Bellingham vs Northbridge Schools
How the two districts, about 10 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Northbridge ranks higher, #155 to Bellingham's #176 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Northbridge students score higher: ELA 35% vs 28%, Math 35% vs 31% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Bellingham averages 62 points higher (1099 vs 1037).
- Spending: Bellingham spends $2,798 more per student ($21,558 vs $18,761).
- Homes: Similar: single-family homes average $490K in Bellingham and $509K in Northbridge. The average tax bill is $6,073 in Bellingham and $5,922 in Northbridge.
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 | Bellingham | Northbridge | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 28% | 35% | 41% |
| 2025 | 31% | 36% | 43% |
| 2024 | 28% | 35% | 42% |
| 2023 | 36% | 34% | 45% |
| 2022 | 35% | 35% | 44% |
| 2021 | 42% | 43% | 48% |
| Year | Bellingham | Northbridge | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 31% | 35% | 41% |
| 2025 | 34% | 35% | 41% |
| 2024 | 32% | 38% | 42% |
| 2023 | 34% | 36% | 42% |
| 2022 | 35% | 34% | 40% |
| 2021 | 30% | 28% | 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
| Bellingham | Northbridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,058 | 1,856 |
| English learners | 6.1% | 4.6% |
| Students with disabilities | 23.7% | 23.2% |
| White | 70% | 78.7% |
| Asian | 3.4% | 1.4% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 18.6% | 15.2% |
| Black/African American | 3.5% | 2.2% |
| Multi-race | 3.8% | 2.5% |
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.