Lynnfield vs Wakefield Schools
How the two districts, about 2 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Lynnfield ranks higher, #26 to Wakefield's #74 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Lynnfield students score higher: ELA 61% vs 56%, Math 67% vs 55% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Lynnfield averages 38 points higher (1185 vs 1147).
- Spending: Similar: $20,466 per student in Lynnfield and $20,743 in Wakefield.
- Homes: Homes cost more in Lynnfield: single-family homes average $1.08M vs $820K. The average tax bill is $12,381 in Lynnfield and $9,628 in Wakefield.
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 | Wakefield | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 61% | 56% | 41% |
| 2025 | 65% | 55% | 43% |
| 2024 | 63% | 54% | 41% |
| 2023 | 64% | 56% | 44% |
| 2022 | 62% | 55% | 43% |
| 2021 | 72% | 55% | 49% |
| Year | Lynnfield | Wakefield | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 67% | 55% | 41% |
| 2025 | 62% | 52% | 41% |
| 2024 | 64% | 53% | 42% |
| 2023 | 66% | 52% | 42% |
| 2022 | 65% | 50% | 40% |
| 2021 | 61% | 42% | 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 | Wakefield | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,204 | 3,413 |
| English learners | 2.3% | 3.7% |
| Students with disabilities | 18.6% | 19.8% |
| White | 76.9% | 79.2% |
| Asian | 8.5% | 3.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Black/African American | 2% | 3.2% |
| Multi-race | 4.9% | 3.7% |
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.