Two South Jersey Towns See Property Tax Decreases While State Average Hits Record High

Stow Creek and West Cape May bucked the trend. Their property taxes dropped in 2025. Meanwhile, the typical New Jersey homeowner shelled out $10,570 last year. These two South Jersey municipalities stood apart from 11 towns statewide where bills fell by more than 1% between 2024 and 2025.

Stow Creek's bill dropped 1.64%. That's $90 less, bringing it to $5,383. West Cape May did better — a 2.62% plunge, or $191, landed the bill at $7,120.

The statewide bill jumped 4.7% compared to the prior year, hitting a new peak. Last year, the typical home was valued at $405,153 in the state, up 5.8% from 2024.

Those 11 towns with decreases above 1% saw reductions between $13 and $2,218, according to NJ.com. Ten more towns watched their bills dip by less than 1%. Allenhurst in Monmouth County had the biggest drop. The beachfront borough witnessed bills tumble 10.15% to $19,640 last year.

Shrewsbury, also in Monmouth County, posted a 9.21% decline with bills shedding $520 to $5,127 on average. Alpha in Warren County claimed third with a 4.39% cut that trimmed the bill $295 to $6,415.

Why do bills shrink? Several factors play a role. New construction of less expensive housing can drag the average lower. Reassessments might reduce the value of existing homes. Some homes get torn down.

Other towns on the list: Fairfield in Essex County at $11,045, Franklin in Warren County at $9,600, and Far Hills in Somerset County at $15,004. Walpack in Sussex County had the tiniest decrease — $13, or 1.13%.

School funding eats up 52% of what a typical homeowner pays. Property taxes stay local and pay for roads, libraries, government operations, and other infrastructure.

The data came from the state Department of Community Affairs.