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2025 general tax rate · Mercer County, NJ
Hightstown property tax rate
Hightstown's 2025 general tax rate is $5.109 per $100 of assessed value. A property assessed at $300,000 owes $15,327.00 for the year. That ranks 49th highest of New Jersey's 564 municipalities, among the highest tenth, $2.150 per $100 above the $2.960 per $100 state median.
- 1General tax rate $5.109 per $100
- 2Bill on $300,000 assessed $15,327.00
Your Hightstown tax bill
The bill before exemptions and credits. Compare every New Jersey rate.
General rate and effective rate in Hightstown
New Jersey publishes two rates for every municipality. The general tax rate, $5.109 per $100 in Hightstown, is the one applied to the assessed value on the bill: $300,000 assessed owes $15,327.00. The effective tax rate, $3.028 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 Hightstown's assessments at about 59.27% 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 Hightstown ranks 34th of 564, against 49th on the general rate, and sits $0.890 above the $2.140 median effective rate. At 59.27%, a $300,000 assessment corresponds to roughly $506,158 of market value.
Hightstown's rate in 2024 and 2025
The general tax rate rose $0.210 per $100 (4.2%) from $4.903 per $100 in 2024, and the same $300,000 assessment owes $618.00 more than at last year's rate. In 2024 Hightstown ranked 50th. The effective rate went from $3.331 to $3.028 per $100 (down 9.1%), and the implied ratio from 67.94% to 59.27%: market values rose faster than assessments.
Tax on common assessed values in Hightstown
| Assessed value | 2025 bill | At the 2024 rate | Versus NJ median rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $10,218.00 | $9,806.00 | +$4,298.00 |
| $300,000 | $15,327.00 | $14,709.00 | +$6,447.00 |
| $400,000 | $20,436.00 | $19,612.00 | +$8,596.00 |
| $500,000 | $25,545.00 | $24,515.00 | +$10,745.00 |
| $750,000 | $38,317.50 | $36,772.50 | +$16,117.50 |
Each bill is the assessed value divided by 100 and multiplied by $5.109, before exemptions, credits or special charges. These are assessed values, not sale prices: at 59.27% the $300,000 row is a property worth about $506,158. The last column is the difference from the same assessment at the $2.960 per $100 state median.
How Hightstown compares in Mercer County and New Jersey
Among the 12 municipalities in Mercer County, Hightstown ranks 2nd highest; the county median is $3.490 per $100, so Hightstown sits $1.620 per $100 above it. The next higher rate in the county is Trenton at $5.890, and the next lower is Ewing Township at $4.051. Statewide, 91% of municipalities have a lower general tax rate than Hightstown.
Outside Mercer County, the closest rates are Hamburg ($5.135, Sussex), Pennsville Township ($5.199, Salem), Stratford ($5.001, Camden), Barrington ($4.999, Camden). 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 Hightstown assessment
New Jersey appeals go to the Mercer County Board of Taxation. The petition is due April 1, or May 1 in a year when Hightstown 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 59.27% ratio implied by the state's two rates, that range runs from about 50.38% to 68.16% of market value; the Director's official average ratio for Hightstown, 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.
Hightstown property tax questions
What is the property tax rate in Hightstown, NJ?
Hightstown's 2025 general tax rate is $5.109 per $100 of assessed value; its effective rate, on market value, is $3.028 per $100. Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation.
How much is the property tax on a $300,000 assessment in Hightstown?
$300,000 ÷ 100 × $5.109 = $15,327.00 a year, before exemptions and credits. At the 2024 rate the same assessment owed $14,709.00.
Is Hightstown's tax rate high for New Jersey?
It ranks 49th highest of 564, among the highest tenth of New Jersey municipalities; the median is $2.960 per $100. On the effective rate, which allows for different assessment levels, it ranks 34th.
How do I appeal a Hightstown 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.