Acton-Boxborough vs Westford Schools
How the two districts, about 7 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Westford ranks higher, #38 to Acton-Boxborough's #56 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Acton-Boxborough students score higher: ELA 67% vs 60%, Math 70% vs 69% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Acton-Boxborough averages 63 points higher (1334 vs 1271).
- Spending: Acton-Boxborough spends $3,038 more per student ($22,300 vs $19,263).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Acton-Boxborough: single-family homes average $936K vs $852K. The average tax bill is $14,796 in Acton-Boxborough and $11,171 in Westford.
MCAS results, 2026
Share of students meeting or exceeding expectations, all tested grades combined. Both districts test grades 3–10; "State" is the statewide figure for the same grades.
| Year | Acton-Boxborough | Westford | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 67% | 60% | 41% |
| 2025 | 69% | 64% | 43% |
| 2024 | 67% | 65% | 42% |
| 2023 | 70% | 68% | 45% |
| 2022 | 69% | 68% | 44% |
| 2021 | 72% | 75% | 49% |
| Year | Acton-Boxborough | Westford | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 70% | 69% | 41% |
| 2025 | 71% | 71% | 41% |
| 2024 | 71% | 72% | 42% |
| 2023 | 71% | 73% | 42% |
| 2022 | 72% | 73% | 41% |
| 2021 | 69% | 68% | 36% |
No test in 2020. Statewide 10th-grade results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement.
High school results
Averages of each district's ranked high schools. "MA avg" is the average of all districts with high school data.
Classrooms, teachers & spending
Spending is total per-pupil expenditure from all sources in FY2024. Class size is the average across all classes in the district.
Students
| Acton-Boxborough | Westford | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 5,105 | 4,643 |
| English learners | 7% | 3.8% |
| Students with disabilities | 16.9% | 18.3% |
| White | 49% | 56.5% |
| Asian | 31.9% | 33.4% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 9.5% | 5.1% |
| Black/African American | 3.3% | 2.6% |
| Multi-race | 6.2% | 2.1% |
Homes & taxes
What could you afford in either town?
FY2026 averages for single-family homes from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue; for a district with several towns, the comparison uses the average of its towns. Assessed values usually run below recent sale prices.