New Ashford, MA: town finances
Strong savings (107% of budget vs 7.3% typical); last override vote 2018; another unlikely.
Budget grade
Better than 70% of MA towns · score 86 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 $49,383 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $240,054 (DLS 2024).
Chance of an override vote
2 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 | New Ashford | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $2,795 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 2.7% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 2.73% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | No | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 106.9% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.00% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 0.0% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 47.38% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | n/a | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | - | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | Fewer than 5 sales | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | - | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $102,188 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 249 | 10,585 |
Main school district: New Ashford non-operating (tuitioned out). 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 (86/100; better than 70% of MA towns): reserves averaged 107% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.00% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (0.00% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 0% 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 (2 pts): override vote since July 2016, latest 2018-05 (+2).
Context, not scored
School data n/a; tax bill 2.7% 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 22, 2018 | Passed | $70,000 | 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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