Massachusetts · 35,528 residents
How much does Chelmsford spend?
What is Chelmsford's money for?
Click a category to see what it pays for.
By categoryShare of budget against towns of the same size$165.4M
“elsewhere”: what towns the same size usually devoteChelmsford devotes a larger share of its budgeta smaller share
- Schools$80.2M48%elsewhere: 48%48% · towns its size: 48%
- Pensions and employee benefits$34.0M21%elsewhere: 12%21% · towns its size: 12%
- Police, fire and public safety$17.8M11%elsewhere: 11%11% · towns its size: 11%
- Debt payments$10.4M6%elsewhere: 6%6% · towns its size: 6%
- Streets and public works$9.6M6%elsewhere: 7%6% · towns its size: 7%
- General government$7.2M4%elsewhere: 7%4% · towns its size: 7%
- Libraries, parks and recreation$2.7M2%elsewhere: 2%2% · towns its size: 2%
- Transfers and other$2.1M1%elsewhere: 1%1% · towns its size: 1%
- Health and human services$1.5M1%elsewhere: 1%1% · towns its size: 1%
Shares of the town's general-fund spending. “Elsewhere”: the median share among the towns of the state closest in population — half give more, half less. A town that pays for a category from another fund is left out of that median.
Compare with a town of the same size in Massachusetts
Per resident, FY2026 accounts, against the towns of Massachusetts closest in population. A town above or below is not better or worse run.
What it builds, levies and owes
Property tax
$13.27per $1,000 of taxable value · set for FY2026 · −5.6% since FY2003
The 20 towns of its size: $11.49 · businesses pay $15.64
The town's residential rate, as certified by the Division of Local Services. It is the whole local property tax: Massachusetts has no separate school or county levy, the town pays those from its budget. A split-rate town taxes commercial and industrial property at a higher rate.
What it owes
$51.3Mowed at the end of FY2026 · $1,445 per resident
$1,575 in towns its size · −35.5% since FY2005
$10.4M of debt payments from the general fund in FY2026
The long-term debt the town reports on its Schedule A to the Division of Local Services, every fund.
Understand
What this page covers
General fund spending by function, as each town reports it on its Schedule A, and the operating budget voted each year (a total: the state files it by funding source, not by function). Schools the town runs are included; enterprise funds (water, sewer) are not.
Voted budget and actual spending
The voted budget is what the town approved before the year began. Actual spending is what it paid out, audited and reported to the state after the year ended. The two differ: money set aside is not always spent, and budgets are amended during the year.
Comparing with other towns in Massachusetts
Each state collects its towns' figures in its own way. Some report the general fund only, others every fund; some include schools and others leave them to separate school districts. Per-resident figures are compared between towns of the same state only. A few cities also do the work of a county — San Francisco and Jacksonville among them — and spend far more per resident than a city of the same size.
Source
Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services — Schedule A and Tax Rate Recapitulation. The state's records ↗ Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (population reported with the unit), 2022 file.
Source: Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services — Schedule A and Tax Rate Recapitulation.