Orleans, MA: town finances
Low debt and solid savings (9.3% of budget); 9 override votes since 2016; another routine override vote likely.
Budget grade
Better than 68% of MA towns · score 85 of 100
Ability to pay
Top 25% for income; second homes inflate property value here
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $76,631 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $1,052,573 (DLS 2024).
Chance of an override vote
7 points on our 0-8 scale: Low 0-2, Medium 3-4, High 5+. It ranks towns; it is not a percentage.
High · routine: Orleans votes on overrides most years and usually passes them, so a vote is likely, but it signals habit, not distress. More on Cape Cod
Key numbers
| Measure | Orleans | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $8,969 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 8.8% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 6.49% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | Yes (7 votes) | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 9.3% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.89% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 0.12% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | -17% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 8.8 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $1.2M (80 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +82.0% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $102,335 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 6,422 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Nauset (regional district shared with 4 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 (85/100; better than 68% of MA towns): reserves averaged 9.3% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.89% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (1.60% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 1.6% of budget (median 1.3%). 88% of debt payments are voter-approved and paid outside the cap.
Why this chance of an override vote
Chance of an override vote: High (7 pts): almost no unused room under the tax cap (0.12% of max levy, +3); override votes since July 2016, latest 2026-05 (+2); voter-approved debt or capital increase passed since July 2021 (+1); school spending grew 7.1%/yr vs 5.8%/yr for the tax cap limit, FY2020-2025 (+1). Routine Cape voter: 17 of 17 override questions passed since July 2016, so High here means a habit of votes, not distress.
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs -5.0% last year; enrollment -17% over 5 yrs; regional district shared with 4 towns; tax bill 8.8% 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 19, 2026 | Passed | $139,789 | Departmental Expenses And Employee Benefits |
| May 20, 2025 | Passed | $989,627 | Funding Benefits And Retirement |
| Nov 7, 2023 | Passed | $168,000 | Recreations Department Staffing |
| Nov 7, 2023 | Passed | $925,000 | Funding For 8 Firefighters |
| May 16, 2023 | Passed | $211,827 | Additional Funding - Regional School |
| May 16, 2023 | Passed | $225,000 | Additional Funding - Affordable Housing Trust |
| May 16, 2023 | Passed | $49,484 | Additional Funding - Regional Tech School |
| Dec 6, 2022 | Passed | $16,000 | Police Contract |
| Dec 6, 2022 | Passed | $75,100 | Fire Department Contract |
| Dec 6, 2022 | Passed | $65,500 | Fire Department Contract |
| Dec 6, 2022 | Passed | $163,400 | Fire Contract |
| Dec 6, 2022 | Passed | $104,000 | Police Contract |
| Dec 6, 2022 | Passed | $45,000 | Police Contract |
| May 17, 2022 | Passed | $627,032 | Town'S Share Of Expenses Of Nauset Rsd |
| Nov 2, 2021 | Passed | $495,000 | Funding Universal Pre-School Education Al Opportunities, Including All Expenses Incidental And Related Thereto |
| May 23, 2018 | Passed | $275,000 | Funding For Affordable Housing Trust Fund |
| May 15, 2018 | Passed | $450,000 | Funding For Other Post Employment Benefits |
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 →