Commonwealth · Findings

Massachusetts in 16 charts

Sixteen charts from the Commonwealth study: the state budget, how the Legislature decides, what cities and towns receive, and schools and roads. Each chart states its finding in a sentence and links to the full account and its sources.

The state budget

Chart 1 of 16

How big the budget is

The enacted budget grew from $38.7B in FY2017 to $62.6B in FY2027; supplemental budgets added up to $9.0B in a year.

Enacted budgetAdded by supplemental budgets

FY17

$38.7B

FY18

$39.6B

FY19

$41.3B

FY20

$42.9B

FY21

$45.7B

FY22

$47.6B

FY23

$51.7B

FY24

$55.3B

FY25

$57.0B

FY26

$60.2B

FY27

$62.6B

Source: CTHRU budget to actual (Office of the Comptroller), FY2017–FY2027; FY2027 surtax shares from Section 2F of the budget.

The state budget, year over year

Chart 2 of 16

Where the last two increases went

The budget grew $3.2B (5.6%) in FY2026 and $2.4B (4.0%) in FY2027; health and human services and education took most of both.

FY2025 to FY2026FY2026 to FY2027

Health and human services

+$2.7B

+$939M

Education (with its surtax lines)

+$700M

+$702M

Administration and finance

+$50M

+$409M

Courts

+$29M

+$90M

Public safety

+$50M

+$54M

Sheriffs

+$1M

+$75M

Housing

−$1M

+$62M

Transportation

+$3M

+$50M

Secretary of State

−$16M

+$24M

Treasurer

−$23M

+$17M

Executive Office Of Technology Services And Security

−$40M

Ctr/Fad Accounting Entities

−$289M

−$50M

Source: CTHRU budget to actual (Office of the Comptroller), FY2017–FY2027; FY2027 surtax shares from Section 2F of the budget. Areas that moved $20 million or more in either year; surtax lines are counted with the program they pay for.

Where the increase went

Chart 3 of 16

The surtax and the General Fund

Since FY2024 the surtax has paid a growing share of programs the General Fund had paid for: in FY2027, $375 million of child-care grants and $585 million of Chapter 70.

General Fund lineSurtax line

Child care grants to providers (C3)

FY23

$318M

FY24

$475M

FY25

$475M

FY26

$475M

FY27

$475M

Chapter 70 school aid

FY23

$6.0B

FY24

$6.6B

FY25

$6.9B

FY26

$7.4B

FY27

$7.7B

Child care financial assistance

FY23

$694M

FY24

$808M

FY25

$978M

FY26

$1.0B

FY27

$1.2B

Universal school meals

FY23

$180M

FY24

$185M

FY25

$187M

FY26

$184M

FY27

$184M

Special education circuit breaker

FY23

$441M

FY24

$499M

FY25

$741M

FY26

$637M

FY27

$655M

Regional school transportation

FY23

$82M

FY24

$97M

FY25

$108M

FY26

$104M

FY27

$116M

Source: CTHRU budget to actual (Office of the Comptroller), FY2017–FY2027; FY2027 surtax shares from Section 2F of the budget. Enacted plus supplemental appropriations. Point to a column for its figures.

New money and moved money

How the Legislature decides

Chart 4 of 16

Size of the request

The bigger the ask, the less often the Senate adopts it. Share of Senate budget amendments adopted, by dollars requested, FY2017–FY2026 — Source: Parcenomics analysis of FY2017–FY2026 Senate budget amendments and debate records (malegislature.gov); 6,553 money requests by size band, concentrated and diffuse requests together.

Report, section 2: Size, not need

Chart 5 of 16

Posts and the $1–5 million requests

Between $1 million and $5 million, senators with posts won more often. Senate need-based requests of $1M–$5M adopted, by sponsor's post, FY2024–FY2026 — Source: Parcenomics analysis of 1,092 Senate need-based budget amendments, FY2024–FY2026 (malegislature.gov), requests of $1,000,000–$4,999,999; posts as held in the General Court that enacted each budget (FY2024–25 the 2023–2024 court, FY2026 the 2025–2026 court), from malegislature.gov member records and CTHRU payroll stipends (cthru.data.socrata.com).

Report, section 2: Size, not need

Chart 6 of 16

What explains the money

Report, section 6: Why towns get what they get

Chart 7 of 16

Posts and district money

In the House, district earmark money is highest where the Democrat holds a top post. Median earmarks to the city or town government (first measure), $ per resident a year, FY2018–FY2026 — Source: Parcenomics analysis of House Democrats, General Courts 190–194 (2017–2026), stipend tier from CTHRU payroll dataset 9ttk-7vz6 (cthru.data.socrata.com) the year before the session; earmarks to the city or town government (first measure) in the General Appropriations Acts FY2018–FY2026 (malegislature.gov), by House district. Medians, not adjusted.

