Chelmsford vs Dracut Schools
How the two districts, about 7 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Chelmsford ranks higher, #83 to Dracut's #180 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Chelmsford students score higher: ELA 55% vs 40%, Math 56% vs 39% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Chelmsford averages 142 points higher (1189 vs 1047).
- Spending: Chelmsford spends $2,165 more per student ($18,641 vs $16,476).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Chelmsford: single-family homes average $695K vs $593K. The average tax bill is $9,219 in Chelmsford and $5,737 in Dracut.
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 | Chelmsford | Dracut | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 55% | 40% | 41% |
| 2025 | 59% | 41% | 43% |
| 2024 | 56% | 39% | 42% |
| 2023 | 57% | 40% | 44% |
| 2022 | 58% | 39% | 43% |
| 2021 | 64% | 46% | 49% |
| Year | Chelmsford | Dracut | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 56% | 39% | 41% |
| 2025 | 52% | 39% | 41% |
| 2024 | 57% | 39% | 42% |
| 2023 | 53% | 37% | 42% |
| 2022 | 53% | 36% | 40% |
| 2021 | 46% | 30% | 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
| Chelmsford | Dracut | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 5,151 | 3,544 |
| English learners | 5.1% | 7.1% |
| Students with disabilities | 20.3% | 17.6% |
| White | 62% | 58.6% |
| Asian | 19.2% | 11.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 9.4% | 17.8% |
| Black/African American | 4.4% | 9.7% |
| Multi-race | 4.5% | 2.1% |
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.