AARP Helps Pass Property Tax Relief for Older New Jersey Residents

En español | Older adults in New Jersey will soon see lower property tax bills thanks to AARP-backed legislation signed by Gov. Phil Murphy.

Garden State residents pay the highest property taxes in the nation, with an average tax bill of $9,500. The legislation, which Murphy signed into law June 30, will give residents 65 and older a 50 percent credit on their property taxes, up to $6,500, starting in 2026. Homeowners with incomes less than $500,000 are eligible.

The law also immediately expands two property tax relief programs for older, lower-income homeowners and renters. An additional 58,000 older or disabled residents will be eligible for New Jersey’s Senior Freeze under the bill. And the legislation raises the maximum rebate for eligible seniors under the state’s ANCHOR program to $1,750 for homeowners and $700 for renters.

AARP fought hard for the tax breaks, an effort that is part of our work to help older adults remain in their homes and communities as they age. Though 77 percent of state residents 50 and older want to age in place, many are unable to afford it, AARP New Jersey Advocacy Director Evelyn Liebman told lawmakers in June.

Liebman cited an AARP survey showing more than 40 percent of older New Jerseyans have considered leaving the state, in part because they are searching for lower taxes.

“AARP’s mission is to empower people to choose how they live as they age, and an important part of choosing how we live is being able to choose where we live,” she said in a statement.

AARP has successfully lobbied for tax relief for older and lower-income adults in several states this year. We helped cut the grocery tax in half in Alabama, and our advocacy helped pass measures to reduce the state Social Security tax in Minnesota and eliminate it in Missouri.

Keep up with our advocacy work in New Jersey, and learn more about taxes in the Garden State.