Peabody vs Salem Schools
How the two districts, about 4 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Peabody ranks #230 and Salem #234 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Mixed: Salem leads in ELA (31% vs 29%), Peabody in Math (29% vs 26%). Statewide: 40% and 41%.
- SAT: Peabody averages 74 points higher (1088 vs 1014).
- Spending: Salem spends $5,084 more per student ($25,713 vs $20,628).
- Homes: Similar: single-family homes average $677K in Peabody and $676K in Salem. The average tax bill is $6,411 in Peabody and $7,285 in Salem.
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 | Peabody | Salem | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 29% | 31% | 40% |
| 2025 | 29% | 33% | 42% |
| 2024 | 28% | 27% | 41% |
| 2023 | 34% | 29% | 44% |
| 2022 | 32% | 27% | 43% |
| 2021 | 40% | 36% | 48% |
| Year | Peabody | Salem | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 29% | 26% | 41% |
| 2025 | 30% | 26% | 41% |
| 2024 | 33% | 25% | 42% |
| 2023 | 33% | 22% | 42% |
| 2022 | 31% | 20% | 40% |
| 2021 | 29% | 18% | 35% |
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
| Peabody | Salem | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 5,825 | 3,974 |
| English learners | 16.8% | 19.8% |
| Students with disabilities | 18.6% | 26.6% |
| White | 58.5% | 37.7% |
| Asian | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 28.8% | 47.9% |
| Black/African American | 6.4% | 6.5% |
| Multi-race | 3.3% | 4.8% |
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.