Scotch Plains, Fanwood Property Taxes Among Highest in State

Recently released state data confirms what most of us already knew: Scotch Plains and Fanwood have some of the highest property taxes in New Jersey.

Scotch Plains ranked 72nd out of New Jersey's 566 municipalities in 2009, with the average township resident paying $10,598. That's up from $10,371 in 2008. After the NJ Saver Rebate, taxpayers paid an average of $9,254 in 2009.

Scotch Plains has seen a 75.9 percent increase since 1999, when the average property tax payment was $6,024.

Fanwood ranked 96th in the state, with the average borough taxpayer paying $9,744, up from $9,156 in 2008. Residents paid on average $8,306 after the NJ Saver Rebate in 2009.

Fanwood has seen an 82.3 percent increase since a decade ago, when the average property tax payment was $5,344.

Our two towns were also in the top five out of Union County's 21 municipalities. Summit, New Providence, and Westfield led the pack, with average property taxes of $14,629, $12,762, and $11,056 respectively. Scotch Plains came in 4th and Fanwood fifth.

Berkeley Heights, Springfield, Cranford, Mountainside and Roselle rounded out the top ten.

Which New Jersey residents were hit the hardest in 2009? That would be the people of Millburn, which ranked No. 1 in the state with an average property tax bill of $19,097.

The lowest on the list? That would be teeny-tiny Walpack in Sussex County. The residents there paid an average of $490 in 2009.

Overall in New Jersey, the average residential property tax bill was $7,281 in 2009, up from $7,045 in 2008.

The data is compiled each year by the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs. To view the information, go here.