Buckland, MA: town finances
Fair finances; below-typical savings (5.7% of budget vs 7.3% typical); 2 override votes since 2016; another override vote likely.
Budget grade
Better than 40% of MA towns · score 76 of 100
Ability to pay
Bottom 25% for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $37,211 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $166,714 (DLS 2024).
Chance of an override vote
7 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 | Buckland | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $5,804 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 7.0% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 5.13% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | Yes (2 votes) | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 5.7% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.76% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 0.23% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | +4% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 10.6 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $325k (13 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +13.1% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $82,877 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 1,810 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Mohawk Trail (regional district shared with 8 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 C, fair (76/100; better than 40% of MA towns): reserves averaged 5.7% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.76% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (1.09% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 1.2% of budget (median 1.3%). Voter-approved amounts exceed its general-fund debt payments (often regional school debt), so the state median share is used. 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: High (7 pts): almost no unused room under the tax cap (0.23% of max levy, +3); override votes since July 2016, latest 2026-06 (+2); voter-approved debt or capital increase passed since July 2021 (+1); school spending grew 4.3%/yr vs 4.3%/yr for the tax cap limit, FY2020-2025 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs +1.5% last year; enrollment +4% over 5 yrs; regional district shared with 8 towns; tax bill 7.0% 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 2026 | Passed | $500,000 | Funding School And Municipal Operations For Fiscal Year Beginning July First Two Thousand And Twenty Six |
| Jun 6, 2023 | Passed | $151,262 | Funding The Town'S 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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