Belchertown vs Palmer Schools
How the two districts, about 8 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Belchertown ranks higher, #119 to Palmer's #223 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Belchertown students score higher: ELA 51% vs 22%, Math 40% vs 28% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- High school: Palmer has no high school in our rankings (its students may attend a regional high school), so only Belchertown has SAT and graduation figures (SAT average 1122).
- Spending: Palmer spends $5,737 more per student ($23,575 vs $17,839).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Belchertown: single-family homes average $438K vs $301K. The average tax bill is $6,622 in Belchertown and $5,014 in Palmer.
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 | Belchertown | Palmer | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 51% | 22% | 41% |
| 2025 | 48% | 27% | 43% |
| 2024 | 46% | 25% | 42% |
| 2023 | 49% | 34% | 45% |
| 2022 | 44% | 27% | 43% |
| 2021 | 49% | 35% | 49% |
| Year | Belchertown | Palmer | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 40% | 28% | 41% |
| 2025 | 36% | 30% | 41% |
| 2024 | 37% | 30% | 42% |
| 2023 | 39% | 31% | 42% |
| 2022 | 40% | 26% | 41% |
| 2021 | 35% | 23% | 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
| Belchertown | Palmer | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,045 | 1,118 |
| English learners | 3% | 4.5% |
| Students with disabilities | 22.6% | 19.6% |
| White | 82.1% | 72.3% |
| Asian | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 10% | 19% |
| Black/African American | 1.6% | 2.1% |
| Multi-race | 4.4% | 4.8% |
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.