How affordable IS Ashland

Ashland is part of the Massachusetts regional cluster called MetroWest. The MetroWest Chamber of Commerce web site (www.metrowest.org) lists the towns considered part of MetroWest. Besides Framingham and Natick, Ashland is the most affordable community in the MetroWest area. Framingham and Natick have the advantage of large commercial/industrial tax bases, and thus can afford lower residential property tax rates. Of the twenty-two towns in MetroWest and the surrounding area, Ashland is the seventh most affordable town. For a residential bedroom community, Ashland is very affordable compared to its neighbors.

Below is a table that lists the average value of a single family home and the average tax bill for a single family home and ranks the tax bill from the most expensive to least expensive within Massachusetts. This information was taken from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services Databank. The data is from fiscal year 2007. 

All towns in MetroWest except for Ashland and Westborough have approved at least one and sometimes more operational override(s).


MetroWest Towns with Tax Bill Ranking (2008)
 

Town

Average Value

Tax Bill

State Rank

Sherborn

 770,925 12,073 2

Wayland

 652,315 9,772 7

Sudbury

 683,843 9,758 8

Southborough

576,642

7,231

27

Hopkinton

518,552

7,338

25

Westborough

455,046

6,689

34

Holliston *

414,224

6,015

44

Ashland

413,165

5,338

56

Natick

482,407

4,829

73

Framingham

385,728

4,821

76

The ranking number shows how a town ranks as compared to all 351 cities/towns in the Commonwealth.  A ranking of 1 indicates the most expensive town in the Commonwealth.” Average value” is the average single family residence home value as determined by the Massachusett Department of Revenue.



MetroWest and Surrounding Towns with State Tax Ranking (2008) 



Town
Average Value

Tax Bill

Ranking

Sherborn

770,925 12,073 2
 
 Sudbury 		683,843 9,758 8

Medfield

 598,897 7,666 21

Southborough

 576,642 7,231 27

Hopkinton

 518,552 7,338 25

Westborough

 455,046 6,689 34

Holliston

 414,224 6,015 44

Medway

 391,987 5,511 52

Northborough

 418,409 5,556 50

Ashland                

 413,165 5,338 56

Millis

 394,325 4,842 71

Natick

 482,407 4,829 73

Framingham

 384,728 4,821 76

Upton

 451,575 4,800 78

Grafton

 390,324 3,923 123

Milford

 331,776 3,915 124


Operational Override Information

All towns listed above except for Ashland, Westborough, Milford and Grafton have approved at least one and sometimes more operational override(s).

The information for this document is based on data taken from the website listed below, Mass. Dept. of Revenue, Property Tax Information, Single Family Homes, 2007 and 2008.

http://mass.gov/?pageID=dorterminal&L=4&L0=Home&L1=Local+Officials&L2=Municipal+Data+and+Financial+Management&L3=Data+Bank+Reports&sid=Ador&b=terminalcontent&f=dls_mdmstuf_proptax&csid=Ador