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<PAGE> PAGE 2
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<PAGE> PAGE 3
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<PAGE> PAGE 5
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SIGNATURE PAUL BUCUVALAS
TITLE MANAGING DIRECTOR
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 3
<NAME> CLASS A
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> MAY-31-1999
<PERIOD-END> MAY-31-1999
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 292,632,005
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 307,445,401
<RECEIVABLES> 14,140,018
<ASSETS-OTHER> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 321,585,419
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 1,456,343
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 4,345,158
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 5,801,501
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 308,834,263
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 23,487,153
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 23,422,441
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> (12,982)
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> (7,845,889)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 14,808,526
<NET-ASSETS> 315,783,918
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
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<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 3,742,838
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 14,765,035
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (1,158,565)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (4,778,076)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 8,828,394
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<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (10,496,304)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 3,311,199
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (3,889,310)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 642,823
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<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> (68,676)
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> (6,687,324)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 1,900,119
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<GROSS-EXPENSE> 3,775,526
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<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 9.32
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<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (.17)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.45)
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<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 9.15
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .99
[AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING] 0
[AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE] 0
</TABLE>
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 3
<NAME> CLASS B
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
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<PERIOD-END> MAY-31-1999
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 292,632,005
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 307,445,401
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<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> (12,982)
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<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 14,765,035
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (1,158,565)
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<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> (68,676)
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> (6,687,324)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 1,900,119
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 3,775,526
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 99,419,702
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 9.31
<PER-SHARE-NII> .39
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (.17)
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[AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING] 0
[AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE] 0
</TABLE>
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 3
<NAME> CLASS M
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> MAY-31-1999
<PERIOD-END> MAY-31-1999
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 292,632,005
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 307,445,401
<RECEIVABLES> 14,140,018
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<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 1,456,343
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<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 5,801,501
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 308,834,263
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 123,155
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 71,660
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> (12,982)
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> (7,845,889)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 14,808,526
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<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 18,507,873
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 3,742,838
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 14,765,035
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (1,158,565)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (4,778,076)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 8,828,394
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (43,160)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 88,836
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (40,024)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 2,683
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 1,488,553
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> (68,676)
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> (6,687,324)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 1,900,119
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 3,775,526
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 945,584
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 9.33
<PER-SHARE-NII> .42
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (.18)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.42)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 9.15
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.29
[AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING] 0
[AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE] 0
</TABLE>
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
To the Board of Trustees of Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income
Fund:
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements
of Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund for the year ended
May 31, 1999, we considered its internal control, including
control over safeguarding securities, in order to determine our
auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing our opinion on
the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of
Form N-SAR, not to provide assurance on internal control.
The management of Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund is
responsible for establishing and maintaining internal control.
In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by
management are required to assess the expected benefits and
related costs of controls. Generally, controls that are relevant
to an audit pertain to the entity's objective of preparing
financial statements for external purposes that are fairly
presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles. Those controls include the safeguarding of assets
against unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition.
Because of inherent limitations in internal controls, errors or
fraud may occur and may not be detected. Also, projection of any
evaluation of internal control to future periods is subject to
the risk that it may become inadequate because of changes in
conditions or that the effectiveness of the design and operation
may deteriorate.
Our consideration of internal control would not necessarily
disclose all matters in internal control that might be material
weaknesses under standards established by the American Institute
of Certified Public Accountants. A material weakness is a
condition in which the design or operation of any specific
internal control component does not reduce to a relatively low
level the risk that misstatements due to errors or fraud in
amounts that would be material in relation to the financial
statements being audited may occur and not be detected within a
timely period by employees in the normal course of performing
their assigned functions. However, we noted no matters involving
internal control, including controls over safeguarding
securities, that we consider to be material weaknesses as defined
above as of May 31, 1999.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of
management and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
July 12, 1999
