Property tax in Ocean County, New Jersey
The median property tax bill in Ocean County, New Jersey is $6,562 a year, which is about 1.65% of the county's median home value of $398,400. That effective rate is lower 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 Ocean County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Ocean County's average effective rate of 1.65% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $6,574 / year
Property tax in Ocean County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $6,562 |
| Median home value | $398,400 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.65% |
| 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 Ocean County compare in New Jersey?
Among New Jersey's 21 counties, Ocean County has the 19th highest effective property-tax rate: 18 rank higher and 2 rank lower. That places it among the least taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 228th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every New Jersey county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Ocean County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Ocean County's 196,874 owner-occupied homes, 82.5% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 88.1% pay at least $2,000, and 1.8% pay under $800. Another 4.9% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 3,501 | 1.8% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 5,649 | 2.9% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 4,472 | 2.3% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 11,106 | 5.6% |
| $3,000 or more | 162,476 | 82.5% |
| No property tax paid | 9,670 | 4.9% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $6,822 and owners without one pay $6,073. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Ocean County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $6,562 is about 6.5% of the median income of Ocean County homeowner households, $100,587 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 80.7% of Ocean 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 Ocean County?
Yes. The median bill went from $5,774 in 2015-2019 to $6,562 in 2020-2024, a 13.6% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 42.8%, from $279,000 to $398,400. 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 Ocean County
Ocean County borders 3 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic County, NJ | 2.3% | $6,776 | $295,000 |
| Burlington County, NJ | 2.26% | $7,983 | $354,000 |
| Monmouth County, NJ | at least 1.65% | $10,000+ | $606,100 |
| Ocean County, NJ (this county) | 1.65% | $6,562 | $398,400 |
How is a home assessed in Ocean County?
New Jersey sets the assessment rules and Ocean County applies them. How New Jersey assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Ocean 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 Ocean County. New Jersey's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Ocean 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. Ocean County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Ocean 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; Ocean 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
-
How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Ocean County's tax rate to hand.
-
Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
-
New Jersey income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what New Jersey actually taxes.
-
Sales tax in Ocean County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Ocean 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.