A Shelburne-versus-Buckland search should begin with an exact property match. A familiar village or mailing name is useful for finding a place, but municipal boundaries determine which tax record and local approvals apply. Establish that connection first, then compare the actual house, land and service responsibilities.
Why does the municipal record matter?
The median single-family assessment is $364,900 in Shelburne and $315,300 in Buckland. The associated annual tax illustrations are $4,769 and $5,278. These are separate municipal calculations with their periods shown below. Before applying either to a search, match the listing address to a parcel and current bill. If several parcels are offered together, determine which municipality and obligations apply to each rather than assuming a shared description makes them one tax record.
Massachusetts Department of Revenue: determining property values.
How should the land be compared?
The recorded median lot acreage is 2 in Shelburne and 1.27 in Buckland. The number alone does not establish usable ground or the ability to build. Review the shape of the site, drainage, access and any plans or easements. If an outbuilding, additional parking or another project is central to the decision, seek a property-specific answer about that proposal. Keep speculative future use separate from what the existing property demonstrably provides.
What can sewer records tell a buyer?
They show whether a system is recorded for the municipality, not whether every address is connected. Confirm the actual wastewater arrangement and responsibility for private equipment or pipes. Request maintenance or inspection records as appropriate. Add those obligations to the property's current taxes, insurance and expected work. A fair comparison accounts for the different services and upkeep attached to each house, as well as the travel pattern the household would follow after moving.
What does the local record show?
These towns provide local context for the decision in this article. The figures describe the published records and survey periods identified below. Compare the same measures across places, then confirm the details of any actual home before using them in a budget or offer.
Local Figures for This Decision
Download CSV, same columns, same definitions
Selected municipalities, shown alphabetically. Definitions below distinguish assessments, administrative benchmarks and survey estimates from current market quotes.
| Town | Single-family Assessment | Annual Tax Illustration | Median Lot Acres | Sewer Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckland | $315,300 | $5,278 | 1.27 | Recorded |
| Shelburne | $364,900 | $4,769 | 2 | Recorded |
What These Columns Mean
- Town
- Municipality; follow its record below for the full data and address check.
- Single-family Assessment
- Median assessed value of single-family parcels. This is a tax-roll statistic, not an asking price, appraisal or median sale price. Assessment years are identified in the sources.
- Annual Tax Illustration
- The published residential rate applied to the town's median single-family assessment, including the recorded community preservation surcharge and its general first-value exemption where adopted. Individual exemptions, special assessments and a future reassessment can change an actual bill.
- Median Lot Acres
- Median recorded single-family parcel acreage. Lot area is not a measure of buildable, dry or accessible land and does not establish a surveyed boundary.
- Sewer Recorded
- Whether a sewer system is recorded for the municipality. Town-level presence does not establish street coverage, a private connection, available capacity or connection cost.
Cite: RE413. “Local Figures for This Decision.” Updated September 19, 2026. https://www.re413.com/news/shelburne-vs-buckland-ma/, underlying sources at https://www.re413.com/sources/.
Buckland's town record. Single-family assessment: $315,300. Annual tax illustration: $5,278. Median lot acres: 1.27. Sewer recorded: Recorded.
Shelburne's town record. Single-family assessment: $364,900. Annual tax illustration: $4,769. Median lot acres: 2. Sewer recorded: Recorded.
How has the published average tax bill changed?
This is the Department of Revenue's published average single-family tax-bill series in nominal dollars. It is a different measure from the current median-assessment illustration above. Changes can reflect the tax levy, assessed values and the housing stock; this is not a forecast of the bill for a home you buy.
Published Average Single-Family Tax Bill
ShelburneBuckland
Shelburne$5,146Buckland$5,804Fiscal 2026; common reporting years
What should you check next?
- Match the listing, parcel and municipality, identifying every parcel included in the proposed transaction.
- Investigate usable land, access and approvals for any project essential to the purchase.
- Confirm the actual wastewater arrangement and compare current bills and documented maintenance needs.
Keep the address, document date and source alongside each answer. If records disagree, identify which period and property each describes before treating the difference as a change. A missing result leaves a question open; it does not establish that a property has no problem or no cost.
Where can you continue the comparison?
- Matching an address to a property record
- Finding recorded property documents
- Checking road and access responsibilities
Browse all housing guides by subject.
Open the linked town records for the wider context, including sources and dates. Use the property-specific records to narrow a decision, and keep current quotes separate from the historical figures used to explain it here.
Which official guidance supports this article?
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue: determining property values. Guidance checked 2026-09-05; confirm current requirements for your transaction.
Sources
- MassGIS and municipal assessors. single-family assessment, annual tax illustration, median lot acres. Figures through Buckland: FY2026; Shelburne: FY2026. Checked 2026-08-21.
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services. annual tax illustration. Figures through Buckland: FY2026; Shelburne: FY2026. Checked 2026-08-05.
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue, community preservation records. annual tax illustration. Checked 2026-08-05.
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, public sewer systems. sewer recorded. Checked 2026-09-07.
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue, historical average single-family tax bills. Published annual mean bills in the chart; nominal dollars, with only common reporting years in a two-town comparison. Figures through FY2010–FY2026. Checked 2026-08-05.
"Figures through" is the period the publisher's data describes; "checked" is only when we last asked. The full sourcing: sources and method.