Natick vs Newton Schools
How the two districts, about 8 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Natick ranks #43 and Newton #44 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Newton students score higher: ELA 67% vs 61%, Math 70% vs 68% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Newton averages 83 points higher (1284 vs 1201).
- Spending: Newton spends $4,795 more per student ($26,567 vs $21,772).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Newton: single-family homes average $1.76M vs $938K. The average tax bill is $11,413 in Natick and $17,077 in Newton.
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 | Natick | Newton | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 61% | 67% | 41% |
| 2025 | 64% | 68% | 43% |
| 2024 | 63% | 67% | 42% |
| 2023 | 67% | 68% | 44% |
| 2022 | 64% | 67% | 43% |
| 2021 | 67% | 73% | 49% |
| Year | Natick | Newton | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 68% | 70% | 41% |
| 2025 | 65% | 71% | 41% |
| 2024 | 64% | 69% | 42% |
| 2023 | 67% | 70% | 42% |
| 2022 | 65% | 69% | 40% |
| 2021 | 56% | 64% | 36% |
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
| Natick | Newton | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 5,362 | 11,774 |
| English learners | 5.4% | 7.2% |
| Students with disabilities | 19.2% | 18% |
| White | 67.6% | 52.2% |
| Asian | 12.2% | 22% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 10.6% | 11.3% |
| Black/African American | 2.8% | 4.7% |
| Multi-race | 6.7% | 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.