Waltham vs Watertown Schools
How the two districts, about 4 miles apart, compare on test scores, high school results, classrooms, spending and housing.
The short answer
- Overall: Watertown ranks higher, #102 to Waltham's #204 of 328 Massachusetts districts.
- MCAS 2026: Watertown students score higher: ELA 46% vs 37%, Math 51% vs 40% met expectations. Statewide: 41% and 41%.
- SAT: Close: Waltham averages 1121 and Watertown 1132.
- Spending: Similar: $26,402 per student in Waltham and $27,428 in Watertown.
- Homes: Homes cost more in Watertown: single-family homes average $663K vs $503K. The average tax bill is $5,189 in Waltham and $8,094 in Watertown.
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 | Waltham | Watertown | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 37% | 46% | 41% |
| 2025 | 40% | 48% | 43% |
| 2024 | 37% | 46% | 42% |
| 2023 | 38% | 49% | 45% |
| 2022 | 40% | 46% | 43% |
| 2021 | 43% | 49% | 49% |
| Year | Waltham | Watertown | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 40% | 51% | 41% |
| 2025 | 38% | 49% | 41% |
| 2024 | 36% | 48% | 42% |
| 2023 | 37% | 47% | 42% |
| 2022 | 38% | 46% | 41% |
| 2021 | 32% | 34% | 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
| Waltham | Watertown | |
|---|---|---|
| Students in classes | 5,919 | 2,886 |
| English learners | 24.8% | 18.2% |
| Students with disabilities | 18.6% | 18.9% |
| White | 34.4% | 55% |
| Asian | 4.6% | 8.4% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 47.2% | 23.7% |
| Black/African American | 9.5% | 3.6% |
| Multi-race | 4.1% | 9.3% |
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.