Lynnfield vs Melrose Schools
How the two districts, about 6 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Lynnfield ranks #26 and Melrose #24 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Mixed: Melrose leads in ELA (64% vs 61%), Lynnfield in Math (67% vs 61%). Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Lynnfield averages 19 points higher (1185 vs 1166).
- Spending: Lynnfield spends $3,489 more per student ($20,466 vs $16,977).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Lynnfield: single-family homes average $1.08M vs $853K. The average tax bill is $12,381 in Lynnfield and $9,787 in Melrose.
- Class size: Smaller in Lynnfield: 18 students on average vs 20.2.
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 | Lynnfield | Melrose | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 61% | 64% | 41% |
| 2025 | 65% | 64% | 43% |
| 2024 | 63% | 60% | 41% |
| 2023 | 64% | 62% | 44% |
| 2022 | 62% | 62% | 43% |
| 2021 | 72% | 64% | 49% |
| Year | Lynnfield | Melrose | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 67% | 61% | 41% |
| 2025 | 62% | 60% | 41% |
| 2024 | 64% | 61% | 42% |
| 2023 | 66% | 59% | 42% |
| 2022 | 65% | 58% | 40% |
| 2021 | 61% | 53% | 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
| Lynnfield | Melrose | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,204 | 3,850 |
| English learners | 2.3% | 6.4% |
| Students with disabilities | 18.6% | 17.5% |
| White | 76.9% | 72.6% |
| Asian | 8.5% | 7.4% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 7.7% | 7.9% |
| Black/African American | 2% | 5.9% |
| Multi-race | 4.9% | 6% |
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.