Saugus vs Winthrop Schools
How the two districts, about 7 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Saugus ranks higher, #207 to Winthrop's #226 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Winthrop students score higher: ELA 40% vs 27%, Math 43% vs 32% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Close: Saugus averages 1100 and Winthrop 1097.
- Spending: Similar: $18,547 per student in Saugus and $19,308 in Winthrop.
- Homes: Homes cost more in Winthrop: single-family homes average $744K vs $684K. The average tax bill is $7,126 in Saugus and $8,293 in Winthrop.
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 | Saugus | Winthrop | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 27% | 40% | 41% |
| 2025 | 27% | 44% | 43% |
| 2024 | 29% | 46% | 42% |
| 2023 | 33% | 47% | 44% |
| 2022 | 36% | 45% | 43% |
| 2021 | 44% | 49% | 48% |
| Year | Saugus | Winthrop | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 32% | 43% | 41% |
| 2025 | 34% | 42% | 41% |
| 2024 | 33% | 44% | 42% |
| 2023 | 33% | 42% | 42% |
| 2022 | 35% | 35% | 40% |
| 2021 | 27% | 30% | 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
| Saugus | Winthrop | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 2,718 | 2,018 |
| English learners | 14.1% | 12.3% |
| Students with disabilities | 19.7% | 17.7% |
| White | 46.3% | 67.4% |
| Asian | 7.8% | 0.6% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 35% | 28.1% |
| Black/African American | 7% | 1.6% |
| Multi-race | 3.3% | 1.9% |
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.