Gloucester vs Salem Schools
How the two districts, about 14 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Gloucester ranks #228 and Salem #234 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Gloucester students score higher: ELA 34% vs 31%, Math 31% vs 26% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Gloucester averages 136 points higher (1150 vs 1014).
- Spending: Salem spends $2,673 more per student ($25,713 vs $23,039).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Gloucester: single-family homes average $1.02M vs $676K. The average tax bill is $9,502 in Gloucester and $7,285 in Salem.
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 | Gloucester | Salem | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 34% | 31% | 41% |
| 2025 | 34% | 33% | 43% |
| 2024 | 33% | 27% | 42% |
| 2023 | 39% | 29% | 44% |
| 2022 | 38% | 27% | 44% |
| 2021 | 46% | 36% | 48% |
| Year | Gloucester | Salem | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 31% | 26% | 41% |
| 2025 | 31% | 26% | 41% |
| 2024 | 31% | 25% | 42% |
| 2023 | 34% | 22% | 42% |
| 2022 | 35% | 20% | 41% |
| 2021 | 33% | 18% | 35% |
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
| Gloucester | Salem | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,873 | 3,974 |
| English learners | 10.6% | 19.8% |
| Students with disabilities | 26.4% | 26.6% |
| White | 74% | 37.7% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 2.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 17.5% | 47.9% |
| Black/African American | 2.4% | 6.5% |
| Multi-race | 4.2% | 4.8% |
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.