Salem County, New Jersey property tax
The median homeowner in Salem County, New Jersey pays $6,757 a year in property tax on a home worth $223,000, an effective rate of 3.03%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 3.03%, Salem County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. Houses here are worth $223,000, below the national $303,400. Part of any high rate is arithmetic rather than policy: a smaller tax base has to be taxed harder to raise the same money.
Inside New Jersey it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #2 of 21, against a statewide 2.23%. At the other end of the same state, Cape May County charges 1.32%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 2.84 times the median household income of $78,412, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 71.29% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. With 64,973 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
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
| Salem County | New Jersey | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 3.03% | 2.23% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $6,757 | $9,541 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $223,000 | $427,600 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,185 | $1,653 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $78,412 | $101,050 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.84× | 4.23× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 18.13% | 19.63% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 71.29% | 63.69% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 64,973.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape May County | 1.32% | $5,233 | $395,000 |
| Warren County | 2.52% | $8,156 | $323,100 |
| Hunterdon County | 2.01% | $10,001 | $498,800 |
| Sussex County | 2.47% | $8,462 | $342,800 |
| Cumberland County | 2.46% | $5,048 | $205,600 |
Salem County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Salem County, New Jersey?
The effective rate is 3.03% of home value, from a median tax bill of $6,757 against a median home value of $223,000. That is 2.05 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Salem County?
Roughly $12,120 a year at the county effective rate of 3.03%.
Is Salem County expensive compared with the rest of New Jersey?
It ranks #2 of 21 New Jersey counties by effective property tax rate, and #2 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.8 points above the New Jersey average of 2.23%.
What does housing cost in Salem County?
The median home is worth $223,000 and median gross rent is $1,185 a month. Median household income is $78,412, which puts the home at 2.84 times annual income and rent at 18.13% of it.