Montgomery, MA: town finances
Strong savings (22% of budget vs 7.3% typical); override vote unlikely despite school costs outpacing the tax cap.
Budget grade
Better than 83% of MA towns · score 91 of 100
Small town: figures are volatile, and its score is pulled toward the state median.
Ability to pay
Below the state median for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $58,389 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $192,549 (DLS 2024).
Chance of an override vote
1 point on our 0-8 scale: Low 0-2, Medium 3-4, High 5+. It ranks towns; it is not a percentage.
Key numbers
| Measure | Montgomery | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $4,822 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 3.9% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 2.77% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | No | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 21.8% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.18% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 12.06% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | -4% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 9.6 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $431k (6 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +65.2% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $123,000 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 818 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Gateway (regional district shared with 6 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 B, solid (91/100; better than 83% of MA towns): reserves were 22% of budget on average in the 2 certified years of FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.18% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (0.18% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 1.3% of budget (median 1.3%). 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: Low (1 pt): school spending grew 4.3%/yr vs 4.2%/yr for the tax cap limit, FY2020-2025 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs -7.0% last year; enrollment -4% over 5 yrs; regional district shared with 6 towns; tax bill 3.9% 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.
See this town in the full data table →
← Monterey · All towns · Mount Washington →