New Jersey · County property tax · ACS 2024
Essex County Property Taxes
The median homeowner in Essex County pays $10,001 a year, an effective rate of 1.91%, far above the U.S. average.
- $10,001
- Median tax / yr · Highest-decile bill
- 1.91%
- Effective rate · Highest-decile rate
- +402%
- vs U.S. average
- #13 of 21
- rank in NJ
The verdict
Homeowners in Essex County pay a median $10,001 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 1.91%, more affordable than 4% of U.S. counties (Census ACS 2024).
- $10,001
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 1.91%
- Effective rate on median home
- #3025 of 3135
- U.S. counties by tax burden
- +402%
- vs the national average bill
Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($524,100). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Tax affordability score · Essex County, NJ
24/100
3 ACS dimensions · release 2024
Comparative score against U.S. county percentiles on Census ACS medians (effective rate, bill, income share, mortgage gap, home-value/income). Higher means more affordable on those published medians, not a recommendation to buy, sell, appeal, or move, and not your personal tax bill. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.
Mortgaged vs free-and-clear median bill gap in Essex County
Essex County's effective rate vs U.S. county percentiles (ACS 2024)
Median home value relative to Essex County's median income
Income or tax figure unavailable
ACS top-codes this median at $10,000+ - not scored as an exact bill
Read the chart values
- Mortgage premium: 89/100 (A) · +$0
- Rate relief: 0/100 (F) · 1.91%
- Housing pressure: 0/100 (F) · 6.49×
Track this county alongside up to five others. Saved figures refresh when the annual source data changes.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for New Jersey. Population: 863,002. Owner-occupied homes: 143,579.
The median annual property tax in Essex County is $10,001, which is 4% higher than the New Jersey state average and 402% above the national average. The effective tax rate is 1.91% on a median home value of $524,100. Property taxes represent 12.4% of the median household income in this county.
What This Data Tells Us About Essex County
Primary signal
The bill sits well above the national median
Homeowners in Essex County pay a median annual property tax of $10,001, far above the national median and modestly above the New Jersey state median. On a $524,100 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 1.91% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Decision signal 2
Income carries a heavy tax share
Property taxes in Essex County run well above the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 12.4% of the $80,789 median household income.
Decision signal 3
The effective rate is a national headwind
Essex County's 1.91% effective rate is among the highest of 3,135 tracked counties: only about 96% pay more.
Decision signal 4
Near the middle of New Jersey counties by effective rate
Essex County ranks #13 of 21 counties in New Jersey by effective rate (38% of in-state counties pay a lower rate).
This page is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures describe the median homeowner household in Essex County as reported to the Census Bureau, your own bill can differ based on your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, special districts, and municipal overlays. Always consult your county assessor, tax collector, or a qualified professional before making decisions that depend on these numbers.
The rate gave way faster than almost anywhere
Between the 2020 and 2024 releases the median home value in Essex County rose 32.4%, from $395,900 to $524,100. The effective rate fell 24.5% over the same span, a steeper move than in 92% of U.S. counties.
The median bill still rose 0.0%, to $10,001. Where the rate drops this far and the bill rises anyway, what changed is the value the rate is applied to.
Effective rate is the published median bill divided by the published median home value, so the two multiply back to the bill exactly; the rate's movement here is derived from those two figures rather than read from the rounded published rate. Both are ACS 5-year survey estimates for the median owner-occupied household, compared across non-overlapping releases. They describe what the Census published, not a local policy, assessment, or exemption change.
How to read this county's bill
Very little moved here between 2020 and 2024: the typical bill went from $10,001 to $10,001, a change of 0%. The comparison describes county-level medians only; individual assessments and bills can differ.
The heaviest band is also the fullest one here: 132,205 of 143,579 owner-occupied homes (92.1%) report annual real-estate taxes above $3,000. That band has no upper edge in the source, so the county median understates the burden carried by the plurality rather than describing it.
Both figures are in the national top quarter, and the median bill still equals only 12% of median household income. A high rate on high earnings produces a large dollar figure, and only the dollar figure tends to get quoted; the ratio above is the other half.
The share above is the median annual bill divided by median household income, a ratio of two county-level medians rather than a household-by-household figure.
What Essex County Homeowners Actually Pay
The single largest group of Essex County homeowners, 132,205 of 143,579 owner-occupied homes (92.1%), pays $3,000 or more a year. The median is one point in this spread, not a typical bill.
- Less than $800 1.5% (2,177)
- $800 to $1,499 1.0% (1,503)
- $1,500 to $1,999 0.7% (995)
- $2,000 to $2,999 1.0% (1,438)
- $3,000 or more 92.1% (132,205)
Census ACS 2024, table B25102. Bands and the no-tax share sum to 100%.
5,261 homes here (3.7%) report no real estate tax at all. Exemptions are set by state: how New Jersey handles assessments and appeals.
With vs Without Mortgage
Mortgaged and non-mortgaged homeowners in Essex County pay about the same bill, a 0% gap.
How Essex County compares
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
Essex County's effective rate is higher than 38% of the 21 counties in New Jersey - ranking #13 of 21 for property tax burden.
Note: Census ACS top-codes median property tax at $10,000 or more, so the bill is shown as $10,001 and the effective rate above is a conservative floor - Essex County's true median tax and rate are somewhat higher.
Where Essex County sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
1.91% more affordable than 4% of 3,135 U.S. counties
Show national distribution
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more U.S. counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024
Among the highest-taxed counties in the country
At 1.91%, Essex County sits in the top 4% of all U.S. counties by effective property-tax rate. That is the rate, not the bill: a high rate on a modest home can still produce a smaller cheque than a low rate on an expensive one, which is why the $10,001 median bill is the number to compare against another county.
