Northampton vs South Hadley Schools
How the two districts, about 7 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Northampton ranks #128 and South Hadley #131 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Northampton students score higher: ELA 50% vs 33%, Math 42% vs 29% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Northampton averages 82 points higher (1264 vs 1182).
- Spending: Similar: $21,336 per student in Northampton and $20,200 in South Hadley.
- Homes: Homes cost more in Northampton: single-family homes average $571K vs $417K. The average tax bill is $7,801 in Northampton and $5,639 in South Hadley.
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 | Northampton | South Hadley | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 50% | 33% | 41% |
| 2025 | 51% | 37% | 43% |
| 2024 | 49% | 39% | 42% |
| 2023 | 52% | 40% | 45% |
| 2022 | 48% | 36% | 44% |
| 2021 | 54% | 44% | 50% |
| Year | Northampton | South Hadley | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 42% | 29% | 41% |
| 2025 | 41% | 34% | 41% |
| 2024 | 39% | 37% | 42% |
| 2023 | 43% | 37% | 42% |
| 2022 | 38% | 31% | 41% |
| 2021 | 36% | 28% | 37% |
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
| Northampton | South Hadley | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,533 | 1,648 |
| English learners | 5.2% | 5.6% |
| Students with disabilities | 25.4% | 22.6% |
| White | 68.1% | 73.7% |
| Asian | 2.6% | 1.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 18.6% | 19.4% |
| Black/African American | 3.4% | 1.9% |
| Multi-race | 7.2% | 3.2% |
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.