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West Brookfield, MA: town finances
Low debt and modest savings (7.1% of budget); 2 override votes since 2016; another override vote likely.
Budget grade
Better than 58% of MA towns · score 82 of 100
Ability to pay
Below the state median for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $54,549 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $168,533 (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 | West Brookfield | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $4,446 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 4.6% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 3.32% | 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 | 7.1% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 0.04% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 0.13% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | -4% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 13.0 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $393k (28 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +52.7% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $95,613 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 3,817 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Quaboag Regional (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 (82/100; better than 58% of MA towns): reserves averaged 7.1% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 0.04% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (0.04% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 1.2% of budget (median 1.3%).
Why this chance of an override vote
Chance of an override vote: High (7 pts): almost no unused room under the tax cap (0.13% of max levy, +3); override votes since July 2016, latest 2026-05 (+2); voter-approved debt or capital increase passed since July 2021 (+1); school spending grew 4.2%/yr vs 3.3%/yr for the tax cap limit, FY2020-2025 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs +0.6% last year; enrollment -4% over 5 yrs; regional district shared with 2 towns; news: proposed: Elementary school closure after failed override; tax bill 4.6% of median income (state median 6.4%).
In the news: Proposed: Elementary school closure after failed override
"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 5, 2026 | Failed | $1,100,000 | To Operate Municipal Government And School District |
| May 5, 2026 | Failed | $1,600,000 | To Operate Municipal Government And School District |
| May 7, 2024 | Failed | $1,000,000 | General School And Town Operations |
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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