Essex County, New Jersey property tax
The median homeowner in Essex County, New Jersey pays $10,001 a year in property tax on a home worth $494,400, an effective rate of 2.02%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 2.02%, Essex County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. Both the rate and the house are above national. That is the expensive combination, and the $10,001 median bill reflects it.
It ranks #13 of 21 New Jersey counties by effective rate, against a statewide 2.23%, and #92 nationally. The state runs from 3.08% in Camden County down to 1.32% in Cape May County.
The median home costs 6.44 times the median household income of $76,712, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 22.82% of median income in gross rent. With 854,130 residents this is one of the larger counties in the country, so the medians here average across a genuinely varied housing market and hide a lot of local range.
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
| Essex County | New Jersey | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 2.02% | 2.23% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $10,001 | $9,541 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $494,400 | $427,600 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,459 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $76,712 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 6.44× | 4.23× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 22.82% | 19.63% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 44.53% | 63.69% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 854,130.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County | 2.20% | $9,684 | $439,300 |
| Bergen County | 1.69% | $10,001 | $593,200 |
| Hudson County | 1.85% | $9,413 | $508,600 |
| Ocean County | 1.77% | $6,499 | $366,600 |
| Monmouth County | 1.77% | $10,001 | $566,500 |
Essex County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Essex County, New Jersey?
The effective rate is 2.02% of home value, from a median tax bill of $10,001 against a median home value of $494,400. That is 1.04 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Essex County?
Roughly $8,080 a year at the county effective rate of 2.02%.
Is Essex County expensive compared with the rest of New Jersey?
It ranks #13 of 21 New Jersey counties by effective property tax rate, and #92 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.21 points below the New Jersey average of 2.23%.
What does housing cost in Essex County?
The median home is worth $494,400 and median gross rent is $1,459 a month. Median household income is $76,712, which puts the home at 6.44 times annual income and rent at 22.82% of it.