Rank
56
B+
Canton
4 schools · 1 high school · 3 elementary schools · Canton
Canton is a suburban community about 20 miles southwest of Boston, comprising a single public school district that serves the town. With an average single-family assessed value around $870,000 and per capita income of $77,093, Canton is a solidly middle to upper-middle-class community. The district ranks #56 overall in the state and maintains a 94.4% graduation rate, with Canton High School serving as the sole high school alongside three elementary schools. Canton's central location and proximity to Boston make it an appealing option for families seeking suburban convenience with established school programs.
Avg MCAS ELA
60.8%
#85 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
61%
#68 of 326
Avg SAT
1,115
#151 of 290
Attendance
94.1%
#101 of 328
Graduation Rate
94.4%
#149 of 288
AP Pass Rate
85.5%
#57 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$23,539
#114 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$106,307
#46 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 60% | 62% | — | 505 | 258 |
| Grade 4 | 57% | 63% | — | 505 | 263 |
| Grade 5 | 53% | 64% | 65% | 505 | 249 |
| Grade 6 | 57% | 48% | — | 501 | 250 |
| Grade 7 | 64% | 60% | — | 504 | 229 |
| Grade 8 | 60% | 68% | 53% | 508 | 244 |
| Grade 10 | 60% | 59% | 71% | 505 | 235 |
| HS Science | — | — | 65% | 507 | 237 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 60%
Asian: 10.9%
Hispanic: 8.6%
Black: 13.4%
Multi-Race: 6.7%
Am. Indian: 0.2%
Pac. Islander: 0.2%
Female: 49.8%Male: 50.2%
High Schools in Canton
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
86
B
Canton High
SAT
1,115
ELA
61%
Math
60%
Grad
94.4%
86
B
Canton High
1,115
61%
60%
85.5%
94.4%
Elementary Schools in Canton
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
100
A-
John F Kennedy
ELA
60%
Math
76%
Attend.
95.4%
Class
22
100
A-
John F Kennedy
60%
76%
95.4%
22
190
B+
Dean S Luce
ELA
58%
Math
56%
Attend.
95%
Class
19
190
B+
Dean S Luce
58%
56%
95%
19
271
B
Lt Peter M Hansen
ELA
59%
Math
54%
Attend.
95.2%
Class
21
271
B
Lt Peter M Hansen
59%
54%
95.2%
21
District Operations
Attendance
#101 of 328Attendance Rate94.1%
Avg Days Absent10
Chronically Absent (10%+)15.4%
Chronically Absent (20%+)3.6%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#114 of 325In-District Per Pupil$20,971
Total Per Pupil$23,539
Total FTE Students3,352
Teacher Salaries
#46 of 325Average Salary$106,307
Teacher FTE Count261
Salary vs. Town Income1.4x(near town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.4x the town's per capita income ($77,093). Teachers earn close to the community average. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#183 of 327Avg Class Size18
English Learners4.2%
Students w/ Disabilities17.3%
Total Students3,324
Staffing & Retention
#212 of 327Teacher Retention85.4%
Principal Retention85.7%
Total Teachers274
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Canton
Avg Assessed Value
$868,560
#51 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$8,468
Income Per Capita
$77,093
#49 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#107
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 Rate0.98%
Tax as % of Income10.98%(below avg)
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
$80.1M+1.25% levy growth(typical)
Residential$36.5M
Commercial/Industrial$43.6M
Residential Share28.8%(diverse)
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 3.8% (2.5% base + 1.25% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (28.8%) 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
$9.1M6.8% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $133.7M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 3,185(87.6%)
Vocational: 90(2.5%)
Charter: 2(0.1%)
Private: 325(8.9%)
Home School: 12(0.3%)
Total: 3,636