Needham vs Newton Schools
How the two districts, about 4 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Needham ranks higher, #17 to Newton's #44 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Needham students score higher: ELA 72% vs 67%, Math 76% vs 70% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Close: Needham averages 1270 and Newton 1284.
- Spending: Similar: $24,928 per student in Needham and $26,567 in Newton.
- Homes: Homes cost more in Newton: single-family homes average $1.76M vs $1.54M. The average tax bill is $16,690 in Needham 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 | Needham | Newton | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 72% | 67% | 41% |
| 2025 | 74% | 68% | 43% |
| 2024 | 70% | 67% | 42% |
| 2023 | 70% | 68% | 45% |
| 2022 | 70% | 67% | 44% |
| 2021 | 74% | 73% | 49% |
| Year | Needham | Newton | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 76% | 70% | 41% |
| 2025 | 75% | 71% | 41% |
| 2024 | 74% | 69% | 42% |
| 2023 | 71% | 70% | 42% |
| 2022 | 71% | 69% | 41% |
| 2021 | 65% | 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
| Needham | Newton | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 5,509 | 11,774 |
| English learners | 2.9% | 7.2% |
| Students with disabilities | 18.9% | 18% |
| White | 70.7% | 52.2% |
| Asian | 12.4% | 22% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 7.1% | 11.3% |
| Black/African American | 3.2% | 4.7% |
| Multi-race | 6.5% | 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.