Lawrence vs Methuen Schools
How the two districts, about 3 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Methuen ranks higher, #216 to Lawrence's #296 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Methuen students score higher: ELA 29% vs 17%, Math 25% vs 17% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Methuen averages 260 points higher (1098 vs 838).
- Spending: Lawrence spends $3,077 more per student ($23,487 vs $20,409).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Methuen: single-family homes average $580K vs $479K. The average tax bill is $4,140 in Lawrence 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 | Lawrence | Methuen | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17% | 29% | 41% |
| 2025 | 18% | 30% | 43% |
| 2024 | 16% | 29% | 42% |
| 2023 | 19% | 34% | 44% |
| 2022 | 18% | 33% | 43% |
| 2021 | 19% | 40% | 47% |
| Year | Lawrence | Methuen | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17% | 25% | 41% |
| 2025 | 18% | 27% | 41% |
| 2024 | 18% | 27% | 42% |
| 2023 | 17% | 28% | 42% |
| 2022 | 17% | 27% | 40% |
| 2021 | 10% | 25% | 34% |
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
| Lawrence | Methuen | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 13,729 | 6,603 |
| English learners | 46.8% | 20.4% |
| Students with disabilities | 20.6% | 19.5% |
| White | 2.3% | 31.4% |
| Asian | 0.9% | 3.3% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 94.7% | 55.5% |
| Black/African American | 1.7% | 7.4% |
| Multi-race | 0.3% | 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.