Malden vs Saugus Schools
How the two districts, about 4 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Malden ranks higher, #175 to Saugus's #207 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Malden students score higher: ELA 35% vs 27%, Math 34% vs 32% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Saugus averages 40 points higher (1100 vs 1060).
- Spending: Malden spends $2,981 more per student ($21,528 vs $18,547).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Saugus: single-family homes average $684K vs $434K. The average tax bill is $4,952 in Malden and $7,126 in Saugus.
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 | Malden | Saugus | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35% | 27% | 41% |
| 2025 | 35% | 27% | 43% |
| 2024 | 36% | 29% | 42% |
| 2023 | 38% | 33% | 45% |
| 2022 | 38% | 36% | 43% |
| 2021 | 42% | 44% | 48% |
| Year | Malden | Saugus | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 34% | 32% | 41% |
| 2025 | 33% | 34% | 41% |
| 2024 | 36% | 33% | 42% |
| 2023 | 33% | 33% | 42% |
| 2022 | 32% | 35% | 40% |
| 2021 | 26% | 27% | 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
| Malden | Saugus | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 6,493 | 2,718 |
| English learners | 31.2% | 14.1% |
| Students with disabilities | 18.8% | 19.7% |
| White | 21.3% | 46.3% |
| Asian | 19.4% | 7.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 31.8% | 35% |
| Black/African American | 22.1% | 7% |
| Multi-race | 4.4% | 3.3% |
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.