Worcester, MA: town finances
High debt for its property value; override vote unlikely despite school costs outpacing the tax cap.
Budget grade
Bottom 1% of MA towns · score 17 of 100
Ability to pay
Bottom 10% for income and property value
Shown separately; not part of the budget grade. Income per resident $37,221 (Census ACS 2020-24); property value (EQV) per resident $115,659 (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 | Worcester | Median MA town |
|---|---|---|
| Typical tax bill, FY2026 (average single-family) | $5,446 | $6,755 |
| Tax bill as a share of median household income | 7.8% | 6.4% |
| Tax bill growth per year, FY2016-26 | 3.47% | 3.95% |
| Override vote dates, last 5 years | No | 35% of towns had one |
| Savings (reserves), % of budget, FY2024-26 average | 2.0% | 7.3% |
| Debt, % of property value, FY2023-25 (voter-approved debt at half weight) | 5.60% | 0.70% |
| Debt payments inside the tax cap, % of budget | 6.8% | 1.3% |
| Unused room under the tax cap, FY2026 (% of max levy) | 5.78% | 0.34% |
| School enrollment, 5-year change | +3% | -2% |
| Students per teacher, 2025-26 | 12.9 | 11.4 |
| Median single-family sale price, 2024 | $432k (783 sales) | $614k |
| Single-family price change, 2019-24 | +62.4% | +52.8% |
| Median household income (Census, 2020-24) | $70,102 | $113,750 |
| Population (DLS) | 205,319 | 10,585 |
Main school district: Worcester. 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 F, very weak (17/100; bottom 1% of MA towns): reserves averaged 2% of budget over FY2024-26 (state median 7.3%); debt 5.60% of property value with voter-approved debt at half weight (5.60% before; median 0.70%); debt payments inside the tax cap 6.8% of budget (median 1.3%).
Why this chance of an override vote
Chance of an override vote: Low (1 pt): school spending grew 5.9%/yr vs 4.9%/yr for the tax cap limit, FY2020-2025 (+1).
Context, not scored
Teacher jobs +0.1% last year; enrollment +3% over 5 yrs; tax bill 7.8% 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 →
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