Danvers vs Malden Schools
How the two districts, about 11 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Danvers ranks #174 and Malden #175 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Similar results: in Danvers, 35% met expectations in ELA and 36% in Math; in Malden, 35% and 34%. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Danvers averages 29 points higher (1089 vs 1060).
- Spending: Similar: $21,728 per student in Danvers and $21,528 in Malden.
- Homes: Homes cost more in Danvers: single-family homes average $731K vs $434K. The average tax bill is $7,780 in Danvers and $4,952 in Malden.
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 | Danvers | Malden | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35% | 35% | 41% |
| 2025 | 38% | 35% | 42% |
| 2024 | 40% | 36% | 41% |
| 2023 | 47% | 38% | 44% |
| 2022 | 44% | 38% | 43% |
| 2021 | 51% | 42% | 49% |
| Year | Danvers | Malden | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 36% | 34% | 41% |
| 2025 | 37% | 33% | 41% |
| 2024 | 43% | 36% | 42% |
| 2023 | 42% | 33% | 42% |
| 2022 | 40% | 32% | 40% |
| 2021 | 38% | 26% | 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
| Danvers | Malden | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 3,263 | 6,493 |
| English learners | 5.3% | 31.2% |
| Students with disabilities | 22.7% | 18.8% |
| White | 78.6% | 21.3% |
| Asian | 2.3% | 19.4% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 13.7% | 31.8% |
| Black/African American | 2.9% | 22.1% |
| Multi-race | 2.3% | 4.4% |
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.