See Average Property Tax Bills In Verona, Cedar Grove (UPDATE)

VERONA-CEDAR GROVE, NJ — The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs recently released updated tax tables for each municipality in the state, including Verona and Cedar Grove.

Statewide, the average tax bill topped $10,000 for the first time in 2024, landing at a record-high $10,095 – which is still below what residents of Verona and Cedar Grove are paying.

Here are last year's figures (not including credits and deductions):

VERONA - The average Verona resident paid $13,407 in property taxes on a home valued at $434,575

CEDAR GROVE - The average Cedar Grove resident paid $12,092 in property taxes on a home valued at $477,582

Property taxes in New Jersey are mainly made up of three parts: school, municipal and county. Here’s how that played out in Verona-Cedar Grove for 2024, according to state data (percentages rounded up):

VERONA

• School – 57.3%
• Municipal – 26.4%
• County – 16.3%

CEDAR GROVE

• School – 59%
• Municipal – 22.3%
• County – 18.7%

Verona and Cedar Grove aren't the only towns in the area with a tax bill that tops the state average. In total, the average Essex County property owner paid $13,900 in taxes on a home valued at $454,513 last year: the highest in New Jersey.

Some experts have pointed out that a high tax bill doesn't necessarily mean a homeowner is getting ripped off, however – it depends on what you get for the money.

“While no taxpayers in high-tax jurisdictions will be celebrating their yearly payments, it's worth noting that property taxes are largely rooted in the ‘benefit principle’ of government finance – the people paying the bills are most often the ones benefiting from the services,” researchers from The Tax Foundation recently wrote.

PROPERTY, POLITICS AND TAX RELIEF

Taxes and home values have gone up steadily throughout New Jersey over the past decade, regardless of what political party is in the governor's seat.

When former Republican Gov. Chris Christie and the state Legislature reached a historic deal for a 2 percent cap in 2011, the average property tax bill in New Jersey was at $7,759 for a home valued at $299,014. By the time Christie left office, the average property tax payment had risen by 13 percent.

The average tax bill in New Jersey has continued to rise under Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat. When Murphy first took office in 2018, the average tax bill stood at $8,767. In 2024, the average bill reached $10,095 – a 15 percent increase.

New Jerseyans continue to pay the highest property taxes in the nation, and the state has funneled billions into programs like Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR).

The record-high budget proposed for New Jersey's next fiscal year includes $4.3 billion for property tax relief programs, with the Stay NJ program set to start for eligible seniors in 2026. See Related: ANCHOR, Stay NJ Tax Rebates Changes In New Record-Setting Budget

Other property tax relief programs available in New Jersey include the “Senior Freeze,” which reimburses eligible senior citizens and disabled persons for property tax or mobile home park site fee increases on their principal residence.

Learn more about each program at the following links:

• ANCHOR program
• Stay NJ program
• Senior Freeze

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