Peabody, MA: town finances
Fair finances; below-typical savings (5% of budget vs 7.3% typical); override vote unlikely despite school costs outpacing the tax cap.
Budget grade
Better than 17% of MA towns · score 66 of 100
Ability to pay
Below the state median for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $51,060 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $222,205 (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 | Peabody | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $6,411 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 6.6% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 4.60% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | No | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 5.0% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 1.05% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 4.4% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 5.41% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | -1% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 12.1 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $675k (279 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +45.2% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $96,657 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 53,896 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Peabody. 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 C, fair (66/100; better than 17% of MA towns): reserves averaged 5% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 1.05% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (1.05% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 4.4% of budget (median 1.3%).
Why this chance of an override vote
Chance of an override vote: Low (1 pt): school spending grew 4.7%/yr vs 3.4%/yr for the tax cap limit, FY2020-2025 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs -1.0% last year; enrollment -1% over 5 yrs; tax bill 6.6% 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 →