•Overall: Frontier ranks higher, #107 to Northampton's #128 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
•MCAS 2026: Mixed: Northampton leads in ELA (50% vs 43%), Frontier in Math (45% vs 42%). Statewide: 41% and 41%.
•SAT: Northampton averages 38 points higher (1264 vs 1226).
•Spending: Similar: $22,836 per student in Frontier and $21,336 in Northampton.
•Homes: Homes cost more in Northampton: single-family homes average $571K vs $459K. The average tax bill is $6,104 in Frontier and $7,801 in Northampton.
•Class size: Smaller in Frontier: 11.1 students on average vs 16.9.
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.
English Language ArtsNorthampton ahead
Frontier
43%
Northampton
50%
State
41%
MathFrontier ahead
Frontier
45%
Northampton
42%
State
41%
ELA by year
Year
Frontier
Northampton
State
2026
43%
50%
41%
2025
45%
51%
42%
2024
39%
49%
42%
2023
45%
52%
44%
2022
48%
48%
43%
2021
55%
54%
48%
Math by year
Year
Frontier
Northampton
State
2026
45%
42%
41%
2025
48%
41%
41%
2024
47%
39%
42%
2023
46%
43%
42%
2022
44%
38%
40%
2021
40%
36%
36%
No test in 2020. Statewide 10th-grade results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement.
High school results
Average SATNorthampton ahead
Frontier
1226
Northampton
1264
MA avg
1113
AP exams scored 3+Frontier ahead
Frontier
87.7%
Northampton
86%
MA avg
69.1%
Four-year graduation rateNorthampton ahead
Frontier
89%
Northampton
94.2%
MA avg
92.4%
Averages of each district's ranked high schools. "MA avg" is the average of all districts with high school data.
Classrooms, teachers & spending
Average class sizeHigher in Northampton
Frontier
11.1
Northampton
16.9
MA avg
17.3
Attendance rateAbout the same
Frontier
93.2%
Northampton
93.8%
MA avg
93.7%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysAbout the same
Frontier
15.1%
Northampton
15.9%
MA avg
16.9%
Teachers who stayedfrom last yearFrontier ahead
Frontier
94.4%
Northampton
86.6%
MA avg
84.7%
Spending per studentHigher in Frontier
Frontier
$22,836
Northampton
$21,336
MA median
$21,765
Average teacher salaryHigher in Northampton
Frontier
$78,317
Northampton
$80,036
MA median
$91,393
Spending is total per-pupil expenditure from all sources in FY2024. Class size is the average across all classes in the district.
Students
Frontier
Northampton
Students in classes
592
2,533
English learners
0.5%
5.2%
Students with disabilities
21.1%
25.4%
White
82.5%
68.1%
Asian
1.9%
2.6%
Hispanic/Latino
8.4%
18.6%
Black/African American
2%
3.4%
Multi-race
5.2%
7.2%
Homes & taxes
Average single-family home valueHigher in Northampton
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.