A general tax rate of $0.923 per $100. An effective rate of 0.710% — the fifth-lowest of all 53 Monmouth County municipalities. A 2024 average bill of $11,326 on a borough of 1,933 residents. A Walsh Act commission government on the southern Monmouth shore. And a high school placement lottery that sends 62.5 percent of Avon students to Manasquan and 37.5 percent to Asbury Park — the most distinctive sending-district arrangement in the county.
Avon-by-the-Sea Borough sits on the southern Monmouth County shore between Belmar to the north (via the Shark River draw bridge) and Bradley Beach to the south, with Sylvan Lake forming the northern border and Shark River the southern boundary. The Atlantic Ocean defines the eastern edge. Incorporated March 23, 1900 and named after Avon, England, the borough occupies a 0.54-square-mile footprint — 0.42 square miles of land and 0.12 square miles of water (21.30 percent of total area). The 2020 Census recorded 1,933 residents, with a population density of 4,542.3 per square mile placing Avon 13th of 53 in Monmouth County by density. Mayor Edward Bonanno (term ends December 31, 2027) leads a Walsh Act commission government with Administrator Kerry McGuigan and Municipal Clerk Anna Bongiorno.
The tax math is structurally distinctive in three ways. First: Avon’s 2025 effective tax rate of 0.710% is the fifth-lowest in Monmouth County, certified by the NJ Treasury 2025 General Tax Rates Table — below every Monmouth municipality except Loch Arbour (0.412%), Deal (0.435%), Spring Lake (0.444%), and Allenhurst (0.528%). Second: the Avon School District (NJDOE code 0180) operates a small in-borough PreK-8 school at 505 Lincoln Avenue serving just 119 students with an exceptional 6.4:1 student-teacher ratio, then sends high schoolers to one of two downstream public high schools via a lottery-based assignment system. Third: median home prices have run over $1.5 million in 2026 sales data per Redfin, with the 2010 Forbes ranking placing Avon at 232nd on its "America’s Most Expensive ZIP Codes" list at a then-median of $989,212 — a figure that has since materially appreciated through the 2020s Shore market cycle.
The 2025-26 Avon School District budget cycle will be the first complete cycle reflecting the post-2025 reassessment baseline. Watch the spring 2026 Avon Board of Education hearings for the trajectory of per-pupil tuition costs to Manasquan HS and Asbury Park HS — the two downstream destinations under the lottery-based assignment policy. The Asbury Park HS direction faces particular budget pressure given the New Jersey Department of Education year-end review projecting a $13 million shortfall in the Asbury Park district’s next budget cycle. The downstream funding dynamic is the primary 2026 variable for Avon taxpayers.
A drone tour of Avon-by-the-Sea from Prodigy Real Estate — the Victorian shore borough on the southern Monmouth coast, the Avon Pavilion and elevated boardwalk, Sylvan Lake and Shark River frontage, and the luxury inventory behind the fifth-lowest effective tax rate in Monmouth County.
The Avon-by-the-Sea Tax Snapshot
Numbers below from the NJ Treasury 2025 General Tax Rates Table, the Monmouth County 2025 County Equalization Table, the NJ DCA MOD-IV 2024 Average Residential Tax Report, and the NJ Department of Education 2025-26 budget reports for the Avon School District.
Avon-by-the-Sea is among the most favorable tax-rate municipalities on the southern Monmouth shore. The 0.710 percent effective rate is roughly one-third of the New Jersey statewide median (1.89%) and meaningfully below neighboring Belmar (0.955%) and Bradley Beach (0.915%). The trade-off is the lottery-based high school assignment, which families with high-schoolers should understand before buying: 62.5 percent of Avon students go to Manasquan HS, 37.5 percent to Asbury Park HS, with assignment determined by a school district lottery rather than parental selection. For buyers prioritizing a Victorian shore aesthetic with favorable tax math and a small K-8 program with an exceptional 6.4:1 student-teacher ratio, Avon delivers a structural value proposition that few competing shore boroughs match.
