Wellfleet, MA: town finances
Strong savings (15% of budget vs 7.3% typical); 9 override votes since 2016; another routine override vote likely.
Budget grade
Better than 97% of MA towns · score 98 of 100
Ability to pay
Top 25% for income; second homes inflate property value here
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $74,315 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $1,176,938 (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.
High · routine: Wellfleet votes on overrides most years and usually passes them, so a vote is likely, but it signals habit, not distress. More on Cape Cod
Key numbers
| Measure | Wellfleet | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $7,384 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 6.3% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 6.28% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | Yes (4 votes, 1 split) | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 15.1% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.59% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 3.1% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 1.20% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | -18% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 8.6 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $925k (79 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +67.4% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $117,938 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 3,644 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Nauset (regional district shared with 4 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 A, excellent (98/100; better than 97% of MA towns): reserves averaged 15% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.59% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (0.84% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 3.1% 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 (1.20% of max levy, +2); override votes since July 2016, latest 2023-09 (+2); voter-approved debt or capital increase passed since July 2021 (+1). Routine Cape voter: 18 of 22 override questions passed since July 2016, so High here means a habit of votes, not distress.
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs -4.5% last year; enrollment -19% over 5 yrs; regional district shared with 4 towns; tax bill 6.3% 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.
Override votes since July 2016
| Vote date | Result | Amount | Purpose (as listed by DLS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2023 | Passed | $145,000 | New Staff Town Planner |
| May 1, 2023 | Passed | $14,500 | Selectboard Stipend |
| May 1, 2023 | Passed | $175,000 | Preschool Voucher |
| May 1, 2023 | Passed | $100,500 | School Lunch Program |
| May 1, 2023 | Failed | $100,000 | Scholarship Program |
| May 1, 2023 | Passed | $635,192 | General School And Town Operations |
| May 1, 2023 | Failed | $115,000 | New Staff Housing & Cpc Specialist |
| May 1, 2023 | Passed | $221,400 | New Staff Firefighter/Emt/Paramedic |
| May 1, 2023 | Passed | $145,000 | New Staff Wastewater/Water Superintendent |
| Sep 20, 2022 | Passed | $115,000 | New Human Resources Director |
| Sep 20, 2022 | Passed | $225,000 | First Yr Operational Costs Maurice'S Campground |
| Jun 21, 2022 | Passed | $186,759 | Two Police Officer Positions |
| Jun 21, 2022 | Passed | $206,964 | Two New Firefighter Positions |
| Jun 21, 2022 | Passed | $672,700 | Equip Replace, Facility, Spec Prjcts Opeb |
| Jun 21, 2022 | Passed | $518,820 | General School And Town Operations |
| Jun 30, 2021 | Passed | $168,080 | Funding 2 New Firefighter/Emt/Paramedic Positions |
| Sep 8, 2020 | Passed | $148,000 | Funding Two New Firefighter/Emt |
| Apr 29, 2019 | Failed | $42,000 | Renovating Shellfish Shack |
| Apr 29, 2019 | Passed | $100,000 | Universal Preschool For 3 Year Olds |
| Apr 29, 2019 | Passed | $79,000 | Funding Full Time Firefighter/Emt/Paramedic |
| Apr 30, 2018 | Failed | $150,000 | Fund Water Resource Director |
| May 1, 2017 | Passed | $147,300 | Two New Firefighter'Paramedic Postions |
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 →