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2025 general tax rate · Cape May County, NJ
Cape May property tax rate
Cape May's 2025 general tax rate is $1.093 per $100 of assessed value. A property assessed at $300,000 owes $3,279.00 for the year. That ranks 538th highest of New Jersey's 564 municipalities, among the lowest tenth, $1.870 per $100 below the $2.960 per $100 state median.
- 1General tax rate $1.093 per $100
- 2Bill on $300,000 assessed $3,279.00
Your Cape May tax bill
The bill before exemptions and credits. Compare every New Jersey rate.
General rate and effective rate in Cape May
New Jersey publishes two rates for every municipality. The general tax rate, $1.093 per $100 in Cape May, is the one applied to the assessed value on the bill: $300,000 assessed owes $3,279.00. The effective tax rate, $0.587 per $100, is "the general property tax adjusted by the municipality's equalization ratio", the rate on market value. Dividing one by the other puts Cape May's assessments at about 53.71% of market value, well below market value, the sign of a town that has not revalued recently; the state median is 70.02%.
The effective rate is the fairer comparison between towns. On it Cape May ranks 553rd of 564, against 538th on the general rate, and sits $1.550 below the $2.140 median effective rate. At 53.71%, a $300,000 assessment corresponds to roughly $558,555 of market value.
Cape May's rate in 2024 and 2025
The general tax rate rose $0.040 per $100 (3.41%) from $1.057 per $100 in 2024, and the same $300,000 assessment owes $108.00 more than at last year's rate. In 2024 Cape May ranked 538th. The effective rate went from $0.655 to $0.587 per $100 (down 10.38%), and the implied ratio from 61.97% to 53.71%: market values rose faster than assessments.
Tax on common assessed values in Cape May
| Assessed value | 2025 bill | At the 2024 rate | Versus NJ median rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $2,186.00 | $2,114.00 | −$3,734.00 |
| $300,000 | $3,279.00 | $3,171.00 | −$5,601.00 |
| $400,000 | $4,372.00 | $4,228.00 | −$7,468.00 |
| $500,000 | $5,465.00 | $5,285.00 | −$9,335.00 |
| $750,000 | $8,197.50 | $7,927.50 | −$14,002.50 |
Each bill is the assessed value divided by 100 and multiplied by $1.093, before exemptions, credits or special charges. These are assessed values, not sale prices: at 53.71% the $300,000 row is a property worth about $558,555. The last column is the difference from the same assessment at the $2.960 per $100 state median.
How Cape May compares in Cape May County and New Jersey
Among the 16 municipalities in Cape May County, Cape May ranks 12th highest; the county median is $1.520 per $100, so Cape May sits $0.430 per $100 below it. The next higher rate in the county is Ocean City at $1.160, and the next lower is Sea Isle City at $0.905. Statewide, 4% of municipalities have a lower general tax rate than Cape May.
Outside Cape May County, the closest rates are Bay Head ($1.105, Ocean), Barnegat Light ($1.107, Ocean), Longport ($1.111, Atlantic), Harvey Cedars ($1.112, Ocean). Because towns assess at different shares of market value, the effective rate is the better guide to what a house of a given price pays.
Appealing a Cape May assessment
New Jersey appeals go to the Cape May County Board of Taxation. The petition is due April 1, or May 1 in a year when Cape May implemented a municipal-wide revaluation or reassessment (NJ Division of Taxation). Property assessed above $1,000,000 may go directly to the Tax Court, and a County Board judgment can be appealed to the Tax Court within 45 days. The Board tests the assessment against the common level range: the average ratio plus or minus 15%. Using the 53.71% ratio implied by the state's two rates, that range runs from about 45.65% to 61.77% of market value; the Director's official average ratio for Cape May, which the County Board applies, can differ slightly.
The New Jersey appeal page sets out each step with its source and the ratio arithmetic. This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice.
Cape May property tax questions
What is the property tax rate in Cape May, NJ?
Cape May's 2025 general tax rate is $1.093 per $100 of assessed value; its effective rate, on market value, is $0.587 per $100. Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation.
How much is the property tax on a $300,000 assessment in Cape May?
$300,000 ÷ 100 × $1.093 = $3,279.00 a year, before exemptions and credits. At the 2024 rate the same assessment owed $3,171.00.
Is Cape May's tax rate high for New Jersey?
It ranks 538th highest of 564, among the lowest tenth of New Jersey municipalities; the median is $2.960 per $100. On the effective rate, which allows for different assessment levels, it ranks 553rd.
How do I appeal a Cape May property assessment?
Petition to the County Board of Taxation: by April 1 (May 1 after a municipal-wide revaluation) (NJ Division of Taxation; Guide to Tax Appeal Hearings). Then: county board hearing and judgment (Set by the County Board); appeal to the tax court (Within 45 days of the County Board's judgment).
Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation, 2025 General Tax Rates (general and effective tax rates by county and municipality); prior year from the 2024 General Tax Rates. Appeal steps: NJ Division of Taxation, Assessment and Appeals (updated August 15, 2025); NJ Division of Taxation, A Guide to Tax Appeal Hearings (revised 2022). Last checked October 21, 2026. This page explains published figures; it is not tax or legal advice.