Method and date boundary
Data used
The 2025 Average Residential Statistics report includes complete average assessment, average tax bill, residential-sales count and average sales-price columns.
Newer file checked
The State also posts a 2026 report. At this review date, its tax-bill and sales fields are not complete, so it is not substituted for the complete 2025 comparison.
What each figure means
Each number below is a municipal average, not a median. It describes the report's data year and does not describe a current listing, a particular neighborhood or the condition of one home.
Selection and order
The six Union County municipalities are shown alphabetically as a research set. The table is not a score, endorsement, commute comparison or prediction.
Selected Union County municipal statistics
| 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 |
The sale count matters: an average based on fewer reported transactions can shift with the mix of properties sold. The table does not establish a current asking price, market value, available inventory or future tax bill.
Do not calculate the bill from the Effective Tax Rate
The State's Local Property Tax statistics page distinguishes the General Tax Rate from the Effective Tax Rate. Its definition says the Effective Tax Rate is a statistical comparison and instructs readers to not use it to calculate a property tax bill. For the calculation described by the State, the general rate is applied to assessed value; the actual current record still needs to be checked.
Do not apply a municipal average bill to a listing price. Assessment history, exemptions, added assessments, improvements, appeals and local record timing can make the property-specific picture different.
A property-specific verification sequence
- Identify the parcel. Match the address, block and lot in the municipal or county record rather than relying on a portal summary.
- Read the current record. Confirm assessed value, the recorded bill, payment status and the data date with the responsible public office.
- Ask about changes. Determine whether a reassessment, added assessment, exemption, appeal, subdivision or recent improvement may affect the record.
- Keep market value separate. An assessment, a municipal average sales price, a current asking price and a lender's appraisal answer different questions.
- Use current financing inputs. Ask the lender how taxes are reflected in the property-specific estimate and escrow assumptions.
The State's Property Taxpayer Bill of Rights describes access to assessment records. Its assessment-appeal page explains that an appeal challenges the assessment and that the taxpayer carries the burden of proof. A marketing guide cannot predict an appeal result or future bill.
Verify a commute separately
A municipal tax table does not prove a commute. Check the intended origin, station or bus stop, destination, departure date, transfer, fare, parking and service notice through NJ Transit's current schedules and fares. Repeat that check for the days and times that matter to the household.
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 — current schedules and fares
Build a property-specific cost worksheet
Jorge can help identify current property records and relevant comparable sales. Your lender, tax professional and attorney can address the parts within their respective roles.