Rank
36
A-
Arlington
8 schools · 1 high school · 7 elementary schools · Arlington
Arlington is a suburban community located just north of Boston, encompassing a diverse residential area with strong educational outcomes across seven elementary schools and Arlington High School. With an average single-family assessed value of $1.1 million, Arlington represents a solidly affluent suburb where the district's investment in education is evident—Arlington High ranks #20 among Massachusetts high schools, and the elementary school Peirce ranks among the state's top 50. The town's 96.4% graduation rate and ranking #36 statewide reflect consistent academic performance across grade levels. Arlington has a rich history as a Revolutionary War site, home to the "minutemen" who responded to the Lexington alarm in 1775.
Avg MCAS ELA
68.5%
#41 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
65.4%
#52 of 326
Avg SAT
1,266
#22 of 290
Attendance
95.2%
#43 of 328
Graduation Rate
96.4%
#108 of 288
AP Pass Rate
91.7%
#29 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$20,549
#208 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$95,661
#121 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 65% | 62% | — | 507 | 484 |
| Grade 4 | 67% | 67% | — | 508 | 481 |
| Grade 5 | 67% | 66% | 80% | 509 | 465 |
| Grade 6 | 70% | 69% | — | 511 | 513 |
| Grade 7 | 77% | 76% | — | 514 | 458 |
| Grade 8 | 80% | 74% | 73% | 516 | 496 |
| Grade 10 | 80% | 81% | 83% | 519 | 429 |
| HS Science | — | — | — | — | — |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 64.5%
Asian: 13.3%
Hispanic: 8.5%
Black: 3.2%
Multi-Race: 10.4%
Female: 48.8%Male: 50.7%Non-binary: 0.5%
High Schools in Arlington
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
20
A
Arlington High
SAT
1,266
ELA
82%
Math
82%
Grad
96.4%
20
A
Arlington High
1,266
82%
82%
91.7%
96.4%
Elementary Schools in Arlington
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
41
A
Peirce
ELA
77%
Math
77%
Attend.
95.1%
Class
20
41
A
Peirce
77%
77%
95.1%
20
89
A-
John A Bishop
ELA
72%
Math
71%
Attend.
95.4%
Class
21
89
A-
John A Bishop
72%
71%
95.4%
21
90
A-
Cyrus E Dallin
ELA
75%
Math
63%
Attend.
95.6%
Class
19
90
A-
Cyrus E Dallin
75%
63%
95.6%
19
107
A-
Hardy
ELA
70%
Math
64%
Attend.
95.3%
Class
20
107
A-
Hardy
70%
64%
95.3%
20
225
B+
Brackett
ELA
62%
Math
54%
Attend.
95.8%
Class
21
225
B+
Brackett
62%
54%
95.8%
21
303
B
Thompson
ELA
53%
Math
55%
Attend.
94.7%
Class
22
303
B
Thompson
53%
55%
94.7%
22
304
B
M Norcross Stratton
ELA
57%
Math
57%
Attend.
95.3%
Class
20
304
B
M Norcross Stratton
57%
57%
95.3%
20
District Operations
Attendance
#43 of 328Attendance Rate95.2%
Avg Days Absent8
Chronically Absent (10%+)8.8%
Chronically Absent (20%+)1.7%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#208 of 325In-District Per Pupil$19,872
Total Per Pupil$20,549
Total FTE Students6,162
Teacher Salaries
#121 of 325Average Salary$95,661
Teacher FTE Count490
Salary vs. Town Income1.2x(near town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.2x the town's per capita income ($81,258). Teachers earn close to the community average. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#228 of 327Avg Class Size18
English Learners5%
Students w/ Disabilities18%
Total Students6,150
Staffing & Retention
#124 of 327Teacher Retention88.7%
Principal Retention81.8%
Total Teachers505
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Arlington
Avg Assessed Value
$1,119,722
#25 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$11,947
Income Per Capita
$81,258
#43 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#45
of 341 towns
Avg Assessed Value is the mean assessed value of single-family homes only (MA property class 101 — excludes condos, multi-family, and apartments). MA law requires assessment at 100% of fair market value. Income Per Capita is total town income divided by population, derived from MA state income tax returns (not Census surveys). It includes wages, investment income, and capital gains, so wealthy towns can have very high figures. The MA median is about $48K. Tax bill rank orders towns by average single-family tax bill, highest to lowest.
Tax & Bond Details
Residential Tax Rate1.07%
Tax as % of Income14.7%(typical)
Bond RatingAAA(highest)
Tax rate is the effective residential rate (tax bill ÷ assessed value). Tax as % of income measures how much of residents’ income goes to property taxes. The MA median is about 14%; below 10% is low (wealthier towns with high incomes relative to home values), above 16% is above average. Bond rating reflects the town’s creditworthiness for borrowing. AAA is the highest possible rating (strong fiscal management), meaning the town can borrow at the lowest interest rates. AA+ is excellent, AA is very good.
New Growth
$119.1M+0.84% levy growth(typical)
Residential$98.6M
Commercial/Industrial$20.6M
Residential Share82.74%(mostly homes)
New growth measures new taxable value from construction and development (not rising home prices). In Massachusetts, Proposition 2\u00BD limits annual property tax increases to 2.5% of the prior year\u2019s levy. New growth revenue is automatically added on top of this 2.5% base increase \u2014 it does not require a vote. This town’s total levy growth is about 3.3% (2.5% base + 0.84% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (82.74%) shows how much comes from homes vs. commercial/industrial. When most growth is residential, homeowners carry more of the tax burden. More commercial/industrial growth is generally better for homeowners because businesses share the cost.
Municipal Free Cash
$22.7M10.3% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $221.5M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 6,016(90.2%)
Vocational: 198(3.0%)
Charter: 21(0.3%)
Private: 323(4.8%)
Home School: 93(1.4%)
Total: 6,667