How Much Is the ANCHOR Benefit? (2026 Amounts)
ANCHOR pays $1,000–$1,500 to homeowners and $450 to renters, plus $250 extra if you're 65 or older. See the full amount table and worked examples.
Quick answer
How much is the ANCHOR benefit?
For the 2025 benefit year: homeowners get $1,500 (income up to $150,000) or $1,000 (income $150,001–$250,000); renters get $450 (income up to $150,000). Anyone who was 65 or older in 2025 gets an extra $250 — so the maximum is $1,750 for a senior homeowner and $700 for a senior renter.
Key takeaways
- The benefit is a flat amount by income bracket — it doesn’t scale with your actual property tax bill.
- Senior boost: +$250 if you turned 65 by December 31, 2025 — automatic, no separate application.
- Shared ownership splits the benefit proportionally; married couples get one benefit per home.
- Amounts can be offset against state debts you owe (back taxes, child support).
- Seniors may stack ANCHOR with Senior Freeze and Stay NJ for far more total relief.
On this page
The full amounts table
| You are a… | 2025 NJ gross income | Base amount | With 65+ boost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeowner | $0 – $150,000 | $1,500 | $1,750 |
| Homeowner | $150,001 – $250,000 | $1,000 | $1,250 |
| Renter | $0 – $150,000 | $450 | $700 |
| Homeowner | Over $250,000 | Not eligible | Not eligible |
| Renter | Over $150,000 | Not eligible | Not eligible |
These amounts have held steady for several benefit years, but they are set in each state budget — treat future years as unconfirmed until the state announces them.
Worked examples
- Retired couple, both 68, income $95,000 (excluding Social Security)
- Homeowners under $150,000 → $1,500 base + $250 senior boost = $1,750. One benefit per couple, not per spouse. They likely also qualify for Senior Freeze and Stay NJ via the same PAS-1 application.
- Working family, income $180,000, own their home
- Second homeowner bracket → $1,000. No senior boost.
- Renter, 30, income $60,000
- Renter under $150,000 → $450.
- Widow, 72, renting after selling her home, income $40,000
- Renter + senior boost → $700. Files PAS-1 (65+), not the standard ANCHOR application.
- Two unmarried co-owners, 50/50 deed, both live there, each earning $80,000
- Each applies for half of the $1,500 → $750 each.
What can reduce your payment
- State debt offsets: New Jersey can apply your benefit to unpaid NJ taxes, child support arrears, and similar debts. You get a notice when this happens.
- Income-bracket corrections: if the state’s records show income in a different bracket than your application, the amount is adjusted and a letter explains why.
- Partial ownership: proportional shares for co-owners, and half benefits for married-filing-separately couples in the same home.
Frequently asked questions
Does the ANCHOR amount depend on my property tax bill?
No. It’s a flat amount based on your income bracket and whether you own or rent. Programs that scale with your actual bill are the Senior Freeze and Stay NJ.
Do I need to apply separately for the $250 senior boost?
No — it’s applied automatically based on the date of birth on your application if you turned 65 by December 31 of the benefit year.
If my spouse is 65 but I'm not, do we get the boost?
Yes — for joint applications, one spouse being 65+ during the benefit year qualifies the household for the $250 boost.
Will ANCHOR amounts go up in future years?
They’re decided in each state budget. Amounts have been stable recently, and proposals to change them surface most budget seasons — we track any changes on the updates page.
Sources
This guide was fact-checked against the following official sources:
- ANCHOR Program — NJ Division of Taxation
- Property Tax Relief Programs — NJ Division of Taxation
Last reviewed · See our editorial policy for how guides are fact-checked and corrected.
What changed on this page
- — Linked the free combined relief calculator for estimating your total across all three programs.
- — Initial publication, verified against NJ Division of Taxation guidance for the 2025 benefit year (PAS-1 deadline November 2, 2026).
Was this guide helpful?
NJ Programs Editorial Team · Research & Editorial
The editorial team researches, writes, and maintains every guide on this site, checking each fact against official NJ Division of Taxation publications before and after publication.