NJ’s 10 highest property tax towns – New Jersey 101.5 FM

The average New Jersey property tax climbed again by $172 last year. We now stand at $9,284 firmly entrenched in the dubious position of having the highest property taxes in the United States.

Now if we were all movie stars and corporate executives and thoracic surgeons this wouldn’t be a big deal. But we’re not. We are construction workers and middle managers and landscapers and school teachers and the like. That $9,284 a year is a $773.66 per month bill that most have a very difficult time paying on top of an already expensive and over-taxed state. It’s an untenable situation and school funding reform is sorely needed.

$9,284 is only the average. What towns are paying the most in property taxes? Behold the top 10:

NJ’s 10 highest property tax towns

10 — Montclair

The place where Stephen Colbert and Patrick Wilson call home had an average property tax of $20,320 in 2021. And not everyone in town is a wealthy celebrity. This was an increase of $357 over the prior year.

9 — Essex Fells

They actually saw a tiny drop of $39 from 2020, but that doesn’t do much to ease the sting of an average $20,374 for 2021.

8 — Princeton

If you just had to have that Ivy League address it cost you an average of $20,510 last year. That’s up $158 from 2020.

7 — Alpine

Some truly mega-rich live here and many celebrities (Stevie Wonder, Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan have all called it home) who pay far more than the average $21,438, which was up $396 from the year before.

6 — Rumson

This small town of 7,000 in Monmouth County had their average property tax increase by $438 to $21,591 last year.

5 — Glen Ridge

The privileged in this Essex County town probably don’t feel too privileged to be paying $433 more last year with an average property tax of $21,647.

4 — Mountain Lakes

The only Morris County town in the top 10 had an average property tax of $21,868, a $243 jump.

3 — Tenafly

I know some folks who live in this Bergen County town and also know they’re disgusted at having to pay $21,966. That’s $414 higher than 2020.

2 — Demarest

This is Begen County’s hardest-hit town when it comes to property taxes. Up $606 from the prior year they now pay $21,983.

1 — Millburn

They were number 1 last year and with a $115 increase, they’re number 1 again. They pay $24,485 on average.

I should note that there’s actually one higher in New Jersey but you might not really call this a town. Tavistock. As NJ.com explains, it only has three homes and twelve residents and they basically own the so-called town. It is somewhat in a category all its own. It was formed by members of the Tavistock country club in the late 1920s and their average property tax is $30,715.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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