The current property tax rate in Demarest, NJ is $1.805 per $100 of assessed value for 2025, certified by the New Jersey Division of Taxation.1New Jersey Department of the Treasury. 2025 General Tax Rates That rate fell sharply from the prior year’s $3.057 because the borough completed a full reassessment that pulled assessed values closer to current market prices. Even with the lower rate, the average Demarest homeowner paid roughly $26,112 in property taxes during 2025, one of the highest averages in Bergen County.2New Jersey Department of the Treasury. 2025 Average Residential Statistics
Why the Rate Dropped So Much
If your rate looks like it was cut nearly in half, the reassessment is the reason. Demarest reassessed every property in the borough using values as of October 1, 2024. When assessed values rise to meet market conditions, the tax rate falls proportionally, because the total amount the town needs to raise is now spread across a larger base of assessed value. Your actual dollar bill may not have changed much even though the rate on paper looks dramatically different.
The state also publishes an effective tax rate, which adjusts the general rate to approximate what it would be if every property were assessed at exactly 100 percent of market value. Demarest’s effective rate for 2025 was $1.924 per $100.1New Jersey Department of the Treasury. 2025 General Tax Rates Use the effective rate to compare tax burdens across towns. Use the general rate to calculate your own bill.
The 2026 rate has not yet been certified. New Jersey typically publishes new general tax rates by mid-year after municipal and school budgets are finalized.
How to Calculate Your Demarest Tax Bill
Divide your assessed value by 100, then multiply by the general tax rate. A home assessed at $750,000 under the 2025 rate of 1.805 owes $13,537.50 for the year before credits or deductions. The general rate itself is set by dividing the total amount the borough must raise across all taxing districts by the total assessed value of taxable property in town.3New Jersey Division of Taxation. General Property Tax Information
Your assessed value is printed on the Chapter 75 notice, a postcard the borough mails to every property owner on or before February 1 each year. Some residents call it the Green Card. It shows your current assessment, the prior year’s taxes, and appeal information. After the recent reassessment, your assessed value should be close to what your home would sell for. Over time, if the borough does not reassess again, a gap between assessed and market value will reopen.
When Property Taxes Are Due
New Jersey property taxes are billed quarterly, due February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. Demarest allows a 10-day grace period, so no interest accrues if payment arrives within 10 calendar days of the due date.4Justia. New Jersey Code 54:4-67 – Discount for Prepayment; Interest for Delinquencies; Notification; Exceptions Miss that window and interest is charged retroactively from the first of the month, not from the eleventh day.
You can pay by mail to the Tax Collector’s office, in person during business hours, or through the borough’s online portal. If your mortgage includes an escrow account, your lender pays the bill directly on your behalf.
What Happens if You Pay Late
Interest on delinquent taxes runs at 8 percent per year on the first $1,500 owed and 18 percent per year on anything above that. If total delinquency exceeds $10,000 and remains unpaid at the end of the fiscal year, the borough can add a penalty of up to 6 percent of the outstanding amount.4Justia. New Jersey Code 54:4-67 – Discount for Prepayment; Interest for Delinquencies; Notification; Exceptions
The larger risk is the tax lien sale. When property taxes stay unpaid through the end of the fiscal year, the tax collector is required to sell the lien at public auction in the following fiscal year.5Justia. New Jersey Revised Statutes Section 54:5-19 – Power of Sale A third-party investor or the municipality itself buys a tax sale certificate, which becomes a lien against your property. You can redeem the lien by paying the full debt plus interest and fees. If a private investor holds the certificate, you have two years before they can begin foreclosure. If the municipality holds it, the redemption window is six months. The end point of ignoring the bill is losing the home.
Appealing Your Assessment
The Demarest assessor sets the value of every parcel in the borough as of October 1 each year, based on recent sales, property characteristics, and improvements.6Justia. New Jersey Code 54:4-23 – Assessment of Real Property; Conditions for Reassessment If you think your number is too high, you can appeal to the Bergen County Board of Taxation. The deadline is April 1 in most years.7New Jersey Division of Taxation. Assessment and Appeals In a year when the municipality implements a revaluation or reassessment, the deadline extends to May 1.8New Jersey Division of Taxation. A Guide to Tax Appeal Hearings That later date applies to Demarest homeowners who received new assessed values from the October 2024 reassessment.
If your assessed value exceeds $750,000, you have the option of filing directly with the New Jersey Tax Court rather than the county board.9Bergen County, NJ. Tax Appeals Either way, the burden is on you to show the borough’s number is wrong. Comparable sales from your neighborhood are the strongest evidence. Come to the hearing with documentation, not just a sense that the bill feels high.
Relief Programs That Lower What You Pay
Several New Jersey programs reduce what Demarest homeowners actually owe. Missing a filing deadline forfeits that year’s benefit.
ANCHOR
The Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters program pays a direct benefit based on income and age. For the 2025 tax year, homeowners age 65 or older with gross income of $150,000 or less receive $1,750, and those age 65 or older earning between $150,001 and $250,000 receive $1,250. Homeowners under 65 receive $1,500 and $1,000 at those same income tiers. Incomes above $250,000 are not eligible.10NJ Division of Taxation. ANCHOR Program – How Benefits Are Calculated and Paid The filing deadline for the 2025 application year is November 2, 2026.11NJ Division of Taxation. Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR)
Senior Freeze
Senior Freeze reimburses eligible homeowners for property tax increases that occur after a base year. You generally must be 65 or older or receiving Social Security disability benefits, have lived in New Jersey for at least 10 consecutive years, and meet income limits. The program shares an application with ANCHOR, and the 2025 filing deadline is also November 2, 2026.12NJ Division of Taxation. Senior Freeze (Property Tax Reimbursement) You still pay the full bill up front; the state sends a check for the difference above your base-year amount.
Senior, Disabled, and Veteran Deductions
Homeowners age 65 or older, or those who are permanently disabled, can claim a $250 annual deduction. You must have been a New Jersey resident for at least one year and must own and occupy the home as of October 1 of the pretax year. An income ceiling applies.13NJ Division of Taxation. Property Tax Deduction for Senior Citizens/Disabled Persons Honorably discharged veterans and their surviving spouses qualify for a separate $250 annual deduction with no income limit. Both require a one-time application through the Demarest tax collector’s office.