Bloomfield Property Tax Revaluation: What Homeowners Need to Know

Update (Jul 22): According to the latest Essex County Board of Taxation status map, Bloomfield's property tax revaluation remains in the "ordered" status. The township has not yet publicly announced a timeline or contracted a revaluation firm. Nearby towns like Verona, Glen Ridge, and West Orange have already completed their revaluations, but Bloomfield is still in the early stages of the process. When fieldwork does begin, inspectors will visit properties to document condition, size, and features that affect assessed value. Township officials have not yet announced when the reval will move into the inspection phase. The revaluation is expected to target tax year 2028, meaning new assessed values would appear on bills starting that year.

Previous update (Jul 13): New Chapter 123 data from the NJ Division of Taxation confirms Bloomfield's current equalized valuation ratio for tax year 2026 is 63.56% meaning properties are assessed at roughly 64% of their true market value on average. The Common Level Range for tax appeals this year is 54.03% (lower) to 73.09% (upper). If your individual assessment-to-value ratio falls below the 63.56% average, you're more likely to see a tax increase once the revaluation is complete.

Bloomfield homeowners should know that a property tax revaluation has been ordered by the Essex County Board of Taxation. While the township is required to complete it, no inspections have begun yet and a revaluation firm has not been contracted. When fieldwork does start, new assessed values will eventually be issued based on current market conditions. If you own property in Bloomfield - or you're thinking about buying here - understanding what this means for your tax bill is important.

What is a property tax revaluation?

A revaluation (sometimes called a "reval") is when a municipality updates the assessed value of every property in town to bring those values in line with current market values. In New Jersey, towns are supposed to do this periodically, but many go years or even decades without one. When that gap gets too wide, the county board of taxation can order a town to revalue.

The goal is fairness – making sure every homeowner is paying their proportionate share based on what their property is actually worth today, not what it was assessed at years ago.

What's happening in Bloomfield right now?

Bloomfield's revaluation is currently listed as "ordered" by the Essex County Board of Taxation, but the township has not yet started fieldwork. Here's what that means:

The revaluation has been officially ordered - this isn't optional. The township is required to complete it, but it has not yet contracted a revaluation firm or begun property inspections.
No inspections have taken place yet - unlike earlier reports, the reval has not moved into the data-gathering phase. Inspectors will visit properties to document condition, size, and features once a firm is contracted.
New assessments have not yet been issued - and likely won't be for some time, as the process is just beginning.
The revaluation targets tax year 2028 - meaning the new assessed values could appear on tax bills starting with that year.

Bloomfield is part of a "second tier" of Essex County municipalities (alongside Newark, Belleville, and others) that received reval orders confirmed in late 2025 but are still in the very early stages. By contrast, nearby towns like Verona, Glen Ridge, and West Orange have already completed their revaluations. This means Bloomfield homeowners have time to prepare and understand their options before new assessments arrive.

What does this mean for your tax bill?

Here's the part that confuses a lot of people: a revaluation doesn't automatically mean your taxes go up. The total amount of tax revenue the township collects is driven by the municipal budget, school budget, county taxes, and other levies – not by individual assessments. What a reval does is redistribute that total tax burden based on updated property values.

In practical terms:

Some homeowners will see increases. If your property's market value has risen faster than the townwide average since the last assessment, your share of the total tax burden could increase.
Some homeowners will see decreases. If your property hasn't appreciated as much as the average, your share could go down.
Most assessments will change significantly. When a town goes years without a reval, assessed values tend to drift far from market reality. A reval corrects that – sometimes dramatically.

The tax rate per $100 of assessed value will likely decrease after the reval, because assessed values will be higher overall. But the important number is your actual tax bill – not the rate.

What are your options if your new assessment is too high?

New Jersey gives every property owner the right to file a tax appeal if they believe their assessment doesn't reflect their property's true market value. Here's the basic process:

Compare your assessment to recent sales. Look at what similar homes in your immediate neighborhood have sold for. If your assessed value is higher than recent comparable sales, you may have grounds for an appeal.
File with the Board of Tax Appeals. There are specific deadlines – for revaluation years, the filing deadline is typically May 1 of the year the reval goes into effect.
Gather supporting evidence. A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) showing comparable sales is one of the strongest tools for a tax appeal. Formal appraisals also support your case.
Attend the hearing. You or your representative present evidence to the local board. If the local board doesn't resolve it, you can escalate to the Essex County Board of Taxation.

How I can help

I've helped clients navigate tax reassessments before – including pulling comparable sales data to support successful appeals. Once the new assessments are issued in Bloomfield, I'll be helping homeowners understand how their numbers compare to the market and whether an appeal makes sense.

In the meantime, if you're curious about what your home is worth in today's market, I'm happy to put together a no-obligation market analysis. Knowing your home's current value is the first step in understanding where your new assessment might land.

What buyers should know

If you're considering buying in Bloomfield, a revaluation in progress is worth factoring into your decision. The property taxes you see on a listing may not reflect what you'll actually pay once new assessments are issued. That could work in your favor – or it could mean a higher tax bill than you expected.

The best approach is to work with someone who understands the local market and can help you project what your tax burden might look like after the reval. I'm always happy to walk through those numbers with you.

The bottom line

Bloomfield's property tax revaluation is in progress, and it will eventually affect every homeowner in the township. While the new assessments won't hit tax bills until 2028, the data being gathered now is what determines those numbers. Homeowners who stay informed about their property's market value – and who understand their appeal rights – will be in the best position when the new assessments arrive.

If you have questions about your property's value, the revaluation process, or what this means for a specific home you're considering, I'm here. No pressure – just honest information to help you plan ahead.