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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Cape May County, New Jersey

Cape May County has an effective property tax rate of 1.22%. On the median home value of $434,600, that's roughly $5,306 per year. Median household income is $91,128.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.22%
median tax $5,306 ÷ median home $434,600
Median Home Value1
$434,600
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$91,128
per-capita $55,694
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$5,306
at 1.22% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricCape May CountyNew Jersey (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.22%2.10%
Median home value1$434,600—
State income tax3top rate 10.75%top rate 10.75%
State sales tax36.60% combined6.60% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Cape May County, NJ

In Cape May County, New Jersey, the effective property tax rate sits at 1.221%, well under the statewide median of 2.098% and ranking last among New Jersey's 21 counties. That lower rate softens the cost of ownership in a place where the median home value reaches $434,600, producing a median annual tax bill of $5,306. Households earning the median income of $91,128 can weigh that bill against steady earnings, while per-capita income stands at $55,694. Buyers eyeing Cape May Court House or the shore towns of Avalon and Cape May should note that the national median effective rate is 0.794%, so this county still taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole. Even so, its position within New Jersey makes it the state's most affordable county on this measure.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Cape May County, NJ?
The effective rate is 1.22% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.22% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($434,600), the estimated annual bill is about $5,306.
Is Cape May County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 2.10% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Cape May County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Cape May County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.