Method: four data layers, kept separate
Municipal history
The 2025 Average Residential Statistics supplies complete municipality-wide figures for the report year.
Current inventory
Active listings and recent closings need their own current search. A municipal statistic does not establish what is available now or the condition and terms of a specific property.
Parcel and financing
Verify the current parcel, recorded bill, assessment, insurance inputs and lender-provided payment and cash-to-close figures for each candidate.
Transportation
Check the intended origin, destination, day, departure, transfers, fare, parking and service notices through the operator's current tools.
The State's posted 2026 report was also checked. As of this review, its tax-bill and sales columns are incomplete, so the complete 2025 table is used rather than filling gaps with estimates.
An alphabetical Union County research set
These selected municipalities support an example of how to read the official table. Each amount is an average, not a median. The rows are alphabetical and do not score communities, current inventory or the suitability of a home.
| Municipality | Average tax bill | Reported residential sales | Average sales price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garwood | $11,725 | 14 | $703,055.57 |
| Linden | $9,832 | 327 | $556,332.91 |
| Rahway | $10,435 | 120 | $497,987.50 |
| Roselle | $11,229 | 187 | $482,843.58 |
| Roselle Park | $11,417 | 101 | $516,054.47 |
| Union | $10,849 | 390 | $560,510.13 |
A small sales count can make an average especially sensitive to the mix of properties recorded. Even a larger sample remains a historical municipal measure—not a quote for one home, a forecast or a substitute for comparable property research.
Read tax statistics without converting them into a listing claim
The Division of Taxation's definitions distinguish its General Tax Rate from its Effective Tax Rate. The State says the Effective Tax Rate is a statistical comparison and tells readers to not use it to calculate a property tax bill. Confirm the current recorded bill and assessment rather than multiplying a listing price by that statistic.
The Property Taxpayer Bill of Rights covers access to assessment information. The assessment-appeal guidance explains the proof required to challenge an assessment; it does not promise a change in tax burden.
Build an address-level affordability worksheet
- Use current property data: asking price, recent relevant sales, recorded taxes, assessment, association charges, insurance inputs and known condition documents.
- Use lender documents: compare actual financing offers and the lender's property-specific payment and cash-to-close estimates.
- Budget for condition without a generic allowance: use qualified inspections and quotes where appropriate rather than applying a universal repair figure.
- Test transportation: use NJ Transit's schedules and fares for the dates, times and stations that matter. Municipal sales data does not prove a trip.
- Record source dates: a listing, tax record, rate quote and service schedule can change on different timelines.
Keep community research objective
This guide does not score schools, protected-class composition or who belongs in a municipality. Buyers can identify their own priorities and use objective sources for property facts, transportation, public services and housing features. Jorge can provide current listings and transaction records without steering a buyer toward or away from a community.
Primary sources
- NJ Division of Taxation — Local Property Tax statistical data and definitions
- NJ Division of Taxation — 2025 Average Residential Statistics
- NJ Division of Taxation — 2026 Average Residential Statistics, checked for completeness
- NJ Division of Taxation — Property Taxpayer Bill of Rights
- NJ Division of Taxation — assessment appeals
- NJ Transit — schedules and fares
Turn the research into a current search
Jorge can help assemble current listings, comparable transactions and public property records for the locations a buyer selects.