“Avon is the structural sleeper on the southern Monmouth shore. Most buyers fixate on Spring Lake or Sea Girt for the low-tax beach play, but Avon’s 0.710 percent effective rate is meaningfully lower than either — and the Victorian inventory is some of the most distinctive on the Shore. The high school lottery is the variable. Families with kids need to understand it before they make an offer. Once they do, the math becomes clear: Avon offers low-tax Shore living at a real discount to the more famous boroughs to the south.”
How Avon Compares: The Southern Shore Cluster
Avon-by-the-Sea anchors a cluster of southern Monmouth shore boroughs — Belmar to the north, Bradley Beach to the south, and the Manasquan HS sending-district group covering Brielle, Lake Como, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, and Spring Lake Heights. These southern shore municipalities all share the Atlantic geography and similar Victorian-and-modern coastal inventory, but the tax math diverges meaningfully:
| Southern Shore (2025) | Avon | Belmar | Bradley Bch | Spring Lake | Sea Girt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 General Rate | $0.923 | $1.570 | $0.885 | $0.457 | $0.499 |
| 2025 Effective Rate | 0.710% | 0.955% | 0.915% | 0.444% | 0.520% |
| 2024 Avg Bill | $11,326 | $8,944 | $9,590 | $15,257 | $15,428 |
| K-8 Structure | Own K-8 (119 students) | Own K-8 | Own K-8 | Own K-8 | Own K-8 |
| High School | Lottery (Manasquan/Asbury) | Manasquan HS | Asbury Park HS | Manasquan HS | Manasquan HS |
| Government | Walsh Act | Faulkner Act | Borough Council | Borough Council | Borough Council |
Avon sits in a structural middle position on the southern Monmouth shore. Lower effective rate than the immediately adjacent boroughs (Belmar 0.955%, Bradley Beach 0.915%), but higher than the prestige shore boroughs to the south (Spring Lake 0.444%, Sea Girt 0.520%). The absolute average bill ($11,326) is between Bradley Beach’s $9,590 and Spring Lake’s $15,257 — reflecting Avon’s premium Victorian inventory at a meaningful discount to the more famous shore boroughs. For the Spring Lake low-effective-rate parallel, see our Spring Lake NJ Property Taxes 2026 deep dive. For broader Belmar market context, see our Belmar three-markets pillar guide.
The Avon High School Lottery: 62.5% to Manasquan, 37.5% to Asbury Park
Avon-by-the-Sea operates the most structurally distinctive high school placement system in Monmouth County. Under Avon Board of Education Policy 5411, resident high school students are assigned to either Manasquan High School or Asbury Park High School via a lottery-based process — with 62.5 percent of students assigned to Manasquan HS and 37.5 percent assigned to Asbury Park HS. This is the only Monmouth municipality with a two-destination split lottery for high school placement.
| Avon HS Lottery Comparison | Manasquan HS | Asbury Park HS |
|---|---|---|
| Lottery Allocation | 62.5% of Avon students | 37.5% of Avon students |
| 2023-24 Enrollment | 945 students | 370 students |
| Student-Teacher Ratio | 11.6:1 | approx. 10.3:1 |
| District Status | Regional sending HS for 7 boroughs | Asbury Park city schools |
| AP / IB Programming | 11 AP courses + 12 IB classes | AP programming |
| Athletics Conference | Shore Conference (Warriors) | Shore Conference (Bishops) |
| 2024 NJDOE Status | Stable enrollment | Faces $13M shortfall projected |
Three structural takeaways. First: Manasquan HS is the more sought-after destination for Avon families, given its larger enrollment, expansive AP and IB programming (11 AP courses and 12 IB classes), and stable regional sending-district economics. Asbury Park HS faces meaningful structural pressure from the projected $13 million district budget shortfall reported by The Coaster in December 2024. Second: the lottery system means families cannot guarantee their high schooler will attend Manasquan — a 37.5 percent probability of Asbury Park placement is a real consideration for buyers. Third: the per-pupil tuition Avon pays to each downstream district flows through the Avon School District budget, so any Asbury Park HS budget pressure has downstream effects on Avon taxpayers regardless of which high school any individual Avon student attends.
