North Reading vs Wilmington Schools
How the two districts, about 4 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: North Reading ranks higher, #34 to Wilmington's #77 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: North Reading students score higher: ELA 67% vs 50%, Math 69% vs 53% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 42%.
- SAT: Close: North Reading averages 1183 and Wilmington 1184.
- Spending: Wilmington spends $4,071 more per student ($25,808 vs $21,737).
- Homes: Homes cost more in North Reading: single-family homes average $883K vs $759K. The average tax bill is $11,495 in North Reading and $8,661 in Wilmington.
- Class size: Smaller in Wilmington: 16.6 students on average vs 18.7.
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 | Wilmington | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 67% | 50% | 41% |
| 2025 | 72% | 48% | 42% |
| 2024 | 67% | 50% | 42% |
| 2023 | 69% | 47% | 44% |
| 2022 | 65% | 48% | 43% |
| 2021 | 72% | 59% | 49% |
| Year | North Reading | Wilmington | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 69% | 53% | 42% |
| 2025 | 70% | 54% | 41% |
| 2024 | 70% | 56% | 42% |
| 2023 | 70% | 54% | 42% |
| 2022 | 66% | 54% | 40% |
| 2021 | 62% | 49% | 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 | Wilmington | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,333 | 2,768 |
| English learners | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Students with disabilities | 18.9% | 18.7% |
| White | 83.8% | 78.3% |
| Asian | 5.9% | 7.2% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 5.4% | 7.3% |
| Black/African American | 0.7% | 2.6% |
| Multi-race | 4.2% | 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.