Templeton, MA: town finances
Thin savings (3.5% of budget vs 7.3% typical); 3 override votes since 2016; another override vote likely.
Budget grade
Better than 7% of MA towns · score 57 of 100
Ability to pay
Bottom 10% for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $42,539 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $140,104 (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 | Templeton | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $4,490 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 4.4% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 4.59% | 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 | 3.5% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 1.73% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 2.8% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 0.04% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | +3% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 13.5 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $450k (59 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +64.2% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $101,154 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 8,183 | 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 D, weak (57/100; better than 7% of MA towns): reserves averaged 3.5% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 1.73% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (2.74% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 2.8% of budget (median 1.3%). 74% 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 (0.04% of max levy, +3); override votes since July 2016, latest 2026-09 (+2); voter-approved debt or capital increase passed since July 2021 (+1); school spending grew 4.8%/yr vs 4.2%/yr for the tax cap limit, FY2020-2025 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs -5.6% last year; enrollment +3% over 5 yrs; regional district shared with 2 towns; tax bill 4.4% 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 28, 2026 | Failed | $1,388,534 | Operating Budget For Town |
| May 18, 2026 | Failed | $2,000,000 | Operating Budgets For Town & Nrsd |
| May 18, 2026 | Failed | $4,000,000 | Operating Budgets For Town & Nrsd |
| May 7, 2018 | Passed | $470,246 | Supplemental Highway Dept And Snow And Ice Budgets |
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 →