“The Avon high school lottery is one of the most underappreciated buyer-side considerations in Monmouth County. It’s not just an academic placement variable — it shapes the entire family experience, the daily commute, the social network, the extracurricular options. Buyers with elementary-age kids should understand they may end up at either Manasquan or Asbury Park HS. Buyers with eighth graders should verify the upcoming lottery placement before making an offer. The math otherwise is genuinely favorable; the placement system is a real factor families need to plan around.”
How Your Avon Tax Bill Is Built
An Avon-by-the-Sea property tax bill combines five independently authorized levies summing to the $0.923 general rate certified for 2025:
Avon-by-the-Sea Borough Municipal Levy. Funds Borough government — the three-member Board of Commissioners under the Walsh Act, Mayor Edward Bonanno, Administrator Kerry McGuigan, Municipal Clerk Anna Bongiorno, the Borough Office at 301 Main Street, public works, recreation including the Avon Pavilion at the boardwalk, and the borough’s elevated dog-leg boardwalk structure rebuilt in 2014 following Superstorm Sandy damage.
Avon School District K-8 Levy + High School Tuition. Per the NJ Department of Education, the Avon School District (NJDOE code 0180) operates Avon Elementary School at 505 Lincoln Avenue with 119 students PreK-8 under Superintendent Michael-John Herits and Business Administrator Amy Lerner. The District also pays high school tuition to Manasquan and Asbury Park under the lottery-based placement system. The combined K-8 operating budget plus high school tuition payments comprise the school portion of the Avon tax bill.
Monmouth County Levy + Library + Open Space. County-level apportionment based on Avon’s equalized property value share of the total Monmouth County base. The Open Space dedicated tax funds farmland and open space preservation across the county.
County Library + Open Space dedicated levies. Standard statutory components.
The Avon Elementary School delivers an exceptional 6.4:1 student-teacher ratio across 119 students with 18.5 FTE faculty — one of the lowest student-teacher ratios of any small-borough K-8 program in Monmouth County. For comparison, Henry Hudson Regional’s PK-12 ratio is 8.4:1 and Holmdel’s K-12 ratio is in the 11-13:1 range. The small enrollment is the structural foundation of Avon’s K-8 quality — and the reason families willing to navigate the high school lottery often consider Avon a genuine value play relative to neighboring boroughs.
Sylvan Lake, Shark River, and the Victorian Inventory
Avon-by-the-Sea’s geographic footprint is defined by three bodies of water — the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Sylvan Lake on the north (separating Avon from Bradley Beach... actually no, Sylvan Lake forms Avon’s northern boundary opposite the Wesley Lake and Ocean Grove side), and Shark River on the south (separating Avon from Belmar via the Shark River draw bridge). The 1900-incorporated borough retains its Victorian character through preserved housing stock, the rebuilt 2014 Avon Pavilion at the boardwalk, and a strict residential zoning regime that has limited substantial new construction over the past century.
For tax-base purposes, the inventory is structurally constrained: 0.42 square miles of land with an established residential block pattern, predominantly Victorian-era and early-20th-century housing stock interspersed with select post-Sandy elevated rebuilds along the boardwalk and Ocean Avenue corridor. The Hurricane Sandy 2012 damage was substantial in the Ocean Avenue beach blocks; recovery and elevation requirements reshaped portions of the oceanfront inventory but largely preserved the inland Victorian footprint. For broader Monmouth shore market dynamics, see our three new rules rewriting the New Jersey Shore real estate playbook.
Appeal Deadlines and Tax Court Options
Avon-by-the-Sea uses Monmouth County’s alternative appeal calendar under the ADP. For why Monmouth runs differently from the rest of New Jersey, see our complete explainer on the ADP framework, the January 15 deadline, and the seven non-ADP towns. Two deadlines apply:
January 15 — for properties assessed under $1 million in true value. Appeals are filed with the Monmouth County Board of Taxation.
April 1 — for properties assessed over $1 million in true value. These owners have the option to file directly with the New Jersey Tax Court rather than the county board. Given Avon’s 2026 median sale prices running over $1.4 million per Redfin, a substantial portion of the borough’s tax base falls into the $1M+ category — making the Tax Court route highly relevant.
