NEW BEDFORD The 15 South Coast cities and towns held about $169.1 million in certified free cash and stabilization funds in mid-2024, roughly $447 for every resident, according to the latest state Division of Local Services comparison of all 351 Massachusetts communities.
Free cash accounted for $79.1 million of that total and stabilization funds for $90 million. Both come up every budget season, when finance committees, select boards and city councils set the budget and the tax levy.
Measured per resident in mid-2024, six of the 15 held more than the statewide median of $622: Marion at $1,225, Somerset at $1,003, Swansea at $915, Rochester at $838, Freetown at $750 and Mattapoisett at $697.
The region's two cities held some of its largest balances in dollars. Fall River had $17.1 million in free cash and $17.2 million in stabilization, and New Bedford had $3.7 million in free cash and $17.7 million in stabilization, the largest stabilization balance on the South Coast. Spread across 2023 populations of 93,840 and 100,695, those sums come to $365 and $212 per resident. Without the two cities, the other 13 towns held $618 per resident, close to the statewide median.
What the two funds are
Free cash is the money the state's director of accounts certifies as a community's available funds on hand as of July 1, after examining its accounts, under Mass. General Laws chapter 59, section 23. The Division of Local Services lists each community's free cash as of July 1, 2024. Under the same law, money a town appropriates from available funds is subtracted from what its assessors must raise in taxes, and the amount appropriated from those funds cannot exceed the sum certified as of the preceding July 1.
Stabilization funds are savings accounts that state law, chapter 40, section 5B, lets cities, towns and districts create for any lawful purpose, with interest added to the fund and the treasurer as custodian. Spending from a general purpose stabilization fund takes a two-thirds vote of the community's legislative body, its town meeting or city council; spending from a special purpose stabilization fund takes a majority.
Town by town
| Community | Free cash | Stabilization | Per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acushnet | $1,684,419 | $3,672,086 | $505 |
| Dartmouth | $6,680,509 | $11,908,206 | $556 |
| Dighton | $1,175,393 | $1,993,781 | $387 |
| Fairhaven | $4,373,354 | $3,393,584 | $489 |
| Fall River | $17,066,404 | $17,190,427 | $365 |
| Freetown | $3,139,617 | $3,825,822 | $750 |
| Marion | $3,277,738 | $3,202,869 | $1,225 |
| Mattapoisett | $2,671,064 | $1,966,551 | $697 |
| New Bedford | $3,670,860 | $17,668,855 | $212 |
| Rehoboth | $1,424,973 | $1,499,187 | $220 |
| Rochester | $2,312,106 | $2,608,780 | $838 |
| Somerset | $7,546,496 | $10,717,163 | $1,003 |
| Swansea | $12,342,651 | $3,561,072 | $915 |
| Wareham | $8,236,642 | $5,066,951 | $573 |
| Westport | $3,492,263 | $1,743,009 | $318 |
| South Coast | $79,094,489 | $90,018,343 | $447 |
Communities split their balances between the two funds in different ways. Swansea's free cash, $12.3 million or $710 per resident, was more than three times its stabilization balance of $3.6 million. Dartmouth and Somerset kept more in stabilization than in free cash, $11.9 million and $10.7 million, and Acushnet's stabilization fund was more than twice its free cash.
Heading into fiscal 2028
Because free cash is measured as of July 1, each year brings a new balance, while stabilization balances change with interest and with each deposit or withdrawal a town meeting or council votes.
The state lists Dighton's free cash at $1,175,393 as of July 1, 2024. A warrant summary in the packet for the Board of Selectmen's Oct. 14 meeting lists $1,923,714 in free cash available for the town's Nov. 9 special town meeting, and draft articles 7 and 8 would move up to $596,185 into the town's capital stabilization fund and up to $96,185 into its stabilization fund. Newer balances like that one are not yet in the state's side-by-side comparison.
How we did this
Each community's balances and population come from the report's Financial Indicators table, which lists free cash as of July 1, 2024 and the fiscal 2024 stabilization fund, and its general table, which lists each community's 2023 population. Per resident figures divide each community's free cash plus stabilization balance by that population and are rounded to the dollar. The South Coast figure adds the 15 balances and divides by the 15 populations combined, 378,277 people. The statewide median is the middle value among the 348 communities that show both balances.
Per resident figures show cash on hand at one point in time. They do not account for differences in budget size, debt, other reserves or the services a community provides.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
Every figure comes from public records: the Division of Local Services Community Comparison Report, which the agency lists as current as of Oct. 25, Mass. General Laws chapter 59, section 23 and chapter 40, section 5B, and the Dighton Board of Selectmen's Oct. 14 meeting packet, read Oct. 25. The per resident figures, the South Coast totals, the 13-town figure and the statewide median of $622 are our arithmetic from the state's own numbers.
Corrections
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Sources (5)
- Community Comparison Report, Financial Indicators tab (Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services, Data Analytics and Resources Bureau)Data current as of 10/25/2026. Columns: FY 2024 General Fund Debt Service, FY 2024 GF Debt Serv % of Budget, Free Cash Amount as of 7/1/2024, FY 2024 Stabilization Fund, bond ratings; 351 communities. South Coast free cash and stabilization: Acushnet 1,684,419 and 3,672,086; Dartmouth 6,680,509 and 11,908,206; Dighton 1,175,393 and 1,993,781; Fairhaven 4,373,354 and 3,393,584; Fall River 17,066,404 and 17,190,427; Freetown 3,139,617 and 3,825,822; Marion 3,277,738 and 3,202,869; Mattapoisett 2,671,064 and 1,966,551; New Bedford 3,670,860 and 17,668,855; Rehoboth 1,424,973 and 1,499,187; Rochester 2,312,106 and 2,608,780; Somerset 7,546,496 and 10,717,163; Swansea 12,342,651 and 3,561,072; Wareham 8,236,642 and 5,066,951; Westport 3,492,263 and 1,743,009. Holyoke, Hudson and Winchendon show no free cash figure. Exported to Excel. Read Oct. 25, 2026.
- Community Comparison Report, General/Socioeconomic tab (Division of Local Services)Data current as of 10/25/2026. 2023 Population: Acushnet 10,602; Dartmouth 33,419; Dighton 8,182; Fairhaven 15,878; Fall River 93,840; Freetown 9,290; Marion 5,292; Mattapoisett 6,652; New Bedford 100,695; Rehoboth 13,313; Rochester 5,871; Somerset 18,209; Swansea 17,375; Wareham 23,198; Westport 16,461. Exported to Excel. Read Oct. 25, 2026.
- Mass. General Laws c. 59, s. 23 (annual assessment; available funds)Massachusetts Legislature. Assessors deduct appropriations voted from available funds; those deductions shall not exceed the sums certified by the director of accounts, after examining the town's accounts, as the available funds on hand on the preceding July 1. Read Oct. 25, 2026.
- Mass. General Laws c. 40, s. 5B (stabilization funds)Massachusetts Legislature. Cities, towns and districts may create one or more stabilization funds and appropriate any amount into them; interest is added to the fund; the treasurer is custodian; general purpose and special purpose funds; appropriation from the general purpose fund by a two-thirds vote of the legislative body, from a special purpose fund by a majority. Read Oct. 25, 2026.
- Dighton Board of Selectmen meeting packet, Oct. 14, 2026 (page 20, Nov. 9, 2026 special town meeting article summary)Town of Dighton. FREE CASH AVAIL $1,923,714.00; Article 7 Capital Stabilization Fund $596,185.00 Free Cash; Article 8 Stabilization Fund $96,185.00 Free Cash. Read Oct. 25, 2026.