Rank
8
A+
Belmont
5 schools · 1 high school · 4 elementary schools · Belmont
Belmont is a suburban town about 10 miles northwest of Boston that is home to one of the state's top school districts. With an average single-family assessed value exceeding $1.7 million, Belmont is among Massachusetts' wealthiest communities, and that investment is reflected in the schools: the district ranks #8 overall, Belmont High School ranks #8 statewide, and Mary Lee Burbank Elementary is ranked #5 among Massachusetts elementary schools. The district maintains a 98.2% graduation rate and an average SAT score of 1326. Historically significant as a Revolutionary War site, Belmont combines suburban character with strong community engagement around education.
Avg MCAS ELA
74.4%
#20 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
77.8%
#11 of 326
Avg SAT
1,326
#4 of 290
Attendance
95.3%
#28 of 328
Graduation Rate
98.2%
#44 of 288
AP Pass Rate
95.9%
#5 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$20,852
#196 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$111,738
#24 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 70% | 73% | — | 513 | 344 |
| Grade 4 | 67% | 64% | — | 509 | 311 |
| Grade 5 | 57% | 65% | 74% | 506 | 362 |
| Grade 6 | 69% | 68% | — | 511 | 349 |
| Grade 7 | 71% | 73% | — | 513 | 377 |
| Grade 8 | 77% | 79% | 82% | 517 | 369 |
| Grade 10 | 81% | 81% | 85% | 521 | 399 |
| HS Science | — | — | — | — | — |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 56.1%
Asian: 25.3%
Hispanic: 5.9%
Black: 4.2%
Multi-Race: 8.4%
Am. Indian: 0.1%
Pac. Islander: 0.1%
Female: 49.1%Male: 50.3%Non-binary: 0.6%
High Schools in Belmont
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
8
A+
Belmont High
SAT
1,326
ELA
84%
Math
83%
Grad
98.2%
8
A+
Belmont High
1,326
84%
83%
95.9%
98.2%
Elementary Schools in Belmont
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
5
A+
Mary Lee Burbank
ELA
82%
Math
89%
Attend.
95.8%
Class
21
5
A+
Mary Lee Burbank
82%
89%
95.8%
21
33
A
Winn Brook
ELA
76%
Math
79%
Attend.
96%
Class
20
33
A
Winn Brook
76%
79%
96%
20
55
A
Daniel Butler
ELA
68%
Math
80%
Attend.
95.7%
Class
22
55
A
Daniel Butler
68%
80%
95.7%
22
176
B+
Roger E Wellington
ELA
62%
Math
58%
Attend.
96.2%
Class
21
176
B+
Roger E Wellington
62%
58%
96.2%
21
District Operations
Attendance
#28 of 328Attendance Rate95.3%
Avg Days Absent8
Chronically Absent (10%+)9.9%
Chronically Absent (20%+)2.4%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#196 of 325In-District Per Pupil$18,266
Total Per Pupil$20,852
Total FTE Students4,575
Teacher Salaries
#24 of 325Average Salary$111,738
Teacher FTE Count294
Salary vs. Town Income0.9x(below town avg)
Teacher salary is only 0.9x the town's per capita income ($124,471). In this wealthy community, the average resident earns more than the average teacher. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#308 of 327Avg Class Size21
English Learners9.5%
Students w/ Disabilities13.9%
Total Students4,492
Staffing & Retention
#41 of 327Teacher Retention91.8%
Principal Retention57.1%
Total Teachers306
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Belmont
Avg Assessed Value
$1,701,064
#10 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$19,579
Income Per Capita
$124,471
#14 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#8
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 Rate1.15%
Tax as % of Income15.73%(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
$80.0M+0.77% levy growth(low)
Residential$65.8M
Commercial/Industrial$14.2M
Residential Share82.23%(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 + 0.77% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (82.23%) 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
$7.2M4.3% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $166.2M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 4,247(86.5%)
Charter: 1(0.0%)
Private: 590(12.0%)
Home School: 13(0.3%)
Total: 4,911