Hamilton-Wenham vs Ipswich Schools
How the two districts, about 6 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Ipswich ranks higher, #39 to Hamilton-Wenham's #47 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Hamilton-Wenham students score higher: ELA 64% vs 57%, Math 67% vs 57% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Hamilton-Wenham averages 20 points higher (1221 vs 1201).
- Spending: Similar: $24,540 per student in Hamilton-Wenham and $25,451 in Ipswich.
- Homes: Similar: single-family homes average $941K in Hamilton-Wenham and $903K in Ipswich. The average tax bill is $14,629 in Hamilton-Wenham and $9,733 in Ipswich.
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 | Hamilton-Wenham | Ipswich | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64% | 57% | 41% |
| 2025 | 65% | 60% | 43% |
| 2024 | 64% | 56% | 42% |
| 2023 | 66% | 59% | 44% |
| 2022 | 65% | 58% | 44% |
| 2021 | 75% | 60% | 49% |
| Year | Hamilton-Wenham | Ipswich | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 67% | 57% | 41% |
| 2025 | 63% | 56% | 41% |
| 2024 | 59% | 57% | 42% |
| 2023 | 59% | 54% | 42% |
| 2022 | 60% | 54% | 41% |
| 2021 | 56% | 41% | 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
| Hamilton-Wenham | Ipswich | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 1,678 | 1,567 |
| English learners | 0.8% | 3.6% |
| Students with disabilities | 17.4% | 20.9% |
| White | 86.3% | 82.8% |
| Asian | 3.3% | 1.5% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 6.3% | 9.3% |
| Black/African American | 0.8% | 1.4% |
| Multi-race | 3.2% | 4.7% |
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.