Mercer County, New Jersey property tax
The median homeowner in Mercer County, New Jersey pays $8,804 a year in property tax on a home worth $351,000, an effective rate of 2.51%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 2.51%, Mercer County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. A high rate applied to a home worth $351,000 is what makes the bill $8,804. Counties in this position usually fund schools locally and have little commercial or industrial base to spread the burden across.
It ranks #5 of 21 New Jersey counties by effective rate, against a statewide 2.23%, and #20 nationally. The state runs from 3.08% in Camden County down to 1.32% in Cape May County.
The median home costs 3.64 times the median household income of $96,333, close to the national 3.86. Incomes here run above the national median, which is what keeps that ratio ordinary despite the house prices. At 383,286 residents the county is large enough that its median blends several distinct housing markets.
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
| Mercer County | New Jersey | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 2.51% | 2.23% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $8,804 | $9,541 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $351,000 | $427,600 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,515 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $96,333 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.64× | 4.23× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 18.87% | 19.63% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 61.89% | 63.69% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 383,286.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County | 1.91% | $10,001 | $523,900 |
| Gloucester County | 2.81% | $7,964 | $283,500 |
| Burlington County | 2.42% | $7,902 | $326,700 |
| Atlantic County | 2.47% | $6,749 | $272,700 |
| Morris County | 1.80% | $10,001 | $557,000 |
Mercer County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Mercer County, New Jersey?
The effective rate is 2.51% of home value, from a median tax bill of $8,804 against a median home value of $351,000. That is 1.53 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Mercer County?
Roughly $10,040 a year at the county effective rate of 2.51%.
Is Mercer County expensive compared with the rest of New Jersey?
It ranks #5 of 21 New Jersey counties by effective property tax rate, and #20 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.28 points above the New Jersey average of 2.23%.
What does housing cost in Mercer County?
The median home is worth $351,000 and median gross rent is $1,515 a month. Median household income is $96,333, which puts the home at 3.64 times annual income and rent at 18.87% of it.