Arlington vs Melrose 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: Arlington ranks #22 and Melrose #24 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Arlington students score higher: ELA 72% vs 64%, Math 72% vs 61% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Arlington averages 100 points higher (1266 vs 1166).
- Spending: Arlington spends $3,573 more per student ($20,549 vs $16,977).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Arlington: single-family homes average $1.12M vs $853K. The average tax bill is $11,947 in Arlington and $9,787 in Melrose.
- Class size: Smaller in Arlington: 18.2 students on average vs 20.2.
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 | Arlington | Melrose | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 72% | 64% | 41% |
| 2025 | 72% | 64% | 43% |
| 2024 | 69% | 60% | 41% |
| 2023 | 70% | 62% | 44% |
| 2022 | 70% | 62% | 43% |
| 2021 | 73% | 64% | 48% |
| Year | Arlington | Melrose | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 72% | 61% | 41% |
| 2025 | 71% | 60% | 41% |
| 2024 | 71% | 61% | 42% |
| 2023 | 71% | 59% | 42% |
| 2022 | 69% | 58% | 40% |
| 2021 | 62% | 53% | 35% |
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
| Arlington | Melrose | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 6,150 | 3,850 |
| English learners | 5% | 6.4% |
| Students with disabilities | 18% | 17.5% |
| White | 64.5% | 72.6% |
| Asian | 13.3% | 7.4% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 8.5% | 7.9% |
| Black/African American | 3.2% | 5.9% |
| Multi-race | 10.4% | 6% |
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.