Hampden-Wilbraham vs Monson Schools
How the two districts, about 5 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Hampden-Wilbraham ranks higher, #145 to Monson's #222 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Hampden-Wilbraham students score higher: ELA 47% vs 28%, Math 49% vs 29% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 42%.
- High school: Monson has no high school in our rankings (its students may attend a regional high school), so only Hampden-Wilbraham has SAT and graduation figures (SAT average 1135).
- Spending: Monson spends $3,428 more per student ($22,827 vs $19,399).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Hampden-Wilbraham: single-family homes average $455K vs $368K. The average tax bill is $7,575 in Hampden-Wilbraham and $5,265 in Monson.
- Class size: Smaller in Monson: 15.7 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 | Monson | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 47% | 28% | 41% |
| 2025 | 51% | 35% | 43% |
| 2024 | 48% | 38% | 42% |
| 2023 | 53% | 37% | 45% |
| 2022 | 53% | 37% | 44% |
| 2021 | 57% | 47% | 49% |
| Year | Hampden-Wilbraham | Monson | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 49% | 29% | 42% |
| 2025 | 48% | 26% | 41% |
| 2024 | 46% | 24% | 42% |
| 2023 | 48% | 22% | 42% |
| 2022 | 45% | 25% | 41% |
| 2021 | 43% | 22% | 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 | Monson | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,888 | 814 |
| English learners | 0.9% | 1.5% |
| Students with disabilities | 19.2% | 27.6% |
| White | 79.2% | 85.6% |
| Asian | 2% | 1% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 10.5% | 8.8% |
| Black/African American | 3.8% | 2% |
| Multi-race | 4.1% | 1.9% |
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.