Hingham vs Norwell 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: Hingham ranks #14 and Norwell #20 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Hingham students score higher: ELA 73% vs 67%, Math 69% vs 67% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Hingham averages 87 points higher (1231 vs 1144).
- Spending: Similar: $21,837 per student in Hingham and $21,154 in Norwell.
- Homes: Homes cost more in Hingham: single-family homes average $1.37M vs $1.07M. The average tax bill is $14,313 in Hingham and $13,675 in Norwell.
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 | Hingham | Norwell | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 73% | 67% | 41% |
| 2025 | 77% | 68% | 43% |
| 2024 | 76% | 65% | 42% |
| 2023 | 76% | 68% | 44% |
| 2022 | 75% | 65% | 44% |
| 2021 | 79% | 70% | 49% |
| Year | Hingham | Norwell | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 69% | 67% | 41% |
| 2025 | 70% | 69% | 41% |
| 2024 | 73% | 73% | 42% |
| 2023 | 73% | 69% | 42% |
| 2022 | 69% | 67% | 41% |
| 2021 | 65% | 61% | 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
| Hingham | Norwell | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 3,633 | 2,199 |
| English learners | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Students with disabilities | 17.4% | 15.1% |
| White | 87.3% | 89.5% |
| Asian | 3% | 2.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 4.3% | 2% |
| Black/African American | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Multi-race | 3.7% | 5% |
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.