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2025 general tax rate · Ocean County, NJ
Surf City property tax rate
Surf City's 2025 general tax rate is $1.066 per $100 of assessed value. A property assessed at $300,000 owes $3,198.00 for the year. That ranks 540th highest of New Jersey's 564 municipalities, among the lowest tenth, $1.890 per $100 below the $2.960 per $100 state median.
- 1General tax rate $1.066 per $100
- 2Bill on $300,000 assessed $3,198.00
Your Surf City tax bill
The bill before exemptions and credits. Compare every New Jersey rate.
General rate and effective rate in Surf City
New Jersey publishes two rates for every municipality. The general tax rate, $1.066 per $100 in Surf City, is the one applied to the assessed value on the bill: $300,000 assessed owes $3,198.00. The effective tax rate, $0.650 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 Surf City's assessments at about 60.98% 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 Surf City ranks 548th of 564, against 540th on the general rate, and sits $1.490 below the $2.140 median effective rate. At 60.98%, a $300,000 assessment corresponds to roughly $491,965 of market value.
Surf City's rate in 2024 and 2025
The general tax rate rose $0.020 per $100 (2.21%) from $1.043 per $100 in 2024, and the same $300,000 assessment owes $69.00 more than at last year's rate. In 2024 Surf City ranked 541st. The effective rate went from $0.681 to $0.650 per $100 (down 4.55%), and the implied ratio from 65.29% to 60.98%: market values rose faster than assessments.
Tax on common assessed values in Surf City
| Assessed value | 2025 bill | At the 2024 rate | Versus NJ median rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $2,132.00 | $2,086.00 | −$3,788.00 |
| $300,000 | $3,198.00 | $3,129.00 | −$5,682.00 |
| $400,000 | $4,264.00 | $4,172.00 | −$7,576.00 |
| $500,000 | $5,330.00 | $5,215.00 | −$9,470.00 |
| $750,000 | $7,995.00 | $7,822.50 | −$14,205.00 |
Each bill is the assessed value divided by 100 and multiplied by $1.066, before exemptions, credits or special charges. These are assessed values, not sale prices: at 60.98% the $300,000 row is a property worth about $491,965. The last column is the difference from the same assessment at the $2.960 per $100 state median.
How Surf City compares in Ocean County and New Jersey
Among the 33 municipalities in Ocean County, Surf City ranks 30th highest; the county median is $1.902 per $100, so Surf City sits $0.840 per $100 below it. The next higher rate in the county is Bay Head at $1.105, and the next lower is Lavallette at $1.014. Statewide, 4% of municipalities have a lower general tax rate than Surf City.
Outside Ocean County, the closest rates are Saddle River ($1.067, Bergen), Teterboro ($1.050, Bergen), Rumson ($1.049, Monmouth), Cape May ($1.093, Cape May). 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 Surf City assessment
New Jersey appeals go to the Ocean County Board of Taxation. The petition is due April 1, or May 1 in a year when Surf City 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 60.98% ratio implied by the state's two rates, that range runs from about 51.83% to 70.13% of market value; the Director's official average ratio for Surf City, 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.
Surf City property tax questions
What is the property tax rate in Surf City, NJ?
Surf City's 2025 general tax rate is $1.066 per $100 of assessed value; its effective rate, on market value, is $0.650 per $100. Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation.
How much is the property tax on a $300,000 assessment in Surf City?
$300,000 ÷ 100 × $1.066 = $3,198.00 a year, before exemptions and credits. At the 2024 rate the same assessment owed $3,129.00.
Is Surf City's tax rate high for New Jersey?
It ranks 540th 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 548th.
How do I appeal a Surf City 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.