Falmouth, MA: town finances
Low debt and solid savings (12% of budget); 2 override votes since 2016; another override vote likely.
Budget grade
Better than 94% of MA towns · score 95 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 $63,128 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $650,356 (DLS 2024).
Chance of an override vote
5 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 | Falmouth | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $5,881 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 6.3% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 3.60% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | Yes (1 vote) | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 12.3% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.46% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 1.06% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | -6% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 10.2 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $803k (382 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +71.0% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $93,043 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 33,104 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Falmouth. 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 (95/100; better than 94% of MA towns): reserves averaged 12% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.46% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (0.74% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 1.9% of budget (median 1.3%). 74% of debt payments are voter-approved and paid outside the cap.
Why this chance of an override vote
Chance of an override vote: High (5 pts): little room under the tax cap (1.06% of max levy, +2); override votes since July 2016, latest 2023-05 (+2); voter-approved debt or capital increase passed since July 2021 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs -2.0% last year; enrollment -6% over 5 yrs; tax bill 6.3% 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.
Override votes since July 2016
| Vote date | Result | Amount | Purpose (as listed by DLS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2023 | Passed | $950,000 | Funding Wages, Benefits And Expenses Associated With Hiring 14 Firefighters |
| May 19, 2020 | Passed | $971,507 | Salaries And Benefits Of 8 Firefighters |
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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