Essex County vs Benchmarks
| Metric | Essex County | New Jersey Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax Highest-decile bill | |||
| Effective Tax Rate Highest-decile rate | |||
| Median Home Value | |||
| Tax as % of income Highest-decile income burden | 12.4% | - | - |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates. Tax-burden differences across rows reflect millage decisions, assessment-ratio practices, and the residential-vs-commercial mix of each tax base.
Essex County's PEAK · SPIKE lane - is an appeal worth running?
On Essex County's published figures (PEAK · SPIKE), a $524,100 median home carries a $10,001 median bill, so every 10% off an assessed value is worth about $1,000 a year at the same rate. Whether an appeal is worth filing depends on your own parcel. Use our free Appeal Savings Estimator to run your own numbers, then read our step-by-step appeal guide for the procedure in New Jersey.
Property Tax History · PEAK · SPIKE
| Year | Median Tax (vs prior release) | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10,001 +0.0% | 1.91% |
| 2023 | $10,001 +0.0% | 2.02% |
| 2022 | $10,001 +0.0% | 2.14% |
| 2021 | $10,001 +0.0% | 2.42% |
| 2020 | $10,001 | 2.53% |
Each row is a separate ACS 5-year release, and consecutive releases share four of their five survey years. The percentage beside each bill is therefore movement in the published estimate against the previous release, not a single year's tax change. The two releases largely describe the same households. For change over time, compare releases that do not overlap.
Tax Burden
Tax Affordability Score
An effective rate far above the national average of 0.92% puts Essex County in the "Very Expensive" band for property tax burden.
How this score is calculated: a 1-10 scale derived mechanically from the ratio of this county's effective rate to the national average effective rate (0.92%) - a ratio at or below 0.5× scores 10, a ratio at or above 2.0× scores 1, with a linear scale between. It is a factual comparison of Census figures only, not a recommendation, quality rating, or endorsement of Essex County or any other county.
Counties with similar tax profiles
On effective rate, Essex County sits nearest Cook County (IL), South Central Connecticut Planning Region (CT), Madison County (IL).
On published median-tax change, the nearest matches are Northwest Arctic Borough (AK), Kusilvak Census Area (AK), Nassau County (NY).
How peers are chosen
These are the nearest cross-state matches in the published Census data, not neighboring counties or recommendations. Peers are rebuilt with each data release; see the calculation method.
Similar effective rates
Similar published median-tax changes, 2020–2024
What tax filers report in Essex County
Of the 395,710 federal returns filed from Essex County in 2022, 43,070 (10.9% of filers) itemised and reported real estate taxes on Schedule A, averaging $16,276 each. The largest group was filers with adjusted gross income of $200k+, who accounted for 42% of the county's reporting returns.
Two things this does not say. The amount is what filers reported, recorded before the $10,000 cap on combined state and local tax deductions applies, so it is not the amount deducted. And the share is of everyone who files a return, not of homeowners: most filers now take the standard deduction, so a minority itemise at all. Source: IRS Statistics of Income county data, tax year 2022.
Other Counties in New Jersey
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Essex County property tax compare to the national average? ▼
What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Essex County? ▼
What is the average property tax in Essex County, New Jersey? ▼
What is the tax affordability score for Essex County? ▼
Are property taxes increasing in Essex County? ▼
What to do with Essex County's numbers
- Essex County's $10,001 median bill sits well above the U.S. median - size a personal estimate before treating the county headline as your budget. Estimate your bill →
- Income burden is elevated here: about 12.4% of Essex County's $80,789 median household income goes to the property-tax bill.
- Essex County ranks #13 of 21 New Jersey counties by effective rate - on the lower-burden half of the state ACS set. New Jersey overview →
- If Essex County's assessment looks high versus the $524,100 typical home, check New Jersey's filing window and evidence rules before the notice deadline passes. How to appeal →
Effective-rate definition
Effective rate is the county median tax divided by the county median home value ($524,100); your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, and local levies determine your actual bill. U.S. Census Bureau ACS · 2024.
Nationwide peers by effective rate & median bill
Two PlainPropertyTax-derived comparison paths for Essex County, both outside New Jersey so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice. Axes stay disjoint: median-bill peers exclude the effective-rate peer set.
Similar effective rate
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS effective rate. This county: 1.91%.
Similar median bill
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS median annual tax. This county: $10,001/yr. Rate peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Read with Essex County
Nearest ABS(median_tax) ACS peers for Essex County (PEAK · SPIKE), replacing the old fixed Keep exploring strip.
PEAK SPIKE
Bergen County, NJ
ABS(median_tax) peer · tied with Essex County at $10,001/yr; rate 1.61% vs Essex County 1.91%.
Falls Church city, VA
ABS(median_tax) peer · tied with Essex County at $10,001/yr; rate 0.95% vs Essex County 1.91%.
Hunterdon County, NJ
ABS(median_tax) peer · tied with Essex County at $10,001/yr; rate 1.93% vs Essex County 1.91%.
Marin County, CA
ABS(median_tax) peer · tied with Essex County at $10,001/yr; rate 0.66% vs Essex County 1.91%.
New Jersey county set
State ACS overview for every published New Jersey county rate and median bill.
Appeal filing windows
Essex County stamps PEAK · SPIKE - review notice deadlines before quoting the ACS median.
Data vintage and method
Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
Property tax data reflects median amounts paid by homeowners. Effective rates are calculated as median tax divided by median home value.
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Editorial standards and provenance
PlainPropertyTax is rendered directly from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on the Census ACS county-level record for Essex County. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-09.