Dedham vs Watertown Schools
How the two districts, about 9 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Watertown ranks higher, #102 to Dedham's #112 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Similar results: in Dedham, 45% met expectations in ELA and 49% in Math; in Watertown, 46% and 51%. Statewide: 40% and 41%.
- SAT: Dedham averages 22 points higher (1154 vs 1132).
- Spending: Similar: $27,129 per student in Dedham and $27,428 in Watertown.
- Homes: Homes cost more in Dedham: single-family homes average $811K vs $663K. The average tax bill is $9,974 in Dedham and $8,094 in Watertown.
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 | Dedham | Watertown | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45% | 46% | 40% |
| 2025 | 44% | 48% | 42% |
| 2024 | 44% | 46% | 42% |
| 2023 | 48% | 49% | 45% |
| 2022 | 45% | 46% | 43% |
| 2021 | 51% | 49% | 48% |
| Year | Dedham | Watertown | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 49% | 51% | 41% |
| 2025 | 47% | 49% | 41% |
| 2024 | 50% | 48% | 42% |
| 2023 | 50% | 47% | 42% |
| 2022 | 46% | 46% | 40% |
| 2021 | 41% | 34% | 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
| Dedham | Watertown | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,694 | 2,886 |
| English learners | 8.6% | 18.2% |
| Students with disabilities | 23.2% | 18.9% |
| White | 64.6% | 55% |
| Asian | 2.9% | 8.4% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 18.1% | 23.7% |
| Black/African American | 8.3% | 3.6% |
| Multi-race | 6% | 9.3% |
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.