Waltham, MA: town finances
Fair finances; heavy debt payments (6.6% of budget); override vote unlikely despite school costs outpacing the tax cap.
Budget grade
Better than 42% of MA towns · score 77 of 100
Ability to pay
Above the state median for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $58,449 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $316,593 (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 | Waltham | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $5,189 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 4.3% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2022-26 | 2.89% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | No | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 16.8% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 1.67% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 6.6% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 13.74% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | +4% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 9.9 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $823k (213 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +35.5% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $120,216 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 64,065 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Waltham. 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 17% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 1.67% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (1.67% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 6.6% of budget (median 1.3%).
Why this chance of an override vote
Chance of an override vote: Low (1 pt): school spending grew 5.5%/yr vs 5.1%/yr for the tax cap limit, FY2020-2025 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs +2.1% last year; enrollment +4% over 5 yrs; tax bill 4.3% 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 →