Hull vs Swampscott Schools
How the two districts, about 9 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Hull ranks #92 and Swampscott #88 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Mixed: Hull leads in ELA (54% vs 49%), Swampscott in Math (48% vs 46%). Statewide: 41% and 42%.
- SAT: Swampscott averages 55 points higher (1179 vs 1124).
- Spending: Hull spends $10,085 more per student ($31,821 vs $21,736).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Swampscott: single-family homes average $957K vs $721K. The average tax bill is $7,795 in Hull and $11,478 in Swampscott.
- Class size: Smaller in Hull: 11.9 students on average vs 17.4.
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 | Hull | Swampscott | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 54% | 49% | 41% |
| 2025 | 54% | 47% | 43% |
| 2024 | 54% | 54% | 42% |
| 2023 | 50% | 49% | 45% |
| 2022 | 44% | 51% | 43% |
| 2021 | 55% | 59% | 49% |
| Year | Hull | Swampscott | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 46% | 48% | 42% |
| 2025 | 42% | 46% | 41% |
| 2024 | 47% | 52% | 42% |
| 2023 | 47% | 48% | 42% |
| 2022 | 45% | 46% | 40% |
| 2021 | 44% | 44% | 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
| Hull | Swampscott | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 697 | 2,118 |
| English learners | 2.2% | 4.5% |
| Students with disabilities | 21.8% | 23.3% |
| White | 86.2% | 73.4% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 2.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 5.2% | 15.3% |
| Black/African American | 2.8% | 3.9% |
| Multi-race | 3.9% | 4.1% |
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.