Home / New Jersey / Somerset County / Watchung
2025 general tax rate · Somerset County, NJ
Watchung property tax rate
Watchung's 2025 general tax rate is $1.952 per $100 of assessed value. A property assessed at $300,000 owes $5,856.00 for the year. That ranks 449th highest of New Jersey's 564 municipalities, in the lowest quarter, $1.010 per $100 below the $2.960 per $100 state median.
- 1General tax rate $1.952 per $100
- 2Bill on $300,000 assessed $5,856.00
Your Watchung tax bill
The bill before exemptions and credits. Compare every New Jersey rate.
General rate and effective rate in Watchung
New Jersey publishes two rates for every municipality. The general tax rate, $1.952 per $100 in Watchung, is the one applied to the assessed value on the bill: $300,000 assessed owes $5,856.00. The effective tax rate, $2.031 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 Watchung's assessments at about 104.05% of market value, above market value on average; the state median is 70.02%.
The effective rate is the fairer comparison between towns. On it Watchung ranks 336th of 564, against 449th on the general rate, and sits $0.110 below the $2.140 median effective rate. At 104.05%, a $300,000 assessment corresponds to roughly $288,323 of market value.
Watchung's rate in 2024 and 2025
The general tax rate fell $0.050 per $100 (2.3%) from $1.998 per $100 in 2024, and the same $300,000 assessment owes $138.00 less than at last year's rate. In 2024 Watchung ranked 445th. The effective rate went from $2.018 to $2.031 per $100 (up 0.64%), and the implied ratio from 101% to 104.05%.
Tax on common assessed values in Watchung
| Assessed value | 2025 bill | At the 2024 rate | Versus NJ median rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $3,904.00 | $3,996.00 | −$2,016.00 |
| $300,000 | $5,856.00 | $5,994.00 | −$3,024.00 |
| $400,000 | $7,808.00 | $7,992.00 | −$4,032.00 |
| $500,000 | $9,760.00 | $9,990.00 | −$5,040.00 |
| $750,000 | $14,640.00 | $14,985.00 | −$7,560.00 |
Each bill is the assessed value divided by 100 and multiplied by $1.952, before exemptions, credits or special charges. These are assessed values, not sale prices: at 104.05% the $300,000 row is a property worth about $288,323. The last column is the difference from the same assessment at the $2.960 per $100 state median.
How Watchung compares in Somerset County and New Jersey
Among the 21 municipalities in Somerset County, Watchung ranks 12th highest; the county median is $2.081 per $100, so Watchung sits $0.130 per $100 below it. The next higher rate in the county is Rocky Hill at $2.081, and the next lower is Bridgewater Township at $1.902. Statewide, 20% of municipalities have a lower general tax rate than Watchung.
Outside Somerset County, the closest rates are Brigantine ($1.953, Atlantic), Wallington ($1.950, Bergen), Morris Township ($1.968, Morris), Hazlet Township ($1.933, Monmouth). 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 Watchung assessment
New Jersey appeals go to the Somerset County Board of Taxation. The petition is due April 1, or May 1 in a year when Watchung 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 104.05% ratio implied by the state's two rates, that range runs from about 88.44% to 119.66% of market value; the Director's official average ratio for Watchung, 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.
Watchung property tax questions
What is the property tax rate in Watchung, NJ?
Watchung's 2025 general tax rate is $1.952 per $100 of assessed value; its effective rate, on market value, is $2.031 per $100. Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation.
How much is the property tax on a $300,000 assessment in Watchung?
$300,000 ÷ 100 × $1.952 = $5,856.00 a year, before exemptions and credits. At the 2024 rate the same assessment owed $5,994.00.
Is Watchung's tax rate high for New Jersey?
It ranks 449th highest of 564, in the lowest quarter of New Jersey municipalities; the median is $2.960 per $100. On the effective rate, which allows for different assessment levels, it ranks 336th.
How do I appeal a Watchung 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.