The 30 N.J. towns paying the highest school tax bills

If you’ve been complaining that your property taxes keep going up, just know that you’re not alone.

New Jersey highest-in-the-nation property taxes check in at an average of $8,767, and school taxes account for about 52 percent of that.

Collectively, New Jersey property owners shell out more than $15 billion each year for their schools, which, despite the hefty price tag, rank among the nation’s best. The state’s average residential school tax bill checked in at $4,610 last year, according to state data.

But who pays the most?

The price tag for education is not evenly distributed across the state, and homeowners in many middle class towns fork over the largest share of their incomes to their public schools.

But the highest average bills are found in the wealthiest communities, where home values are extremely high and state aid for schools is especially low.

Below are the 30 New Jersey towns with the highest average school tax bills in 2018, along with the average total residential property tax bill in each town.

30. Allendale Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $9,653

Average total tax bill: $15,136

29. Cresskill Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $9,655

Average total tax bill: $16,722

28. Chatham Township

Morris County

Average school tax bill: $9,816

Average total tax bill: $14,740

27. Wyckoff Township

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $9,861

Average total tax bill: $14,020

26. Westfield Town

Union County

Average school tax bill: $9,927

Average total tax bill: $16,914

25. Closter Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $9,964

Average total tax bill: $15,565

24. Woodcliff Lake Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $10,032

Average total tax bill: $15,598

23. River Vale Township

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $10,138

Average total tax bill: $14,939

22. Essex Fells Township

Essex County

Average school tax bill: $10,238

Average total tax bill: $20,054

21. Chester Township

Morris County

Average school tax bill: $10,267

Average total tax bill: $15,602

school chalkboard

New Jersey's school funding formula calls for wealthier communities to cover a larger percentage of local school funding through property tax revenue. (Getty Images)EJA

20. Mendham Borough

Morris County

Average school tax bill: $10,269

Average total tax bill: $15,598

19. Colts Neck Township

Monmouth County

Average school tax bill: $10,289

Average total tax bill: $15,121

18. Kinnelon Borough

Morris County

Average school tax bill: $10,295

Average total tax bill: $14,763

17. South Orange Village

Essex County

Average school tax bill: $10,419

Average total tax bill: $18,354

16. Montgomery Township

Somerset County

Average school tax bill: $10,510

Average total tax bill: $15,112

15. Harrington Park Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $10,590

Average total tax bill: $15,262

14. Montclair Township

Essex County

Average school tax bill: $10,966

Average total tax bill: $19,370

13. Haworth Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $11,225

Average total tax bill: $17,780

12. Glen Rock Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $11,230

Average total tax bill: $16,253

11. Franklin Lakes Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $11,510

Average total tax bill: $17,264

Millburn High School gradauation 2017

School taxes account for about 47 percent of the total tax bill in Millburn Township. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media) for NJ.com)Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media

10. Millburn Township

Essex County

Average school tax bill: $11,531

Average total tax bill: $24,308

9. Ridgewood Village

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $11,753

Average total tax bill: $17,970

8. Rumson Borough

Monmouth County

Average school tax bill: $11,837

Average total tax bill: $20,602

7. Old Tappan Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $11,914

Average total tax bill: $16,726

6. Glen Ridge Borough

Essex County

Average school tax bill: $12,199

Average total tax bill: $20,209

5. Mendham Township

Morris County

Average school tax bill: $12,775

Average total tax bill: $19,195

4. Upper Saddle River Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $12,830

Average total tax bill: $18,421

3. Demarest Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $13,140

Average total tax bill: $19,797

2. Tenafly Borough

Bergen County

Average school tax bill: $13,477

Average total tax bill: $20,717

1. Mountain Lakes Borough

Morris County

Average school tax bill: $14,035

Average total tax bill: $20,417

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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