Barnstable, MA: town finances
Strong savings (15% of budget vs 7.3% typical); almost no room under the tax cap; an override vote possible.
Budget grade
Better than 96% of MA towns · score 97 of 100
Ability to pay
Above the state median for income; second homes inflate property value here
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $56,079 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $528,992 (DLS 2024).
Chance of an override vote
3 points on our 0-8 scale: Low 0-2, Medium 3-4, High 5+. It ranks towns; it is not a percentage.
The story in charts
The next chart estimates Barnstable's structural gap under Prop 2½: what it costs to keep running the town at its recent pace, against what it can raise without a vote. They are estimates, not reported deficits. Towns must balance their budgets, so a gap gets closed with cuts, reserves, fees or an override vote. Method and other towns
Barnstable's gap is modest: about $400 per home by 2031
Key numbers
| Measure | Barnstable | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $5,599 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 6.1% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2022-26 | 3.69% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | No | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 15.0% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.74% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 2.5% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 0.14% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | -4% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 10.5 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $673k (496 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +68.1% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $91,982 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 49,532 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Barnstable. 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 A, excellent (97/100; better than 96% of MA towns): reserves averaged 15% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.74% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (0.83% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 2.5% of budget (median 1.3%).
Why this chance of an override vote
Chance of an override vote: Medium (3 pts): almost no unused room under the tax cap (0.14% of max levy, +3).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs -0.9% last year; enrollment -4% over 5 yrs; tax bill 6.1% 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 →