Brookline, MA: town finances
Fair finances; below-typical savings (6.3% of budget vs 7.3% typical); 3 override votes since 2016; another override vote likely.
Budget grade
Better than 25% of MA towns · score 71 of 100
Ability to pay
Top 5% for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $96,682 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $536,333 (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 | Brookline | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $26,237 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 18.5% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2022-26 | 6.37% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | Yes (2 votes) | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 6.3% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 1.18% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 4.0% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 0.00% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | +1% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 11.0 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $2.4M (94 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +21.2% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $142,101 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 62,535 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Brookline. 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 C, fair (71/100; better than 25% of MA towns): reserves averaged 6.3% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 1.18% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (1.68% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 4% of budget (median 1.3%). 59% 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 (0.00% of max levy, +3); override votes since July 2016, latest 2026-05 (+2); voter-approved debt or capital increase passed since July 2021 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs +15.9% last year; enrollment +1% over 5 yrs; tax bill 18.5% 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 2026 | Passed | $23,254,439 | Question 1 Operating Override |
| May 2, 2023 | Passed | $11,983,367 | Question 2a Operating Override |
| May 8, 2018 | Passed | $6,575,425 | Funding The Cost Of Expenditures In The Public Schools |
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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