Hadley vs South Hadley Schools
How the two districts, about 7 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Hadley ranks higher, #117 to South Hadley's #131 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Hadley students score higher: ELA 46% vs 33%, Math 45% vs 29% met expectations. Statewide: 40% and 41%.
- SAT: Close: Hadley averages 1178 and South Hadley 1182.
- Spending: Hadley spends $3,728 more per student ($23,929 vs $20,200).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Hadley: single-family homes average $476K vs $417K. The average tax bill is $5,454 in Hadley and $5,639 in South Hadley.
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 | Hadley | South Hadley | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 46% | 33% | 40% |
| 2025 | 53% | 37% | 42% |
| 2024 | 51% | 39% | 42% |
| 2023 | 54% | 40% | 45% |
| 2022 | 51% | 36% | 44% |
| 2021 | 61% | 44% | 48% |
| Year | Hadley | South Hadley | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45% | 29% | 41% |
| 2025 | 46% | 34% | 41% |
| 2024 | 48% | 37% | 42% |
| 2023 | 41% | 37% | 42% |
| 2022 | 49% | 31% | 41% |
| 2021 | 39% | 28% | 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
| Hadley | South Hadley | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 526 | 1,648 |
| English learners | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| Students with disabilities | 21.9% | 22.6% |
| White | 73.4% | 73.7% |
| Asian | 5.1% | 1.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 14.3% | 19.4% |
| Black/African American | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Multi-race | 3.3% | 3.2% |
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.