Property tax in Mercer County, New Jersey
The median property tax bill in Mercer County, New Jersey is $8,909 a year, which is about 2.36% of the county's median home value of $377,700. That effective rate is higher than the typical New Jersey county (2.1%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Mercer County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Mercer County's average effective rate of 2.36% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $8,914 / year
Property tax in Mercer County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $8,909 |
| Median home value | $377,700 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.36% |
| Typical New Jersey county rate | 2.1% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Mercer County compare in New Jersey?
Among New Jersey's 21 counties, Mercer County has the 4th highest effective property-tax rate: 3 rank higher and 17 rank lower. That is on the higher side for New Jersey. Nationally, it ranks 26th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every New Jersey county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Mercer County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Mercer County's 89,569 owner-occupied homes, 90.2% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 94.1% pay at least $2,000, and 1.4% pay under $800. Another 2.3% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 1,223 | 1.4% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 786 | 0.9% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 1,242 | 1.4% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 3,496 | 3.9% |
| $3,000 or more | 80,772 | 90.2% |
| No property tax paid | 2,050 | 2.3% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $9,074 and owners without one pay $8,613. That is within 10% either way, so in Mercer County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Mercer County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $8,909 is about 6.8% of the median income of Mercer County homeowner households, $131,963 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 62.2% of Mercer County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Mercer County?
Yes. The median bill went from $7,862 in 2015-2019 to $8,909 in 2020-2024, a 13.3% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 29.7%, from $291,100 to $377,700. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Mercer County
Mercer County borders 6 counties, 1 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County, NJ (this county) | 2.36% | $8,909 | $377,700 |
| Burlington County, NJ | 2.26% | $7,983 | $354,000 |
| Middlesex County, NJ | 2.1% | $9,712 | $462,900 |
| Hunterdon County, NJ | at least 1.93% | $10,000+ | $517,200 |
| Somerset County, NJ | at least 1.81% | $10,000+ | $552,100 |
| Monmouth County, NJ | at least 1.65% | $10,000+ | $606,100 |
| Bucks County, PA | 1.31% | $5,826 | $445,700 |
How is a home assessed in Mercer County?
New Jersey sets the assessment rules and Mercer County applies them. How New Jersey assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Mercer County?
Not as an exemption. New Jersey's main benefit is ANCHOR, for homeowners with New Jersey gross income up to $250,000, and the amount depends on your income tier. That is the New Jersey rule, and it applies in Mercer County. New Jersey's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Mercer County?
Quarterly installments due February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1, usually with a 10-day grace period. Your municipal tax collector bills and collects.
New Jersey splits the bill into 4 installments. That is the New Jersey rule. Mercer County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Mercer County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County Board of Taxation, then the New Jersey Tax Court. The filing deadline is typically April 1 (May 1 after a revaluation). That is the New Jersey rule; Mercer County sets the exact dates and forms. The New Jersey appeal process step by step.
New Jersey rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the New Jersey page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Mercer County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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New Jersey income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what New Jersey actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Mercer County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Mercer County, New Jersey: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.