Arlington, MA: town finances
Low debt and solid savings (9.8% of budget); 3 override votes since 2016; another override vote likely.
Budget grade
Better than 53% of MA towns · score 80 of 100
± Borderline: the score is within 2 points of the B/C cutoff, so a small change in the data could move the budget grade.
Ability to pay
Top 25% for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $91,718 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $344,666 (DLS 2024).
Chance of an override vote
6 points on our 0-8 scale: Low 0-2, Medium 3-4, High 5+. It ranks towns; it is not a percentage.
Key numbers
| Measure | Arlington | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $11,947 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 7.9% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 4.78% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | Yes (2 votes) | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 9.8% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 1.49% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 3.3% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 0.08% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | +6% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 12.0 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $1.2M (208 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +39.5% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $150,701 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 45,522 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Arlington. 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 (80/100, near the B/C line; better than 53% of MA towns): reserves averaged 9.8% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 1.49% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (2.26% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 3.3% of budget (median 1.3%). 68% of debt payments are voter-approved and paid outside the cap.
Why this chance of an override vote
Chance of an override vote: High (6 pts): almost no unused room under the tax cap (0.08% of max levy, +3); override votes since July 2016, latest 2026-03 (+2); school spending grew 5.7%/yr vs 4.3%/yr for the tax cap limit, FY2020-2025 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs +3.8% last year; enrollment +6% over 5 yrs; tax bill 7.9% 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.
Override votes since July 2016
| Vote date | Result | Amount | Purpose (as listed by DLS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2026 | Passed | $14,800,000 | Fund Town And School Operations |
| Nov 7, 2023 | Passed | $7,000,000 | Operating Override |
| Jun 11, 2019 | Passed | $5,500,000 | Town And School Operating Budget |
Source: MA DLS Proposition 2½ override vote file, as of 25 Oct 2026. One ballot can carry several questions.
See this town in the full data table →
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