Montclair, NJ property taxes rose about 7% for 2026. On the average home — assessed at $641,700 — the total municipal, county, and school tax bill went from roughly $22,562 in 2025 to about $24,166 in 2026, an increase of around $1,600. Enter your home’s assessed value in the calculator below to see your own estimated increase, a breakdown of where the money goes, and your actual payment schedule through May 2027.

This calculator is built from the official 2026 tax rates adopted by the Township of Montclair, Essex County, and the Montclair Board of Education, and verified line-by-line against a resident’s actual final 2026 tax bill.

Why Montclair property taxes went up in 2026

Montclair already carries the 13th-highest residential property tax burden of New Jersey’s 564 municipalities. For 2026, four separate budget decisions pushed the average bill higher — explained in detail by Township Manager Stephen Marks in his July letter to residents:

• School taxes (the biggest driver): The Board of Education’s budget raised the school tax levy to about $147.4 million including debt service — roughly +$847 for the average home. It’s the latest chapter in the district’s long-running budget crisis, which pushed the deficit to nearly $20 million before a $1 million surplus turnaround this summer.
• Municipal taxes: A $7.7 million township budget deficit, driven largely by a 36.5% jump in state health insurance premiums, led to a 2.97% increase in the municipal tax levy — roughly +$160 for the average home, even after 5% department-wide budget cuts.
• School Referendum (one-time): Voters approved a $12.6 million referendum in the March 2026 special election (Question No. 1). The Township spread the cost across 2026 and 2027 instead of billing it all at once — roughly +$558 for the average home this year, with a similar amount again in 2027 before it ends.
• County taxes: The one piece of good news — Essex County’s budget decreased, cutting the average home’s county tax by about $26.

For the mechanics of how these three budgets fit together — and how Lackawanna Plaza’s PILOT agreement and other redevelopment revenue factor in — see our interview with Stephen Marks on taxes, schools, and redevelopment.

What the “2027 Preliminary Tax” on your bill actually means

If you’ve opened your tax bill and seen a “2027 Preliminary Tax” line, it is not a forecast of next year’s rate. New Jersey law bills every property in two halves: the first half of a new year is automatically set at exactly half of the prior year’s final total, as a placeholder, until that year’s municipal, county, and school budgets are actually adopted — typically between April and July, the same cycle that set Montclair’s 2026 rate. There is no official 2027 tax rate yet. The calculator below shows your certain, near-term payments (Q3 2026 through Q2 2027) rather than guessing at a rate that hasn’t been set.

How to use this calculator

1. Find your home’s assessed value — not market value — on your tax bill, or use Montclair’s 2026 average ($641,700).
2. Enter it in the field below.
3. See your estimated 2025-to-2026 increase, broken down by county, municipal, school, library, and referendum taxes.
4. Scroll down for your actual payment schedule: Q3 and Q4 2026 (final) and Q1 and Q2 2027 (preliminary).

New Jersey property tax relief programs

Montclair residents may qualify for state relief through propertytaxrelief.nj.gov, including the Senior Freeze (Property Tax Reimbursement), ANCHOR (for homeowners and renters), and the newer Stay NJ senior tax credit.

Frequently asked questions

How much did Montclair property taxes go up in 2026? The average Montclair home saw its total property tax bill rise about 7%, or roughly $1,600, for 2026 — driven mostly by a school tax increase, with smaller increases from the municipal budget and a one-time voter-approved school referendum, partly offset by a decrease in county taxes.

Why is my Montclair property tax bill so much higher this quarter? Montclair’s 2026 budgets weren’t certified until mid-2026, so the town billed the first half of the year at the old 2025 rate as a placeholder, then billed the full-year increase into just the third and fourth quarter bills. That’s why Q3 and Q4 2026 payments are larger than a typical quarter.

Is the “2027 Preliminary Tax” on my bill an estimate of next year’s taxes? No. It’s a New Jersey statutory placeholder equal to exactly half of your 2026 final tax total, used until Montclair, Essex County, and the Board of Education adopt real 2027 budgets, likely in spring 2027.

Is Montclair’s property tax rate the highest in New Jersey? Not the highest, but close to it: Montclair has the 13th-highest residential property tax burden among New Jersey’s 564 municipalities, according to the Township Manager’s July 2026 letter to residents.

What is Montclair’s 2026 total property tax rate? Montclair’s combined 2026 tax rate is $3.766 per $100 of assessed value, up from $3.516 in 2025, covering county, county open space, municipal, library, school, and school referendum taxes.

Where can Montclair homeowners get help with rising property taxes? New Jersey offers several relief programs for eligible residents, including Senior Freeze, ANCHOR, and Stay NJ. Details and eligibility are at propertytaxrelief.nj.gov.

Could rising property taxes affect Montclair home values? It’s a question The Montclair Pod has been tracking alongside the school budget crisis — there’s no hard data yet showing a direct effect, but it’s a trend worth watching as carrying costs rise.

Related coverage on The Montclair Pod

• Montclair’s Plan for Taxes, Schools, and Redevelopment Projects
• Where Did the Money Go? Breaking Down Montclair’s School Budget Crisis
• Montclair School Board Approves 2026–27 Budget, Announces Fewer Layoffs Than Expected
• Will Montclair’s School Crisis Hit Home Values?
• 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Montclair’s 2025 Budget
• Montclair Council Approves 30-Year PILOT for Lackawanna Plaza
• 2026 Guide to Montclair, NJ