North Reading vs Wakefield Schools
How the two districts, about 5 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: North Reading ranks higher, #34 to Wakefield's #74 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: North Reading students score higher: ELA 67% vs 56%, Math 69% vs 55% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 42%.
- SAT: North Reading averages 36 points higher (1183 vs 1147).
- Spending: Similar: $21,737 per student in North Reading and $20,743 in Wakefield.
- Homes: Similar: single-family homes average $883K in North Reading and $820K in Wakefield. The average tax bill is $11,495 in North Reading and $9,628 in Wakefield.
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 | North Reading | Wakefield | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 67% | 56% | 41% |
| 2025 | 72% | 55% | 42% |
| 2024 | 67% | 54% | 42% |
| 2023 | 69% | 56% | 44% |
| 2022 | 65% | 55% | 43% |
| 2021 | 72% | 55% | 49% |
| Year | North Reading | Wakefield | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 69% | 55% | 42% |
| 2025 | 70% | 52% | 41% |
| 2024 | 70% | 53% | 42% |
| 2023 | 70% | 52% | 42% |
| 2022 | 66% | 50% | 40% |
| 2021 | 62% | 42% | 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
| North Reading | Wakefield | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,333 | 3,413 |
| English learners | 1.6% | 3.7% |
| Students with disabilities | 18.9% | 19.8% |
| White | 83.8% | 79.2% |
| Asian | 5.9% | 3.8% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 5.4% | 9.6% |
| Black/African American | 0.7% | 3.2% |
| Multi-race | 4.2% | 3.7% |
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.