Salem vs Swampscott Schools
How the two districts, about 2 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Swampscott ranks higher, #88 to Salem's #234 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Swampscott students score higher: ELA 49% vs 31%, Math 48% vs 26% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Swampscott averages 165 points higher (1179 vs 1014).
- Spending: Salem spends $3,977 more per student ($25,713 vs $21,736).
- Homes: Homes cost more in Swampscott: single-family homes average $957K vs $676K. The average tax bill is $7,285 in Salem and $11,478 in Swampscott.
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 | Salem | Swampscott | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 31% | 49% | 41% |
| 2025 | 33% | 47% | 42% |
| 2024 | 27% | 54% | 41% |
| 2023 | 29% | 49% | 44% |
| 2022 | 27% | 51% | 43% |
| 2021 | 36% | 59% | 48% |
| Year | Salem | Swampscott | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 26% | 48% | 41% |
| 2025 | 26% | 46% | 41% |
| 2024 | 25% | 52% | 42% |
| 2023 | 22% | 48% | 42% |
| 2022 | 20% | 46% | 40% |
| 2021 | 18% | 44% | 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
| Salem | Swampscott | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 3,974 | 2,118 |
| English learners | 19.8% | 4.5% |
| Students with disabilities | 26.6% | 23.3% |
| White | 37.7% | 73.4% |
| Asian | 2.6% | 2.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 47.9% | 15.3% |
| Black/African American | 6.5% | 3.9% |
| Multi-race | 4.8% | 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.