For Avon, the appeal economics favor owners with detailed comparable-sales evidence given the rapid 2024-2026 appreciation cycle. The borough has experienced approximately 22 percent year-over-year sale price growth per Redfin data — meaning assessment lags relative to current market values are likely for properties not yet recalibrated through the annual ADP reassessment. For county-board mechanics, see the full NJ appeal playbook. For premium-market appeal economics on $1M+ properties, see our premium-market appeal playbook.
Avon quarterly payment schedule. Per the Avon Tax Office, property taxes are due February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. Failure to receive a tax bill does not exempt you from paying taxes or the interest due on delinquent payments. The tax bills are mailed in July.
The Mansion Tax and Closing-Table Math
For Avon sellers above $1 million — a substantial portion of the borough’s residential base given 2026 median sale prices running over $1.4M — the New Jersey Realty Transfer Fee changes adopted under the FY2026 Appropriations Act on July 10, 2025 are now in effect. The legacy 1 percent Mansion Tax was replaced with a graduated rate applied to the entire sale price. On a $1.8M Avon beachfront sale, the difference between legacy and new structure can run into substantial five-figure additional closing cost.
The full breakdown of the 2025–2026 Realty Transfer Fee structure walks through the new graduated tiers and the pricing-cliff effects near each threshold boundary. For the complete closing-process walkthrough, see the 2026 NJ real estate closing process timeline.
Avon-by-the-Sea has no active residential PILOT or tax abatement structures. For contrast on how PILOTs reshape effective rates in other Monmouth municipalities, see how Long Branch Pier Village condos operate under PILOT.
Tax Relief Programs Available to Avon Homeowners
$250 Veteran Deduction + $250 Senior Citizen / Disabled Persons Deduction available under state income guidelines.
100% Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption. Full exemption on the primary residence for honorably discharged veterans with 100% service-connected permanent disability.
At the state level: ANCHOR, Senior Freeze, and Stay NJ apply to qualifying Avon homeowners. Stay NJ reimburses 50 percent of property taxes for eligible homeowners age 65+, capped at $13,000 with a 2024 cap of $6,500. All three programs are now administered through a single combined PAS-1 application. Given Avon’s median age of 55 with 31.9 percent of residents at or over 65, a substantial portion of the resident base is eligible or approaching eligibility for these programs. For broader context on long-term carrying cost across NJ municipalities, see our analysis of NJ towns with the lowest property taxes.
The 2026 Budget Watch
Avon School District 2026-27 budget. Watch the spring 2026 Avon Board of Education hearings for the trajectory of per-pupil tuition costs to Manasquan HS and Asbury Park HS. The lottery-based dual-destination payment structure creates two independent budget pressure points.
Asbury Park HS funding pressure. Per The Coaster’s December 2024 reporting, the NJ Department of Education year-end review projected a nearly $13 million budget shortfall for the Asbury Park district. Watch for any tuition adjustments that flow through to Avon’s sending-district payments.
Borough Council 2026 municipal budget. Mayor Bonanno and the three-member Board of Commissioners adopt the 2026 budget in the first half of the year. Watch for boardwalk maintenance capital expenses, Avon Pavilion operations, and beach badge revenue trajectory.
Annual ADP reassessment cycle. Avon-by-the-Sea participates in Monmouth County’s annual reassessment program. November 2025 postcards reflected current market values as of October 1, 2025 — an important capture point given the 22 percent year-over-year sale price growth per Redfin.
For broader context on Monmouth County new construction in 2026, see our 2026 Monmouth County new construction inventory. For the Spring Lake low-effective-rate parallel on the southern shore, see our Spring Lake NJ Property Taxes 2026 deep dive. For the Loch Arbour structural sending-district contrast (a borough that withdrew from its sending arrangement entirely), see our Loch Arbour NJ Property Taxes 2026 deep dive. For the NJ Transit rail proximity premium that lifts Avon valuations toward the Belmar station, see our NJ Transit rail premium analysis.
