Do Higher Property Taxes Lead to Better Public Schools?
Ex. 1 - Towns in Greater Boston Region
Property Tax Rates Vs. Public School District Rankings
Category Definitions and Analysis
1. HIGH Rank (Top 10% of Public Schools) | LOW Tax (Below Median Tax Rate)
Towns in this category can best be described by the phrase – “The Best Bang for Your Tax Buck”. These towns have managed to strike a good balance between residential property tax rates and HIGH public school district rankings. Towns in this category include Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge, Newton, and Wellesley.
2. HIGH Rank (Top 10% of Public Schools) | HIGH Tax (Above Median Tax Rate)
Like category one towns, these towns are among the top ranked public-school districts in Massachusetts. That achievement, however, has come at a significantly higher cost (i.e., higher property tax rates) to homeowners in those towns. Towns in this category include Action, Bolton, Sharon, Sherborn, and Westborough.
3. LOW Rank (Not a Top 10% Public School) | HIGH Tax (Above Median Tax Rate)
Towns in this category appear to have not gotten good value for the amount of residential property tax dollars spent. Towns in this category include Holliston, Mansfield, Millis and Tewksbury.
4. LOW Rank (Not a Top 10% Public School) | LOW Tax (Below Median Tax Rate)
The old adage “you pay for what you get” best describes towns in this category. Towns in this category include Billerica, Dedham, Norwood, and Stoneham.
Table 1 - Property Tax Rates & School Rankings for Greater Boston Towns1
The composition of each town’s property tax includes more than just taxes collected from residential homeowners. It also includes taxes collected from commercial and industrial sources (businesses), open spaces (land) and personal property (e.g., excise taxes on automobiles). These other tax sources may explain why some towns have higher/lower residential tax rates.
1DOR = Massachusetts Department of Revenue; Public school rankings provided by Niche; Property tax rates provided by Division of Local Services at Mass.gov.
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About TEAM COYLE
Team Coyle, a professional group of real estate agents at Compass, has more than ten years of experience helping individuals and families buy and sell real estate in the Greater Boston Region of Massachusetts (primarily MetroWest).
