Marblehead, MA: town finances
Low debt and solid savings (7.7% of budget); 3 override votes since 2016; another override vote likely.
Budget grade
Better than 58% of MA towns · score 82 of 100
Ability to pay
Top 5% for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $103,980 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $468,251 (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.
The story in charts
Marblehead: slow tax growth until reserves drained, then a record $15M override
Marblehead also appears in: The wealthiest big suburbs: fewer students, costlier schools, tax bills ahead of inflation
Key numbers
| Measure | Marblehead | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $11,055 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 6.1% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 3.32% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | Yes (3 votes, 2 failed) | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 7.7% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.73% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 0.27% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | -11% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 10.6 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $1.1M (137 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +45.8% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $182,132 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 20,233 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Marblehead. 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 B, solid (82/100; better than 58% of MA towns): reserves averaged 7.7% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.73% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (1.43% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 0.2% of budget (median 1.3%). 98% 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 (0.27% of max levy, +3); override votes since July 2016, latest 2026-06 (+2); voter-approved debt or capital increase passed since July 2021 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs -0.1% last year; enrollment -11% 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.
Override votes since July 2016
| Vote date | Result | Amount | Purpose (as listed by DLS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 2026 | Passed | $2,298,575 | General Trash Override |
| Jun 9, 2026 | Passed | $15,000,000 | General Override |
| Jun 20, 2023 | Failed | $2,472,056 | General Government Operating Budget |
| Jun 21, 2022 | Failed | $3,051,093 | School Department 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 →