Melissa Maiorelli, Nancy Chu Homes at Keller Williams NJ Metro Group
The short answer
Probably close, at least at first. In New Jersey, buying a house doesn't reset its assessment, so your first Bloomfield tax bill is figured the same way the seller's was. But three things can make your bill different from the number on the listing, and a bigger change is on the calendar for 2028.
I'm Melissa Maiorelli, a Real Estate Salesperson with Nancy Chu Homes at Keller Williams NJ Metro Group. Before real estate, I spent eight years in public and private accounting. So when a buyer asks me about taxes, I do what accountants do. I do the math. Here's the math for Bloomfield.
How your Bloomfield tax bill is figured
Your bill comes from two numbers. First, the assessed value the town puts on the house. Next, the tax rate, which combines the town, school, and county budgets. Multiply them and you have your yearly bill.
Here's the average Bloomfield home, using the latest full year of state data. In 2025, the average home was assessed at $354,872, and the average bill was $12,379 before credits and deductions (Patch).
Divide by 12 and that's about $1,032 a month, on top of your mortgage. Notice what's missing from that math: the price you paid. Your assessment and your purchase price are two different numbers, and in Bloomfield right now they can be pretty far apart. More on that below.
Reason 1: the tax rate changes every year
New Jersey property taxes are paid in four installments: February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1 (NJ law). The February and May bills are preliminary, based on last year's numbers. Once the county tax board certifies the new rate, the second half of the year catches up. When a rate is late, the town can send an estimated bill and settle up on a later one (NJ Division of Local Government Services).
That's why the tax number on a listing can easily be last year's number. Bloomfield's 2026 budget wasn't approved until July 28, and it raised the municipal tax levy 12.1%. For an average home assessed at $355,263, that's $589 more a year on the municipal part of the bill alone (Patch). The school budget added a 4.97% levy increase, about $79 more for every $100,000 of assessed value.
Let's do the math on that average home:
Municipal: $589 a year
School: $79 x 3.55 (for $355,263 of assessed value) = about $281 a year
Together: about $870 a year, or about $72 a month
That's before any change in the county portion. It won't sink anyone. But if you budgeted off last year's bill, it's $72 a month you didn't plan for.
Reason 2: the seller's deductions stay with the seller
Some New Jersey tax breaks belong to the owner, not the house. The state offers a deduction of up to $250 a year for qualifying homeowners 65 or older or disabled, and a separate deduction of up to $250 for qualified veterans. Certain totally and permanently disabled veterans get a full exemption on their home (NJ Division of Taxation).
If the seller had one of these, the bill on the listing is lower than the one you'll get. A $250 deduction is about $21 a month. A full exemption means the listing may show little or no tax at all, and your bill will be the whole amount.
None of these carry over to you automatically. If you think you qualify, you apply through the town, and the Bloomfield Tax Assessor's Office can walk you through it.
Reason 3: renovations can raise the assessment
Your assessment is based on how the house stood on October 1 of the year before the tax year. That date is separate from when the bills come out. When improvements are finished after it, the town can add an "added assessment" for the new value. Bloomfield has even defended one in Tax Court (Otelsberg v. Bloomfield Township).
Building permits are one of the main ways assessors find new value, and the state tells assessors to work closely with the building department to keep track of them (NJ Division of Taxation, Assessor's Handbook). Finishing a basement or an attic, putting on an addition, building a deck, or redoing a kitchen or bathroom all add value, and the assessment follows the value.
So if the seller just finished a permitted project, the bill on the listing may not include it yet. The same goes for you. Planning to finish the basement after you move in? Build the tax bump into your budget along with the construction cost.
The big one: Bloomfield's 2028 revaluation
This is the part almost nobody talks about. Bloomfield's assessments have fallen well behind what homes actually sell for, and a town-wide revaluation is scheduled to fix that.
Every year, the state compares sale prices with assessments. In 2026, Bloomfield's assessments averaged 63.56% of what the state estimates the homes are worth. In 2022, that number was 96.64% (NJ Division of Taxation, 2026; 2022). Home prices went up. Assessments mostly stayed put.
When a town drifts that far, the county orders a revaluation, and every property gets a new assessment closer to market value. Essex County Board of Taxation records list Bloomfield's revaluation for 2028 (June 2025 minutes). The township hasn't announced its own schedule yet, so that year could still move. The last one was done in 2019 (Bloomfield Township).
Here's what surprises people. A revaluation doesn't raise the total the town collects (Patch). When assessments go up across town, the rate comes down. What changes is each home's share:
If your home's value grew faster than the town average, your bill can go up.
If it grew slower, your bill can go down.
Nobody can tell you yet which way it goes for a specific house, including me. What I can tell you: if you buy in Bloomfield in the next year or two, don't treat the seller's bill as your bill for the next 30 years. Leave some room in your budget in case it moves.
What I do for my buyers
Before any of my buyers makes an offer, we look at the tax picture on that specific house, not the town average, and talk through what it means for the monthly payment. That's the accountant in me. I'd rather you know the real number now than meet it for the first time on your first bill.
One honest note: this isn't tax advice. I'm showing you how the math works. For anything specific to you, like whether you qualify for a deduction or whether to appeal an assessment, talk to the Bloomfield Tax Assessor's Office or a tax professional.
Quick questions
Does buying a house in New Jersey raise its property taxes?
Not by itself. Reassessing a house just because it sold is called spot assessing, and it's illegal in New Jersey (NJ Tax Court opinion). Rate changes, renovations, and revaluations are what move the bill.
When is Bloomfield's next revaluation?
County tax board records list it for 2028. Bloomfield usually goes through one about every 10 years, and the last was in 2019 (Bloomfield Township). The township hasn't announced its own timeline yet.
Why did Bloomfield's taxes go up so much in 2026?
Township officials pointed to cost increases outside the township's control (Patch). The municipal portion is about 38% of the total bill. Schools and the county make up the rest.
Where do I find a Bloomfield home's current assessment?
Assessments are public record. Ask your agent to pull it, or contact the Bloomfield Tax Assessor's Office at Town Hall.
Thinking about buying in Bloomfield?
If there's a house you're eyeing and you want to know what it will really cost you each month, taxes included, let's look at it together. Grab a time on my calendar: https://calendar.app.google/9TRZYWVxnjfrWgUt5, or call or text me at 908-347-0639.
KELLER WILLIAMS NJ Metro Group
Melissa Maiorelli, Real Estate Salesperson
NJ Real Estate License #2330325
Cell 908-347-0639 · Office 973-783-7400
Each office is independently owned and operated.
Sources
NJ Division of Taxation: Essex County Final Equalization Table, 2026
NJ Division of Taxation: Essex County Final Equalization Table, 2022
Essex County Board of Taxation: meeting minutes, June 5, 2025
NJ Division of Taxation: Assessor's Handbook, Chapter 7 (added assessments)
NJ Division of Local Government Services: guide to estimated tax bills
NJ Tax Court: Otelsberg v. Bloomfield Township (added assessment)
