•Overall: Hampshire ranks higher, #94 to Northampton's #128 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
•MCAS 2026: Mixed: Northampton leads in ELA (50% vs 41%), Hampshire in Math (47% vs 42%). Statewide: 41% and 41%.
•SAT: Northampton averages 83 points higher (1264 vs 1181).
•Spending: Hampshire spends $1,816 more per student ($23,152 vs $21,336).
•Homes: Homes cost more in Northampton: single-family homes average $571K vs $406K. The average tax bill is $6,272 in Hampshire and $7,801 in Northampton.
•Class size: Smaller in Hampshire: 13.2 students on average vs 16.9.
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.
English Language ArtsNorthampton ahead
Hampshire
41%
Northampton
50%
State
41%
MathHampshire ahead
Hampshire
47%
Northampton
42%
State
41%
ELA by year
Year
Hampshire
Northampton
State
2026
41%
50%
41%
2025
44%
51%
43%
2024
41%
49%
42%
2023
49%
52%
44%
2022
45%
48%
43%
2021
55%
54%
49%
Math by year
Year
Hampshire
Northampton
State
2026
47%
42%
41%
2025
49%
41%
41%
2024
48%
39%
41%
2023
50%
43%
42%
2022
45%
38%
40%
2021
38%
36%
36%
No test in 2020. Statewide 10th-grade results dropped after 2024, when passing the MCAS stopped being a graduation requirement.
High school results
Average SATNorthampton ahead
Hampshire
1181
Northampton
1264
MA avg
1113
AP exams scored 3+Northampton ahead
Hampshire
81.8%
Northampton
86%
MA avg
69.1%
Four-year graduation rateAbout the same
Hampshire
94.3%
Northampton
94.2%
MA avg
92.4%
Averages of each district's ranked high schools. "MA avg" is the average of all districts with high school data.
Classrooms, teachers & spending
Average class sizeHigher in Northampton
Hampshire
13.2
Northampton
16.9
MA avg
17.3
Attendance rateAbout the same
Hampshire
94.1%
Northampton
93.8%
MA avg
93.7%
Chronically absentmissed 10%+ of daysLower in Hampshire
Hampshire
14.2%
Northampton
15.9%
MA avg
16.9%
Teachers who stayedfrom last yearHampshire ahead
Hampshire
90.3%
Northampton
86.6%
MA avg
84.7%
Spending per studentHigher in Hampshire
Hampshire
$23,152
Northampton
$21,336
MA median
$21,765
Average teacher salaryHigher in Northampton
Hampshire
$78,970
Northampton
$80,036
MA median
$91,393
Spending is total per-pupil expenditure from all sources in FY2024. Class size is the average across all classes in the district.
Students
Hampshire
Northampton
Students in classes
719
2,533
English learners
1.5%
5.2%
Students with disabilities
21.1%
25.4%
White
88.8%
68.1%
Asian
0.8%
2.6%
Hispanic/Latino
6.9%
18.6%
Black/African American
0.7%
3.4%
Multi-race
2.7%
7.2%
Homes & taxes
Average single-family home valueHigher in Northampton
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.