Norwood vs Waltham Schools
How the two districts, about 14 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Norwood ranks #202 and Waltham #204 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Waltham students score higher: ELA 37% vs 37%, Math 40% vs 33% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Close: Norwood averages 1124 and Waltham 1121.
- Spending: Waltham spends $3,037 more per student ($26,402 vs $23,366).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Norwood: single-family homes average $719K vs $503K. The average tax bill is $7,065 in Norwood and $5,189 in Waltham.
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 | Norwood | Waltham | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 37% | 37% | 41% |
| 2025 | 39% | 40% | 43% |
| 2024 | 41% | 37% | 41% |
| 2023 | 40% | 38% | 44% |
| 2022 | 41% | 40% | 43% |
| 2021 | 46% | 43% | 49% |
| Year | Norwood | Waltham | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33% | 40% | 41% |
| 2025 | 36% | 38% | 41% |
| 2024 | 42% | 36% | 42% |
| 2023 | 41% | 37% | 42% |
| 2022 | 44% | 38% | 40% |
| 2021 | 37% | 32% | 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
| Norwood | Waltham | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 3,592 | 5,919 |
| English learners | 16.8% | 24.8% |
| Students with disabilities | 23.3% | 18.6% |
| White | 53.2% | 34.4% |
| Asian | 6.2% | 4.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 22.7% | 47.2% |
| Black/African American | 13.2% | 9.5% |
| Multi-race | 4% | 4.1% |
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.