South River, NJ · Updated Oct 2026

What a South River home costs each year

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a South River house

$13,262a year · $1,105 a month

Starts at $293,682 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

Property tax$7,838
2.669% of $293,682
Electricity and gas$2,822
662 kWh a month $1,670 · 86.6667 therms $1,152
Water$1,184
9 units (CCF) a month on Borough of South River water utility: water $99 a month
TrashIncluded
Garbage is handled by the borough Department of Public Works
Home insurance$1,417
Typical premium $1,417

A typical South River house costs about $13,300 a year: $7,840 property tax and charges, $1,180 water, $2,820 electricity and gas, $1,420 home insurance; trash is paid through property tax. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 29, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:

Seniors: discount of up to $10 a quarterUp to $10 a quarter
The water fee schedule lists a senior citizen discount not to exceed $10.00 for each quarterly tax bill.
How: See the borough water fee ordinance.

Who serves this house

Water: Borough of South River water utility; Effective April 1, 2025: minimum charge $96.46 a quarter, covering the first 1,000 cubic feet; then $117.41, $128.70, $141.72 and $155.85 per 1,000 cubic feet in higher blocks. A 5% surcharge applies to readings in July, August and September.
Property tax: 2.67% of value; 2025 tax year rates, South River (Middlesex County)
Garbage: South River Department of Public Works; The borough's Department of Public Works handles garbage; recycling is by MCIA.
Electricity: South River Electric Utility; The borough website publishes a South River Electric Utility FAQ.
Gas: PSE&G; PSE&G's gas tariff lists the Borough of South River in its territory.

Pay or manage your bills

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How these numbers are made

Property tax: South River's 2025 general tax rate of 2.669 per $100 of assessed value, split per the Middlesex County abstract of ratables (county 0.470, county open space 0.045, school 1.315, municipal purpose 0.789, library 0.050). The county's latest published table is 2025 rates; no official 2026 per-$100 breakdown was found, so rates and the 2026 average assessment are from different years.
Typical home: the state's 2026 average residential assessment for South River, $293,682; assessments average 60.61% of true value, so assessed values look low next to sale prices.
Water: Ordinance 2025-8, effective April 1, 2025: $96.46 minimum per quarter (covering the first 1,000 cubic feet), converted to monthly ($96.46 / 3), and block rates per 1,000 cubic feet converted to per CCF (/10 per CCF). A 5% surcharge applies to readings taken in July, August and September and is not modelled. Bills are quarterly.
Sewer: no separate sewer charge appears in the water fee ordinance; the borough's 2026 budget carries a Sewer Department and a $500,000 County Sewerage Authority contract, so sewer is paid from the borough budget and modelled as $0 on the utility bill. The borough budget carries a landfill contract and no separate trash fee was found, so garbage is modelled as $0.
Electricity: the borough-owned South River Electric Utility, Class A residential: $8.75 a month plus 0.1970 per kWh (Ordinance 2024-9); newer amendments were not found. Borough code (Chapter 147) also allows an annual power cost adjustment per kWh (base rates recover $0.10/kWh); the current factor was not found and is not modelled. Typical use 662 kWh a month (EIA 2024 New Jersey residential average). Gas: PSE&G Rate RSG as on the Sayreville page; typical use 86.7 therms (1,040 a year / 12). Insurance: New Jersey's 2022 average homeowners premium (NAIC).
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How South River compares

A typical South River house against the 41 New Jersey cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	South River	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	2.67%	2.66%	higher than 20 of the other 38 New Jersey cities we cover
Water	$1,184	$771	higher than 33 of the other 40 New Jersey cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,822	$3,056	lower than 38 of the other 40 New Jersey cities we cover
Home insurance	$1,417	$1,417	in the middle of 40 other New Jersey cities we cover
Total	$13,262	$16,741	lower than 36 of the other 40 New Jersey cities we cover

Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.

Questions to ask your candidates

Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.

1. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $1,184 a year at typical use, higher than 33 of the other 40 New Jersey cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $1,184 a year at typical use, higher than 33 of the other 40 New Jersey cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

2. Electricity and gas

The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,822 a year, lower than 38 of the other 40 New Jersey cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.

Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,822 a year for a typical house, lower than 38 of the other 40 New Jersey cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"

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Common questions about South River house costs

What is the property tax rate in South River?

About 2.67% of the value before exemptions a year (2025 tax year rates, South River (Middlesex County)), plus flat charges on the same bill.

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in South River?

About $13,345 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions.

How much is the water bill in South River?

About $99 a month for water at typical use (9 units, or 6,732 gallons a month) on Borough of South River water utility.

How much does trash pickup cost in South River?

Garbage is handled by the borough Department of Public Works

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in South River?

Yes. Seniors: discount of up to $10 a quarter: The water fee schedule lists a senior citizen discount not to exceed $10.00 for each quarterly tax bill.

How much does a house in South River cost to run each year?

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