Quincy vs Somerville Schools
How the two districts, about 10 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Neck and neck: Quincy ranks #149 and Somerville #143 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Quincy students score higher: ELA 44% vs 40%, Math 44% vs 37% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Somerville averages 27 points higher (1175 vs 1148).
- Spending: Somerville spends $6,572 more per student ($28,407 vs $21,835).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Somerville: single-family homes average $854K vs $700K. The average tax bill is $8,250 in Quincy and $9,376 in Somerville.
- Class size: Smaller in Somerville: 14.6 students on average vs 16.9.
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 | Quincy | Somerville | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 44% | 40% | 41% |
| 2025 | 47% | 40% | 43% |
| 2024 | 46% | 40% | 42% |
| 2023 | 47% | 41% | 45% |
| 2022 | 48% | 42% | 44% |
| 2021 | 50% | 43% | 49% |
| Year | Quincy | Somerville | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 44% | 37% | 41% |
| 2025 | 43% | 33% | 41% |
| 2024 | 44% | 33% | 42% |
| 2023 | 45% | 34% | 42% |
| 2022 | 44% | 34% | 41% |
| 2021 | 38% | 26% | 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
| Quincy | Somerville | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 10,009 | 4,937 |
| English learners | 18.3% | 24.7% |
| Students with disabilities | 21.1% | 20% |
| White | 34.2% | 39.7% |
| Asian | 39.3% | 6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 10.3% | 38.4% |
| Black/African American | 10.1% | 8.4% |
| Multi-race | 5.7% | 7.2% |
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.