Property Tax in Bergen County, New Jersey
The median real estate tax bill in Bergen County, New Jersey is $10,001 per year, and the median home is worth $593,200. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Bergen County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $10,001 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Bergen County, and $593,200 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for Bergen County is 1.69% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
The key figures for Bergen County
| Measure | Bergen County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $10,001 |
| Median home value | $593,200 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.69% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $833 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,686 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $6,744 |
For context, the New Jersey medians are $9,541 of tax on $427,600 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Bergen County at a glance
- Median tax rank in New Jersey: #1 of 21 counties
- Median home value rank in New Jersey: #1 of 21
- Population rank in New Jersey: #1 of 21 (954,717 residents)
- Population density rank: #4 of 21 (4,101 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in New Jersey: #15 of 21 (232 sq mi, 3.2% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $833; per $1,000 of home value: $1.69
How Bergen County compares
Set against its state, Bergen County's median bill of $10,001 is about 5% higher than the New Jersey median ($9,541). Against the country as a whole it is about 237% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #1 of 21 New Jersey counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Bergen County's median home, at $593,200, ranks #1 by value in New Jersey, while its derived rate of 1.69% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Bergen County: the median bill works out to about $833 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,686 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 954,717 people — the #1 most populous county in New Jersey, spread over 232 square miles, a density of about 4,101 people per square mile. Its median home value, $593,200, ranks #1 among the state's 21 counties with data.
Nationally, Bergen County's median bill of $10,001 ranks #2 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 1% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 10.3% of New Jersey's population, its median home value is about 39% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 16.86% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Bergen County to the most expensive county, Bergen County ($10,001), is $0 a year.
Counties nearest Bergen County in the New Jersey ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, NJ | $10,001 | $494,400 | 2.02% |
| Hunterdon County, NJ | $10,001 | $498,800 | 2.00% |
How the tax is worked out
Think of the final bill as three ingredients: the assessed value of the property, the exemptions subtracted from it, and the combined rate of every district the property sits in. Bergen County's medians imply a derived rate of 1.69%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $6,744 a year, or around $562 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Bergen County
If your bill looks wrong, work through these steps:
1. Get your property record card from the assessor and check the basics — living area, lot size, bedrooms, condition, and any exemptions you should have.
2. Compare your assessed value with recent sale prices of similar homes in Bergen County.
3. Talk to the assessor's office informally first; clear errors are often fixed without a hearing.
4. If needed, file a formal appeal with the local review board before the deadline on your assessment notice, with your evidence attached.
5. Keep paying the bill as issued while the appeal runs, unless your notice says otherwise — unpaid taxes accrue penalties regardless of an appeal.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Bergen County, New Jersey?
The median real estate tax paid in Bergen County, New Jersey is $10,001 per year, on a median home value of $593,200 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Bergen County, New Jersey?
The derived effective rate is 1.69% — the median bill ($10,001) expressed as a share of the median home value ($593,200). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Bergen County compare with the rest of New Jersey?
Bergen County ranks #1 of 21 New Jersey counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $10,001 is about 5% higher than the New Jersey median of $9,541.
How are property taxes calculated in Bergen County, New Jersey?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Bergen County is $10,001 of tax on a $593,200 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Bergen County, New Jersey?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Bergen County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.