School Tax Rates Are Highest In These NJ Towns

NEW JERSEY — More than half of the average New Jersey property tax bill went to the taxpayer's local school district last year, according to state data.

In total, the Garden State reported $33.35 billion in tax revenue for 2023 — of which $17.48 billion was from school taxes.

Earlier this year, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs released tax data for 2023 that included a breakdown of how much the average property owner paid in county, municipal, and school taxes.

On the individual level, New Jersey home and business owners paid an average of $9,803 in property taxes last year, which was an all-time high. The school portion averaged to $5,139, or 52.4 percent of the total property tax bill.

So, which communities pay the highest — and lowest — shares?

Shamong Township, in Burlington County, had the highest tax share for schools — with 80.5 percent of property taxes going to local schools. Several other towns sent more than 75 percent of their property taxes to their local schools: Holland Township (Hunterdon Co.), Millstone Township (Monmouth Co.), Woodland Township (Burlington Co.), and Upper Freehold Township (Monmouth Co.).

On the other side of the coin, two communities do not pay any school tax at all: Lower Alloways Creek Township in Salem County and Walpack Township in Sussex County send 100 percent of their property taxes to the county, as state data shows that they don't have any municipal taxes, either.

But, these are special cases — Lower Alloways Creek eliminated local taxes more than 50 years ago, as the township raked in money from two nuclear power plants that still stand today. The average tax bill for residents here is $2,279.

And Walpack Township only has eight residents, according to Census data — all of whom are 65 or older. The average tax bill there is $459.

Nine other New Jersey towns all pay less than 10 percent of their property taxes to schools, data shows.

Property tax revenue is drawn from residential, commercial, and industrial properties. Each city, town, and borough has its own "effective tax rate" for county, school, and municipal taxes, which sets the amount of tax paid relative to a property's value.

In the table below, you may look up your town or sort any of the columns to see which towns pay the highest and lowest overall property taxes, and also sort the county, school, and municipal tax shares from lowest to highest.

You can also click here to view the table in a new window. The data comes from the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA), and the amount does not include any deductions or credits.

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• These NJ Towns Pay The Highest School Taxes: New Data
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