Phillipston, MA: town finances
Low debt and solid savings (12% of budget); 3 override votes since 2016; another override vote likely.
Budget grade
Better than 84% of MA towns · score 91 of 100
± Borderline: the score is within 2 points of the A/B cutoff, so a small change in the data could move the budget grade.
Ability to pay
Below the state median for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $45,055 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $205,657 (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.
Key numbers
| Measure | Phillipston | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $4,724 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 5.0% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 3.64% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | Yes (2 votes, 2 failed) | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 11.5% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.09% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 0.0% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 0.02% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | +3% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 13.4 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $456k (18 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +88.3% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $94,692 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 1,720 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Narragansett (regional district shared with 2 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, near the A/B line; better than 84% of MA towns): reserves averaged 12% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.09% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (0.17% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 0% of budget (median 1.3%). 100% of debt payments are voter-approved and paid outside the cap. 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: High (7 pts): almost no unused room under the tax cap (0.02% of max levy, +3); override votes since July 2016, latest 2026-06 (+2); voter-approved debt or capital increase passed since July 2021 (+1); school spending grew 5.0%/yr vs 3.5%/yr for the tax cap limit, FY2020-2025 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs -5.4% last year; enrollment +3% over 5 yrs; regional district shared with 2 towns; tax bill 5.0% 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 30, 2026 | Failed | $208,020 | Override To Fund Regional School District Budget |
| May 20, 2024 | Failed | $175,000 | Operating Budget Town And School |
| May 20, 2019 | Passed | $93,053 | Narragasett Rsd 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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