Lynn vs Salem Schools
How the two districts, about 4 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Salem ranks higher, #234 to Lynn's #297 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Salem students score higher: ELA 31% vs 17%, Math 26% vs 15% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Salem averages 129 points higher (1014 vs 885).
- Spending: Salem spends $3,324 more per student ($25,713 vs $22,388).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Salem: single-family homes average $676K vs $586K. The average tax bill is $6,031 in Lynn and $7,285 in Salem.
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 | Lynn | Salem | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17% | 31% | 41% |
| 2025 | 19% | 33% | 43% |
| 2024 | 18% | 27% | 42% |
| 2023 | 22% | 29% | 45% |
| 2022 | 22% | 27% | 43% |
| 2021 | 25% | 36% | 49% |
| Year | Lynn | Salem | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 15% | 26% | 41% |
| 2025 | 15% | 26% | 42% |
| 2024 | 15% | 25% | 42% |
| 2023 | 15% | 22% | 42% |
| 2022 | 16% | 20% | 41% |
| 2021 | 14% | 18% | 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
| Lynn | Salem | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 16,688 | 3,974 |
| English learners | 46.9% | 19.8% |
| Students with disabilities | 21.4% | 26.6% |
| White | 9.2% | 37.7% |
| Asian | 6.1% | 2.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 73.4% | 47.9% |
| Black/African American | 8.3% | 6.5% |
| Multi-race | 2.6% | 4.8% |
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.