Report, section 7: Breadcrumbs

Chart 8 of 16

Reform votes and promotion

House Democrats who voted for reform were rarely promoted. Of House Democrats starting a session with no stipend, share drawing one by year two, 2017–2026 — Source: Parcenomics analysis of House Democrats with no stipend the year before the session and a stipend in the session’s second year; stipends from CTHRU payroll dataset 9ttk-7vz6 (cthru.data.socrata.com); votes from malegislature.gov roll calls.

Report, section 7: Breadcrumbs

Chart 9 of 16

Campaign money in the House

Top leadershipOther leadership or committee chairVice chair or other postNo post

Contributions this cycle, 2025–26 to date

The five members of top leadership raised a median of $228,000 this cycle, 5.3 times the median for the other 154 members, $43,000.

$0$100K$200K

Every contribution to the member’s own committee filed with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, including small gifts reported only as a total. 159 of 159 members.

Source: Office of Campaign and Political Finance (ocpf.us), reports filed by October 21, 2026; posts from the Legislature’s records (malegislature.gov). Point to a dot for the member; click it for the member’s page.

The Legislature at a glance, House and Senate

Chart 10 of 16

Campaign money in the Senate

Top leadershipOther leadership or committee chair

Contributions this cycle, 2025–26 to date

The six members of top leadership raised a median of $265,000 this cycle, 3.1 times the median for the other 34 members, $86,000.

$0$200K$400K

Every contribution to the member’s own committee filed with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, including small gifts reported only as a total. 40 of 40 members.

The Legislature at a glance, House and Senate

What cities and towns receive

Chart 11 of 16

Fairness across 351 municipalities

229 of 351 towns score below 50 on all state aid; the neediest cities score well above. One circle per town; area shows population — Source: Parcenomics analysis of DESE Chapter 70 and circuit-breaker data (doe.mass.edu), DLS cherry sheets (dls-gw.dor.state.ma.us), CTHRU statewide spending (cthru.data.socrata.com) and General Appropriations Acts FY2017–FY2026 (malegislature.gov); population from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024. Method in this section and in Methods.

Report, section 9: The Fairness Index

Chart 12 of 16

Per resident or per mile

Small towns get 4.9 times their share per resident, but 1.47 times their share per unit of burden. Competitive state awards FY2017–FY2026, towns grouped by population — Source: Parcenomics analysis of state competitive award lists, FY2017–FY2026 (agency award lists and press releases, mass.gov), towns grouped by population fifth; MassDOT road and bridge inventories (gis.massdot.state.ma.us); FHWA National Bridge Inventory 2025 (fhwa.dot.gov); U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024.

Report, section 3: The denominator problem

Chart 13 of 16

Aid against inflation

Statewide aid kept pace with consumer prices but not with the cost of what governments buy. Index, FY2006 = 100. State aid to all 351 towns; government prices = BEA state and local deflator — Source: Parcenomics analysis of gross aid from DLS Revenue by Source, all 351 municipalities (dls-gw.dor.state.ma.us); CPI-U Boston-Cambridge-Newton and U.S. city average (BLS) and the BEA implicit price deflator for state and local government, via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Fiscal-year averages.

Report, section 8: The squeeze

Schools and roads

Chart 15 of 16

School aid per pupil

Report, section 4: Schools and Chapter 70

Chart 16 of 16

Road money not yet reimbursed

Chapter 90 money not yet reimbursed rose from $329 million in June 2019 to $674 million in June 2026, as the program grew from $240 million a year to $460 million.

ApportionedReimbursed in the yearNot yet reimbursed at year end (FY2012-on money)

Source: MassDOT Chapter 90 apportionments and CTHRU payments to cities and towns, FY2017–FY2026.

Road money not yet reimbursed

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The state budget

How big the budget is

The enacted budget grew from $38.7B in FY2017 to $62.6B in FY2027; supplemental budgets added up to $9.0B in a year.

Where the last two increases went

The budget grew $3.2B (5.6%) in FY2026 and $2.4B (4.0%) in FY2027; health and human services and education took most of both.

The surtax and the General Fund

Since FY2024 the surtax has paid a growing share of programs the General Fund had paid for: in FY2027, $375 million of child-care grants and $585 million of Chapter 70.

How the Legislature decides

Size of the request

Posts and the $1–5 million requests

What explains the money

Posts and district money

Reform votes and promotion

Campaign money in the House

The five members of top leadership raised a median of $228,000 this cycle, 5.3 times the median for the other 154 members, $43,000.

Campaign money in the Senate

The six members of top leadership raised a median of $265,000 this cycle, 3.1 times the median for the other 34 members, $86,000.

What cities and towns receive

Fairness across 351 municipalities

Per resident or per mile

Aid against inflation

Aid as a share of town spending

Schools and roads

School aid per pupil

Road money not yet reimbursed

Chapter 90 money not yet reimbursed rose from $329 million in June 2019 to $674 million in June 2026, as the program grew from $240 million a year to $460 million.

What the state did with the money this week.