“Avon’s 22 percent year-over-year sale price growth is the single most important data point for current owners considering an appeal. If your November 2025 postcard reflects 2023 or early-2024 comparable sales, you may be over-assessed in real terms even though the rate looks favorable on paper. This is the moment to verify your assessment matches current market reality — before the spring 2026 windows close.”
Avon-by-the-Sea is the most structurally distinctive low-effective-rate borough on the southern Monmouth shore. The 0.710 percent effective rate places Avon fifth-lowest in the entire county, meaningfully below the adjacent Belmar and Bradley Beach markets while preserving a Victorian-and-modern coastal inventory that has appreciated 22 percent year-over-year per recent Redfin data. The structural variable is the lottery-based high school placement system splitting Avon families between Manasquan HS and Asbury Park HS. For buyers willing to navigate that variable, Avon delivers genuine value on the Shore at a meaningful discount to the more famous low-tax boroughs to the south.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 2025 property tax rate in Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ?
The 2025 general tax rate in Avon-by-the-Sea is $0.923 per $100 of assessed value, certified by the Monmouth County Board of Taxation and published in the NJ Treasury 2025 General Tax Rates Table. The 2025 effective tax rate is 0.710%, the fifth-lowest in Monmouth County and roughly one-third of the New Jersey statewide median of 1.89%.
What is the average property tax bill in Avon-by-the-Sea?
The 2024 average residential property tax bill in Avon-by-the-Sea was $11,326 per the NJ DCA MOD-IV Average Residential Tax Report — just above the Monmouth County average of $10,930 because premium Victorian and beachfront property values produce meaningful absolute dollars even at the fifth-lowest effective rate in the county.
Where do Avon-by-the-Sea kids go to school?
PreK-8 students attend Avon Elementary School at 505 Lincoln Avenue, a single-school district (NJDOE code 0180) with 119 students and an exceptional 6.4:1 student-teacher ratio. For grades 9-12, students attend either Manasquan High School or Asbury Park High School under a lottery-based assignment system — 62.5 percent of students go to Manasquan and 37.5 percent to Asbury Park, governed by Avon Board of Education Policy 5411.
How does the Avon high school lottery work?
The Avon Board of Education conducts a lottery that assigns 62.5 percent of resident high school students to Manasquan HS and 37.5 percent to Asbury Park HS. Parents and students cannot select between the two destinations; placement is determined by the lottery outcome under Avon BOE Policy 5411. This makes Avon the only Monmouth County municipality with a two-destination split lottery for high school placement.
How does Avon compare to Belmar and Bradley Beach?
Avon runs a meaningfully lower effective tax rate (0.710%) than the adjacent boroughs of Belmar (0.955%) and Bradley Beach (0.915%). The absolute 2024 average bill is higher in Avon ($11,326) than in Belmar ($8,944) or Bradley Beach ($9,590) because Avon’s median home values are higher. The school district structures differ: Avon operates its own K-8 then sends high schoolers via lottery to Manasquan or Asbury Park; Belmar sends to Manasquan HS only; Bradley Beach sends to Asbury Park HS only.
When is the Avon-by-the-Sea tax appeal deadline?
January 15 of the tax year for properties assessed under $1 million in true value, filed with the Monmouth County Board of Taxation. April 1 of the tax year for properties assessed over $1 million in true value, filed directly with the New Jersey Tax Court. Quarterly tax payments are due February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1 per the Avon Tax Office.
Does Avon-by-the-Sea have any PILOT properties or tax abatements?
No. Avon-by-the-Sea has not designated any current residential redevelopment zones under N.J.S.A. 40A:20. Every residential property in the borough pays the standard general tax rate against its full assessed value.
Find Out Where Your 2026 Avon-by-the-Sea Assessment Should Actually Land
With Avon-by-the-Sea’s 22 percent year-over-year sale price growth per Redfin and the Asbury Park HS budget pressure flowing into the sending-district math, every Avon homeowner should verify their November 2025 postcard reflects accurate current market value. The active reassessment environment means valuation discrepancies compound quickly. We’ll pull the comps, model the appeal economics, and tell you whether the case is worth bringing before the spring 2026 windows close.
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