Andover vs Reading Schools
How the two districts, about 8 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Andover ranks #28 and Reading #32 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Andover students score higher: ELA 62% vs 62%, Math 69% vs 64% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Andover averages 45 points higher (1220 vs 1175).
- Spending: Andover spends $4,317 more per student ($24,441 vs $20,124).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Andover: single-family homes average $1.07M vs $940K. The average tax bill is $13,176 in Andover and $10,300 in 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 | Reading | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 62% | 62% | 41% |
| 2025 | 66% | 65% | 43% |
| 2024 | 66% | 63% | 42% |
| 2023 | 67% | 62% | 44% |
| 2022 | 66% | 63% | 44% |
| 2021 | 67% | 67% | 49% |
| Year | Andover | Reading | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 69% | 64% | 41% |
| 2025 | 69% | 65% | 41% |
| 2024 | 68% | 64% | 42% |
| 2023 | 66% | 57% | 42% |
| 2022 | 65% | 59% | 40% |
| 2021 | 60% | 52% | 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 | Reading | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 5,490 | 3,846 |
| English learners | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| Students with disabilities | 17.4% | 19.8% |
| White | 62.4% | 81.6% |
| Asian | 18.6% | 5.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 10.4% | 5.3% |
| Black/African American | 3.2% | 3.7% |
| Multi-race | 5.3% | 3.7% |
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.