Ocean City NJ Property Taxes
The rate, what a typical bill looks like, when it's due, and how to appeal your assessment.
per $100 assessed
of market value
due dates
appeal deadline
How your Ocean City tax bill is figured
Your bill is your assessed value times the tax rate. A home assessed at $600,000 with the 2026 rate of 1.194 pays $7,164 a year ($600,000 ÷ 100 × 1.194).
It all comes on one bill. The school, county and city taxes are on the same property tax bill, so there's no separate school tax or county tax bill like some states have. Trash collection is included in your Ocean City property taxes too.
The assessment isn't the market value. Assessments haven't kept up with prices, and the state's 2026 figures put the average Ocean City assessment at 51.70% of market value. That's why the effective rate is so much lower than the rate on the bill. At its 2025 budget presentation, the city said a revaluation of its roughly 19,000 properties is coming, and in the best case new values would be on the books in 2028. When that happens, assessments move up toward market value and the rate comes down. Some bills go up and some go down.
Where the money goes
Here's how the 2026 rate breaks down.
| Levy | 2026 rate |
|---|---|
| Ocean City (municipal) | 0.586 |
| Cape May County | 0.310 |
| School district | 0.215 |
| Ocean City library | 0.064 |
| County open space | 0.019 |
| Total per $100 assessed | 1.194 |
Rates per $100 of assessed value, from the 2026 Abstract of Ratables for Cape May County. Ocean City's 2025 rate was 1.160.
What would the taxes be on a home you're looking at?
Type in a price for a rough estimate at Ocean City's 2026 effective rate of 0.616%. A specific home can be well above or below this, because the bill follows its assessment, not its price.
Most listings on this site show that home's actual annual taxes on the listing card. Use that number, not the estimate, once you're looking at a specific property.
What changes when you buy
Your bill is the seller's bill
Buying a home doesn't change its assessment. New Jersey's Supreme Court ruled in West Milford v. Van Decker that a town can't raise an assessment just because a property sold. The taxes on the listing are what you'll pay, until the next revaluation or the next rate change.
New construction and renovations
A new home or a big renovation gets an added assessment for the months it was finished that year. Those bills go out by late October and are due November 1. If you're buying new construction, plan for it. Ocean City also has a five-year tax abatement program for qualified property owners.
Taxes are split at closing
The seller pays for the days they owned the home and you pay from closing on. The title company settles the difference on the closing statement, whichever way it goes.
Second homes don't get the state credits
ANCHOR is for the home you live in, and Stay NJ requires living in the home for the full year. The city's $250 senior deduction has residency rules too. On a second home, budget for the full bill.
When Ocean City taxes are due
| Quarter | Due | Last day before interest |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | February 1 | February 10 |
| 2nd | May 1 | May 10 |
| 3rd | August 1 | August 10 |
| 4th | November 1 | November 10 |
Payment has to be received by the 10th; the city doesn't go by postmarks. When the 10th lands on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the next business day. After that, interest runs 8% on the first $1,500 that's late and 18% above that, plus a 6% year-end penalty on any balance over $10,000 still owed on December 31. A bill that never arrives doesn't stop the interest, so if you don't see one by August, call the tax office at 609-525-9379.
Bills go out once a year in July. One bill covers the last 2 quarters of this year and the first 2 quarters of next year, which are estimated from the year before. You can pay online with a bank account for free, by mail to City of Ocean City, P.O. Box 208, Ocean City, NJ 08226, at the drop box on the 9th Street side of City Hall, or in person at 861 Asbury Ave.
Appealing your Ocean City assessment
You can't appeal the tax rate. You can appeal the assessment, and you only win if the assessment is out of line with what the home was worth.
New Jersey measures that with a range. For 2026, Ocean City's average ratio is 51.70%, and the allowed range runs from 43.95% to 59.46%. Divide your assessment by your home's market value. If you land inside the range, the assessment stands even if it feels high.
- File by April 1May 1 in a year the city revalues. Appeals go to the Cape May County Board of Taxation, 4 Moore Road, Cape May Court House, 609-465-1030. Homes assessed over $1,000,000 can go straight to the New Jersey Tax Court instead.
- Bring 3 to 5 comparable salesSales of similar homes from before October 1 of the prior year, the date assessments are measured. The burden is on you to show the assessment is unreasonable.
- Keep paying your taxesThe appeal doesn't pause your bill. Pay on time while it's pending.
- Go to the hearingThe board notifies you of a hearing date. If you don't agree with the result, you can appeal to the Tax Court within 45 days of the board's judgment.
Added assessments on new construction or renovations have their own deadline, December 1.
Get recent sales near your property
Enter your email and the property address for a list of recent Ocean City sales comparable to your home, the evidence an appeal needs.
Ocean City property tax questions
How much are property taxes in Ocean City NJ?
Ocean City's 2026 tax rate is 1.194 per $100 of assessed value, and its effective rate is 0.616% of market value. That's about $6,160 a year on a $1 million home. A specific home's bill depends on its assessment, which most listings show as annual taxes.
When are Ocean City property taxes due?
February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1, and each payment covers the quarter it falls in. There's a 10-day grace period, and payment has to be received by the 10th, not postmarked.
Do property taxes go up when you buy a home in Ocean City?
No. New Jersey towns can't raise an assessment just because a home sold. You pay the same bill the seller did until the rate changes or the city revalues. New construction and big renovations are the exception, through added assessments.
How do I appeal my Ocean City tax assessment?
File with the Cape May County Board of Taxation by April 1, or May 1 in a revaluation year, with 3 to 5 comparable sales from before October 1 of the prior year. For 2026 the assessment stands if it's between 43.95% and 59.46% of market value.
When is Ocean City's next revaluation?
The city said in 2025 that a revaluation is coming, and in the best case new assessments would be on the books in 2028. Assessments would rise toward market value and the tax rate would fall, so some bills go up and some go down.
Does a second home in Ocean City qualify for ANCHOR or Stay NJ?
No. ANCHOR is for the home you live in as your main home, and Stay NJ requires living in the home for the full year. A second home pays the full bill.
Sources: 2026 Abstract of Ratables for Cape May County; New Jersey Division of Taxation 2025 general tax rates and 2026 Chapter 123 average ratios; City of Ocean City tax collection and tax assessment pages; Ocean City Sentinel, April 2, 2025, on the revaluation; New Jersey Division of Taxation appeal and relief program pages. Rates, ratios and deadlines change each year, so confirm them with the city or the county tax board. Adam D'Annunzio is a Broker Associate with Keller Williams Realty Jersey Shore, not an attorney, appraiser or tax advisor. Talk to a tax attorney or appraiser about an appeal.