Hampden-Wilbraham vs Ludlow Schools
How the two districts, about 6 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Hampden-Wilbraham ranks higher, #145 to Ludlow's #190 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Hampden-Wilbraham students score higher: ELA 47% vs 26%, Math 49% vs 31% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 42%.
- SAT: Hampden-Wilbraham averages 52 points higher (1135 vs 1083).
- Spending: Ludlow spends $2,044 more per student ($21,443 vs $19,399).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Hampden-Wilbraham: single-family homes average $455K vs $370K. The average tax bill is $7,575 in Hampden-Wilbraham and $5,923 in Ludlow.
- Class size: Smaller in Ludlow: 14.9 students on average vs 18.1.
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 | Hampden-Wilbraham | Ludlow | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 47% | 26% | 41% |
| 2025 | 51% | 25% | 43% |
| 2024 | 48% | 28% | 42% |
| 2023 | 53% | 31% | 45% |
| 2022 | 53% | 30% | 44% |
| 2021 | 57% | 40% | 49% |
| Year | Hampden-Wilbraham | Ludlow | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 49% | 31% | 42% |
| 2025 | 48% | 33% | 41% |
| 2024 | 46% | 35% | 42% |
| 2023 | 48% | 35% | 42% |
| 2022 | 45% | 32% | 41% |
| 2021 | 43% | 30% | 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
| Hampden-Wilbraham | Ludlow | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,888 | 2,205 |
| English learners | 0.9% | 7% |
| Students with disabilities | 19.2% | 20% |
| White | 79.2% | 72.8% |
| Asian | 2% | 1.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 10.5% | 19.2% |
| Black/African American | 3.8% | 2.5% |
| Multi-race | 4.1% | 3.8% |
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.