Sudbury, MA: town finances
Fair finances; below-typical savings (5.7% of budget vs 7.3% typical); 2 override votes since 2016; another override vote likely.
Budget grade
Better than 42% of MA towns · score 77 of 100
Ability to pay
Top 10% for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $95,230 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $392,068 (DLS 2024).
Chance of an override vote
5 points on our 0-8 scale: Low 0-2, Medium 3-4, High 5+. It ranks towns; it is not a percentage.
The story in charts
Sudbury: thin reserves for a decade, now rebuilt, with small overrides and some room under the cap
Sudbury also appears in: The wealthiest big suburbs: fewer students, costlier schools, tax bills ahead of inflation
Key numbers
| Measure | Sudbury | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $16,625 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 7.0% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2022-26 | 3.67% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | Yes (1 vote) | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 5.7% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.54% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 1.15% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | -3% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 11.0 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $1.3M (187 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +65.0% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $236,250 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 18,965 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Sudbury. 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 (77/100; better than 42% of MA towns): reserves averaged 5.7% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.54% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (0.84% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 0.7% of budget (median 1.3%). Voter-approved amounts exceed its general-fund debt payments (often regional school debt), so the state median share is used.
Why this chance of an override vote
Chance of an override vote: High (5 pts): little room under the tax cap (1.15% of max levy, +2); override votes since July 2016, latest 2023-05 (+2); voter-approved debt or capital increase passed since July 2021 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs -1.1% last year; enrollment -3% over 5 yrs; tax bill 7.0% 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2023 | Passed | $745,460 | Operating Budget For Schools |
| May 9, 2017 | Passed | $1,077,270 | Funding Public School And Public Safety 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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