7.824
Average property value: $67,980
Average property tax bill: $5,319
*Winfield Township
Equalized tax rate in Winfield Township, Union County, was 20.416, according to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
Every property in Winfield is owned by the Winfield Mutual Housing Corporation, which is owned by its 697 contract owners.
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Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com.
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