Andover vs North Reading Schools
How the two districts, about 6 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Andover ranks #28 and North Reading #34 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: North Reading students score higher: ELA 67% vs 62%, Math 69% vs 69% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Andover averages 37 points higher (1220 vs 1183).
- Spending: Andover spends $2,704 more per student ($24,441 vs $21,737).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Andover: single-family homes average $1.07M vs $883K. The average tax bill is $13,176 in Andover and $11,495 in North Reading.
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 | Andover | North Reading | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 62% | 67% | 41% |
| 2025 | 66% | 72% | 43% |
| 2024 | 66% | 67% | 42% |
| 2023 | 67% | 69% | 44% |
| 2022 | 66% | 65% | 44% |
| 2021 | 67% | 72% | 49% |
| Year | Andover | North Reading | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 69% | 69% | 41% |
| 2025 | 69% | 70% | 41% |
| 2024 | 68% | 70% | 42% |
| 2023 | 66% | 70% | 42% |
| 2022 | 65% | 66% | 40% |
| 2021 | 60% | 62% | 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
| Andover | North Reading | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 5,490 | 2,333 |
| English learners | 3.2% | 1.6% |
| Students with disabilities | 17.4% | 18.9% |
| White | 62.4% | 83.8% |
| Asian | 18.6% | 5.9% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 10.4% | 5.4% |
| Black/African American | 3.2% | 0.7% |
| Multi-race | 5.3% | 4.2% |
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.