Fairhaven vs Old Rochester Schools
How the two districts, about 6 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Old Rochester ranks higher, #82 to Fairhaven's #124 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Old Rochester students score higher: ELA 50% vs 40%, Math 47% vs 46% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 42%.
- SAT: Old Rochester averages 17 points higher (1132 vs 1115).
- Spending: Old Rochester spends $3,259 more per student ($21,519 vs $18,260).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Old Rochester: single-family homes average $815K vs $476K. The average tax bill is $4,374 in Fairhaven and $7,966 in Old Rochester.
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 | Fairhaven | Old Rochester | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 40% | 50% | 41% |
| 2025 | 44% | 52% | 43% |
| 2024 | 43% | 52% | 42% |
| 2023 | 45% | 55% | 45% |
| 2022 | 44% | 50% | 43% |
| 2021 | 53% | 60% | 50% |
| Year | Fairhaven | Old Rochester | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 46% | 47% | 42% |
| 2025 | 44% | 49% | 41% |
| 2024 | 52% | 51% | 42% |
| 2023 | 50% | 52% | 42% |
| 2022 | 50% | 51% | 40% |
| 2021 | 44% | 46% | 37% |
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
| Fairhaven | Old Rochester | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 1,737 | 1,044 |
| English learners | 2.2% | 0.3% |
| Students with disabilities | 17.1% | 17.6% |
| White | 80.5% | 87% |
| Asian | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 9.4% | 4.5% |
| Black/African American | 2.5% | 1.7% |
| Multi-race | 5.3% | 5.8% |
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.