Cape May County, New Jersey property tax
The median homeowner in Cape May County, New Jersey pays $5,233 a year in property tax on a home worth $395,000, an effective rate of 1.32%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.32%, Cape May County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. A high rate applied to a home worth $395,000 is what makes the bill $5,233. Counties in this position usually fund schools locally and have little commercial or industrial base to spread the burden across.
Inside New Jersey it is among the lightest, ranking #21 of 21, against a statewide 2.23%. Camden County, in the same state, charges 3.08%. Comparing states on property tax hides differences like that, which is why this site publishes counties.
The median home costs 4.49 times the median household income of $88,046, close to the national 3.86. Incomes here run above the national median, which is what keeps that ratio ordinary despite the house prices. The county has 95,236 residents, which is small enough that the medians describe a reasonably coherent market.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Cape May County | New Jersey | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.32% | 2.23% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $5,233 | $9,541 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $395,000 | $427,600 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,345 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $88,046 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 4.49× | 4.23× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 18.33% | 19.63% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 79.29% | 63.69% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 95,236.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren County | 2.52% | $8,156 | $323,100 |
| Salem County | 3.03% | $6,757 | $223,000 |
| Hunterdon County | 2.01% | $10,001 | $498,800 |
| Sussex County | 2.47% | $8,462 | $342,800 |
| Cumberland County | 2.46% | $5,048 | $205,600 |
Cape May County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Cape May County, New Jersey?
The effective rate is 1.32% of home value, from a median tax bill of $5,233 against a median home value of $395,000. That is 0.34 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Cape May County?
Roughly $5,280 a year at the county effective rate of 1.32%.
Is Cape May County expensive compared with the rest of New Jersey?
It ranks #21 of 21 New Jersey counties by effective property tax rate, and #558 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.91 points below the New Jersey average of 2.23%.
What does housing cost in Cape May County?
The median home is worth $395,000 and median gross rent is $1,345 a month. Median household income is $88,046, which puts the home at 4.49 times annual income and rent at 18.33% of it.