Homes and taxes
Homes, taxes, growth
lunenburgbudgetproject.org — written by the Lunenburg Budget Project, an independent tool for residents. Not affiliated with the Town of Lunenburg, the School Committee or the school district. The data this page is computed from: /data/topics/homes-and-taxes.json
About 11,804 residents live in 4,529 households, 81.3% owner-occupied, on a Census sample. The average single-family bill was $7,444 in FY2026, and the town has 773 more single-family homes than in FY1994 while enrolment fell.
| Single-family homes | Enrolled children | |
|---|---|---|
| FY1994 | 2,872 | 1,758 |
| FY1999 | 3,072 | 1,830 |
| FY2002 | 3,201 | 1,851 |
| FY2003 | 3,249 | 1,887 |
| FY2004 | 3,283 | 1,830 |
| FY2005 | 3,325 | 1,822 |
| FY2006 | 3,362 | 1,836 |
| FY2007 | 3,389 | 1,844 |
| FY2008 | 3,389 | 1,824 |
| FY2009 | 3,413 | 1,739 |
| FY2010 | 3,418 | 1,702 |
| FY2011 | 3,419 | 1,650 |
| FY2012 | 3,426 | 1,637 |
| FY2013 | 3,433 | 1,587 |
| FY2014 | 3,443 | 1,564 |
| FY2015 | 3,451 | 1,557 |
| FY2016 | 3,472 | 1,567 |
| FY2017 | 3,486 | 1,613 |
| FY2018 | 3,514 | 1,641 |
| FY2019 | 3,530 | 1,649 |
| FY2020 | 3,543 | 1,641 |
| FY2021 | 3,558 | 1,593 |
| FY2022 | 3,583 | 1,597 |
| FY2023 | 3,593 | 1,562 |
| FY2024 | 3,625 | 1,580 |
| FY2025 | 3,635 | 1,563 |
| FY2026 | 3,645 | 1,568 |
DLS single-family parcels and DESE’s 1 October enrolment. Before FY2002 a year missing from either file is left out, so the axis is not evenly spaced there.
1 · Who lives here
11,804 ± 19
residents, 2019–2023 sample
16.8%
of residents 65 or over, ± 2.6 points
32.6%
of households with a child under 18
$72,935
median income, householder 65 or over
3 of 15
Census measures that changed beyond the margin
—
property tax paid by households 65 and over
not published
2 · Homes and the bill
81.3%
of occupied homes owner-occupied
$7,444
average single-family bill, FY2026
47.7%
rise in that bill in ten years
26.6%
fall in the tax rate in the same years
6th of 11
nearby towns, by average bill
3 · Growth
773
more single-family homes since FY1994
319
fewer enrolled than at the FY2003 peak
1.64%
added to the levy limit by new growth, FY2026
8.7%
business share of the tax base, FY2026
4 · What it adds up to
- 1
Every Census figure here is a sample; only 3 of 15 changed beyond its margin.
- 2
About a third of households have a child under 18; 16.8% of residents are 65 or over.
- 3
The average bill rose 47.7% in ten years while the tax rate fell 26.6%.
- 4
Single-family homes never fell in the record; enrolment is 319 below its FY2003 peak.
- 5
New growth added 1.64% to the FY2026 levy limit; business is 8.7% of the base.
- 6
What households headed by someone 65 or over pay in property tax is not published.
Who lives here
- Population and households →About 11,804 residents in 4,529 households, on a sample; both grew by more than the survey’s margin.
- Residents by age →1,979 ± 309 residents are 65 or over, 16.8% of the town; 2,736 ± 429 are under 18. Both are sample estimates.
- Households with children →1,477 ± 198 of 4,529 households have a child under 18, about a third; how many use the schools is unpublished.
- Household income →Median household income is $109,753 ± $12,275 on a sample, ranking 167 of 350 Massachusetts municipalities.
- Income by age →A household headed by someone 65 or over has a median income of $72,935, 56.5% of a 45-to-64 household’s.
Homes and the bill
- Owners and renters →81.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, 3,682 ± 321 households, on a sample estimate.
- Average tax bill →The average single-family bill was $7,444 in FY2026, up 47.7% in ten years while the tax rate fell 26.6%.
- Bill against neighbours →At $7,444, the average bill is 6th of 11 nearby towns and 145 of 351 statewide.
- Home value and bill →A $500,000 home is taxed $7,195 a year in Lunenburg, 5th-highest of 15 nearby; in Leominster, $6,830.
- Regional school share →Monty Tech’s FY2026 assessment was 3.80% of Lunenburg’s levy: about $283 of the average bill, our estimate.
- Years in the home →1,799 ± 297 owner households moved in before 2010, about half; the median owner moved in in 2010.
- Bill by deed year →A home last deeded before 1986 would pay a median $5,992 before exemptions; one deeded since 2021, $6,890.
Growth
- Homes and enrolment →773 more single-family homes since FY1994; enrolment is 319 below its FY2003 peak.
- New growth →New growth added $518,650 to the FY2026 levy limit, 1.64% of the prior limit, on top of Proposition 2½.
- Business building pace →Non-residential new growth averaged $19,421,113 a year in FY2024–FY2026, 3.3 times the pace before it.
- Commercial share →Business property is 8.7% of the FY2026 tax base, against 10.6% in FY2002 and 7.3% in FY2023.