Alford, MA: town finances
Strong savings (19% of budget vs 7.3% typical); override vote unlikely, with room under the tax cap.
Budget grade
Better than 77% of MA towns · score 88 of 100
Small town: figures are volatile, and its score is pulled toward the state median.
Ability to pay
Top 25% for income; second homes inflate property value here
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $81,241 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $806,535 (DLS 2024).
Chance of an override vote
1 point on our 0-8 scale: Low 0-2, Medium 3-4, High 5+. It ranks towns; it is not a percentage.
Key numbers
| Measure | Alford | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $5,191 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 4.3% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 4.66% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | No | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 19.3% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.00% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 8.68% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | -8% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 8.3 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | Fewer than 5 sales | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | - | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $121,042 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 483 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Southern Berkshire (regional district shared with 5 towns). Shaded = worse than the median town on tax bill share or enrollment. Medians are across all 351 towns with data.
Why this budget grade
Budget grade B, solid (88/100; better than 77% of MA towns): reserves averaged 19% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.00% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (0.00% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 2.3% of budget (median 1.3%). 76% of debt payments are voter-approved and paid outside the cap. Small town: figures are volatile, and its score is pulled toward the state median.
Why this chance of an override vote
Chance of an override vote: Low (1 pt): voter-approved debt or capital increase passed since July 2021 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs -0.8% last year; enrollment -8% over 5 yrs; regional district shared with 5 towns; tax bill 4.3% of median income (state median 6.4%).
"pts" are points toward the chance of an override vote. Max levy is the most the town can raise without a vote under Prop 2½. See how the budget grade works.
See this town in the full data table →