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2025 general tax rate · Monmouth County, NJ
Highlands property tax rate
Highlands's 2025 general tax rate is $1.710 per $100 of assessed value. A property assessed at $300,000 owes $5,130.00 for the year. That ranks 486th highest of New Jersey's 564 municipalities, in the lowest quarter, $1.250 per $100 below the $2.960 per $100 state median.
- 1General tax rate $1.710 per $100
- 2Bill on $300,000 assessed $5,130.00
Your Highlands tax bill
The bill before exemptions and credits. Compare every New Jersey rate.
General rate and effective rate in Highlands
New Jersey publishes two rates for every municipality. The general tax rate, $1.710 per $100 in Highlands, is the one applied to the assessed value on the bill: $300,000 assessed owes $5,130.00. The effective tax rate, $1.935 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 Highlands's assessments at about 113.16% 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 Highlands ranks 378th of 564, against 486th on the general rate, and sits $0.210 below the $2.140 median effective rate. At 113.16%, a $300,000 assessment corresponds to roughly $265,111 of market value.
Highlands's rate in 2024 and 2025
The general tax rate fell $0.270 per $100 (13.64%) from $1.980 per $100 in 2024, and the same $300,000 assessment owes $810.00 less than at last year's rate. In 2024 Highlands ranked 448th. The effective rate went from $2.113 to $1.935 per $100 (down 8.42%), and the implied ratio from 106.72% to 113.16%.
Tax on common assessed values in Highlands
| Assessed value | 2025 bill | At the 2024 rate | Versus NJ median rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $3,420.00 | $3,960.00 | −$2,500.00 |
| $300,000 | $5,130.00 | $5,940.00 | −$3,750.00 |
| $400,000 | $6,840.00 | $7,920.00 | −$5,000.00 |
| $500,000 | $8,550.00 | $9,900.00 | −$6,250.00 |
| $750,000 | $12,825.00 | $14,850.00 | −$9,375.00 |
Each bill is the assessed value divided by 100 and multiplied by $1.710, before exemptions, credits or special charges. These are assessed values, not sale prices: at 113.16% the $300,000 row is a property worth about $265,111. The last column is the difference from the same assessment at the $2.960 per $100 state median.
How Highlands compares in Monmouth County and New Jersey
Among the 53 municipalities in Monmouth County, Highlands ranks 22nd highest; the county median is $1.614 per $100, so Highlands sits $0.100 per $100 above it. The next higher rate in the county is Farmingdale at $1.725, and the next lower is Freehold Township at $1.673. Statewide, 13% of municipalities have a lower general tax rate than Highlands.
Outside Monmouth County, the closest rates are Branchburg Township ($1.709, Somerset), Woodbine ($1.712, Cape May), Carlstadt ($1.705, Bergen), Chatham Borough ($1.701, Morris). 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 Highlands assessment
New Jersey appeals go to the Monmouth County Board of Taxation. Monmouth County is one of the three counties on the alternative calendar, so the petition deadline is January 15 (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 113.16% ratio implied by the state's two rates, that range runs from about 96.19% to 130.13% of market value; the Director's official average ratio for Highlands, 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.
Highlands property tax questions
What is the property tax rate in Highlands, NJ?
Highlands's 2025 general tax rate is $1.710 per $100 of assessed value; its effective rate, on market value, is $1.935 per $100. Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation.
How much is the property tax on a $300,000 assessment in Highlands?
$300,000 ÷ 100 × $1.710 = $5,130.00 a year, before exemptions and credits. At the 2024 rate the same assessment owed $5,940.00.
Is Highlands's tax rate high for New Jersey?
It ranks 486th 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 378th.
How do I appeal a Highlands property assessment?
Petition to the County Board of Taxation: by January 15 (Monmouth County uses the January 15 calendar) (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.