Gardner, MA: town finances
High debt; override vote in 2018 and almost no room under the tax cap; another override vote likely.
Budget grade
Bottom 1% of MA towns · score 32 of 100
Ability to pay
Bottom 10% for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $37,215 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $110,885 (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 | Gardner | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $5,052 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 7.5% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 4.16% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | No | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 3.5% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 4.30% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 5.5% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 0.11% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | +11% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 13.3 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $370k (133 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +57.4% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $67,518 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 20,902 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Gardner. 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 F, very weak (32/100; bottom 1% of MA towns): reserves averaged 3.5% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 4.30% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (4.30% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 5.5% of budget (median 1.3%).
Why this chance of an override vote
Chance of an override vote: High (6 pts): almost no unused room under the tax cap (0.11% of max levy, +3); override vote since July 2016, latest 2018-11 (+2); school spending grew 6.4%/yr vs 3.7%/yr for the tax cap limit, FY2020-2025 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs +4.2% last year; enrollment +11% over 5 yrs; tax bill 7.5% 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2018 | Failed | $601,947 | Fund School 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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