Stay NJ: The New Senior Property Tax Benefit (2026 Guide)
Stay NJ cuts property taxes up to 50% (max $6,500) for NJ homeowners 65+ with income under $500,000. How it works, who qualifies, and when payments arrive.
Quick answer
What is Stay NJ?
Stay NJ is New Jersey’s newest property tax relief program for homeowners 65 and older with income under $500,000. It pays 50% of your property tax bill up to a $6,500 maximum — calculated after your ANCHOR and Senior Freeze benefits, so your total relief reaches half your bill. The first payments went out in February 2026, in quarterly installments. You apply with the combined PAS-1 application, due November 2, 2026.
Key takeaways
- Stay NJ pays up to 50% of a senior homeowner’s property tax bill, capped at $6,500 (based on up to $13,000 of property taxes).
- It’s a top-up: ANCHOR and Senior Freeze count first, then Stay NJ fills the gap to the 50% target — see how it works.
- Eligibility is age-based only: 65+, own and occupy your NJ home all year, income under $500,000. Disability status alone does not qualify (unlike Senior Freeze). Renters aren’t eligible.
- Payments are quarterly — 2024-year installments ran February, May, August, November 2026; 2025-year payments are expected from February 2027.
- One PAS-1 filing (deadline November 2, 2026) covers Stay NJ, ANCHOR, and the Senior Freeze together.
On this page
What Stay NJ is (and why it exists)
Stay NJ
A New Jersey benefit created by the Stay NJ Act (P.L. 2023, c. 75) to cut senior homeowners’ property taxes roughly in half, up to a cap — designed to make staying in New Jersey affordable for retirees in the state with the nation’s highest property taxes.
New Jersey’s average property tax bill is near $10,000 — the highest in the country — and it has pushed generations of retirees to move out of state. Stay NJ is the legislature’s answer: combined with ANCHOR and the Senior Freeze, it targets total relief of half the property tax bill for most homeowners 65 and older, with a far higher income ceiling ($500,000) than any other state relief program.
The program made its first payments in February 2026 (for the 2024 benefit year), making it brand new — which is also why so much online information about it is outdated or wrong. We track every change in program changes.
Who qualifies
For the 2025 benefit year (applications due November 2, 2026):
- Age: 65 or older by December 31, 2025. Age is the only doorway — receiving Social Security disability does not qualify you for Stay NJ (it does for the Senior Freeze and ANCHOR).
- Home: you owned and lived in your New Jersey home as your principal residence for all of 2025. Renters are not eligible.
- Income: under $500,000.
Notably absent: any multi-year tenure requirement. You could have bought your home in December 2024 and still qualify for the 2025 benefit — unlike the Senior Freeze’s 3-year rule. Full details and edge cases: Stay NJ eligibility.
How much Stay NJ pays
The formula: 50% of the property taxes billed on your home, counting up to $13,000 of taxes (so a maximum benefit of $6,500) — minus whatever ANCHOR and the Senior Freeze already pay you. Three examples:
| Property tax bill | 50% target | ANCHOR + Senior Freeze | Stay NJ pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| $8,000 | $4,000 | $1,750 + $500 = $2,250 | $1,750 |
| $12,000 | $6,000 | $1,750 + $1,200 = $2,950 | $3,050 |
| $16,000 | $6,500 (capped) | $1,000 + $2,400 = $3,400 | $3,100 |
Your total relief is the same either way — the split between programs just changes. If ANCHOR and the Senior Freeze already cover half your bill, your Stay NJ line can legitimately be $0 without anything being wrong. The mechanics, including that $0 case, are walked through in how Stay NJ works — or just run your numbers in the Stay NJ calculator.
How to apply
There is no separate Stay NJ application. You file the combined Form PAS-1 — online at the state’s property tax relief portal or on paper — and the Division of Taxation automatically determines your Stay NJ, ANCHOR, and Senior Freeze amounts from that one filing.
When Stay NJ pays
Unlike ANCHOR’s single payment, Stay NJ arrives in four quarterly installments, timed near property tax quarters. The first benefit year (2024) paid in February, May, August, and November 2026 — the August 15 and November 15 installments are still ahead as of this writing. Payments for the 2025 benefit year (the PAS-1 you file now) are expected to begin around February 2027, subject to state budget appropriations.
Full calendar and what happens if you’re approved mid-cycle: payment schedule. Waiting on an installment? Check your status.
Stay NJ vs. ANCHOR vs. Senior Freeze
- ANCHOR: flat benefit, nearly all homeowners and renters, income up to $250,000/$150,000.
- Senior Freeze: refunds tax increases above your base year; 65+ or disabled; income up to $172,475 (2025).
- Stay NJ: pays toward half the whole bill; 65+ only; income under $500,000.
They stack — one PAS-1 covers all three, and the state coordinates amounts so you can’t double-collect. Deep comparisons: Stay NJ vs. Senior Freeze, ANCHOR vs. Senior Freeze, and the master comparison. Estimate all three at once with the relief calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is Stay NJ income limit really $500,000?
Yes — annual income must be under $500,000, by far the highest ceiling of any NJ property tax relief program. It was set high deliberately so nearly all senior homeowners qualify. Details: the $500,000 rule.
I'm on Social Security disability and under 65. Do I get Stay NJ?
No — Stay NJ is age-based only; the Treasury confirms disability status does not substitute for the 65+ requirement. You likely still qualify for the Senior Freeze and ANCHOR, and the same PAS-1 filing covers those.
Do renters get Stay NJ?
No. Stay NJ is homeowner-only. Renters 65+ should still file the PAS-1 for ANCHOR’s renter benefit ($700 at 65+).
Why was my Stay NJ payment $0 when I was approved?
Because it’s a top-up: if your ANCHOR + Senior Freeze already reach 50% of your property tax bill, there’s no gap for Stay NJ to fill. Your total relief still hits the 50% target — see the worked examples.
Will the $6,500 cap ever go up?
The law is designed for the cap to grow over time as property taxes rise, but each year’s figure depends on legislation and budget funding. We log every confirmed change in Stay NJ changes.
Sources
This guide was fact-checked against the following official sources:
- Stay NJ — Property Tax Relief for Senior Citizens — NJ Division of Taxation
- Stay NJ — Benefit Calculation — NJ Division of Taxation
- 2025 Form PAS-1 Instructions — 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
- — Initial publication, verified against NJ Division of Taxation Stay NJ guidance: 50% benefit capped at $6,500, $500,000 income limit, quarterly 2026 installments, PAS-1 deadline November 2, 2026.
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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.