Melrose vs Saugus Schools
How the two districts, about 3 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Melrose ranks higher, #24 to Saugus's #207 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Melrose students score higher: ELA 64% vs 27%, Math 61% vs 32% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Melrose averages 66 points higher (1166 vs 1100).
- Spending: Saugus spends $1,571 more per student ($18,547 vs $16,977).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Melrose: single-family homes average $853K vs $684K. The average tax bill is $9,787 in Melrose 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 | Melrose | Saugus | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64% | 27% | 41% |
| 2025 | 64% | 27% | 43% |
| 2024 | 60% | 29% | 41% |
| 2023 | 62% | 33% | 44% |
| 2022 | 62% | 36% | 43% |
| 2021 | 64% | 44% | 49% |
| Year | Melrose | Saugus | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 61% | 32% | 41% |
| 2025 | 60% | 34% | 41% |
| 2024 | 61% | 33% | 42% |
| 2023 | 59% | 33% | 42% |
| 2022 | 58% | 35% | 40% |
| 2021 | 53% | 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
| Melrose | Saugus | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 3,850 | 2,718 |
| English learners | 6.4% | 14.1% |
| Students with disabilities | 17.5% | 19.7% |
| White | 72.6% | 46.3% |
| Asian | 7.4% | 7.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 7.9% | 35% |
| Black/African American | 5.9% | 7% |
| Multi-race | 6% | 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.