Melrose vs Stoneham Schools
How the two districts, about 2 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Melrose ranks higher, #24 to Stoneham's #100 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Melrose students score higher: ELA 64% vs 42%, Math 61% vs 45% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Melrose averages 37 points higher (1166 vs 1129).
- Spending: Stoneham spends $5,490 more per student ($22,466 vs $16,977).
- Homes: Similar: single-family homes average $853K in Melrose and $801K in Stoneham. The average tax bill is $9,787 in Melrose and $8,059 in Stoneham.
- Class size: Smaller in Stoneham: 16.4 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 | Melrose | Stoneham | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64% | 42% | 41% |
| 2025 | 64% | 47% | 43% |
| 2024 | 60% | 50% | 41% |
| 2023 | 62% | 51% | 44% |
| 2022 | 62% | 55% | 43% |
| 2021 | 64% | 57% | 49% |
| Year | Melrose | Stoneham | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 61% | 45% | 41% |
| 2025 | 60% | 45% | 41% |
| 2024 | 61% | 47% | 42% |
| 2023 | 59% | 50% | 42% |
| 2022 | 58% | 48% | 40% |
| 2021 | 53% | 41% | 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 | Stoneham | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 3,850 | 2,358 |
| English learners | 6.4% | 6.4% |
| Students with disabilities | 17.5% | 21.3% |
| White | 72.6% | 72% |
| Asian | 7.4% | 5.9% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 7.9% | 13% |
| Black/African American | 5.9% | 4.1% |
| Multi-race | 6% | 4.5% |
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.