Haverhill vs Methuen Schools
How the two districts, about 5 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Haverhill ranks #218 and Methuen #216 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Mixed: Methuen leads in ELA (29% vs 27%), Haverhill in Math (29% vs 25%). Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Close: Haverhill averages 1101 and Methuen 1098.
- Spending: Similar: $20,353 per student in Haverhill and $20,409 in Methuen.
- Homes: Similar: single-family homes average $562K in Haverhill and $580K in Methuen. The average tax bill is $5,962 in Haverhill and $6,037 in Methuen.
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 | Haverhill | Methuen | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 27% | 29% | 41% |
| 2025 | 28% | 30% | 43% |
| 2024 | 26% | 29% | 41% |
| 2023 | 29% | 34% | 44% |
| 2022 | 27% | 33% | 43% |
| 2021 | 34% | 40% | 48% |
| Year | Haverhill | Methuen | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 29% | 25% | 41% |
| 2025 | 29% | 27% | 41% |
| 2024 | 28% | 27% | 42% |
| 2023 | 26% | 28% | 42% |
| 2022 | 24% | 27% | 40% |
| 2021 | 20% | 25% | 35% |
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
| Haverhill | Methuen | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 8,084 | 6,603 |
| English learners | 13.7% | 20.4% |
| Students with disabilities | 24.8% | 19.5% |
| White | 39.1% | 31.4% |
| Asian | 1.6% | 3.3% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 49.4% | 55.5% |
| Black/African American | 7.2% | 7.4% |
| Multi-race | 2.6% | 2.3% |
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.