Rank
71
B+
Chelmsford
5 schools · 1 high school · 4 elementary schools · Chelmsford
Chelmsford is a suburban town located approximately 25 miles northwest of Boston in Middlesex County. The town's public school district serves a single community and includes four elementary schools, a middle school, and Chelmsford High School. With a graduation rate of 96.6%, the district demonstrates strong student outcomes and college preparedness. Chelmsford's convenient location, residential character, and established schools make it a stable suburban community for families in the greater Boston area.
Avg MCAS ELA
63.4%
#67 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
57.2%
#87 of 326
Avg SAT
1,189
#50 of 290
Attendance
95.4%
#38 of 328
Graduation Rate
96.6%
#104 of 288
AP Pass Rate
86.9%
#45 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,641
#274 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$90,640
#175 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 60% | 56% | — | 503 | 384 |
| Grade 4 | 51% | 50% | — | 501 | 414 |
| Grade 5 | 57% | 47% | 65% | 503 | 383 |
| Grade 6 | 58% | 58% | — | 504 | 396 |
| Grade 7 | 55% | 55% | — | 503 | 399 |
| Grade 8 | 62% | 40% | 55% | 500 | 396 |
| Grade 10 | 73% | 61% | 52% | 509 | 358 |
| HS Science | — | — | 53% | 501 | 348 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 62%
Asian: 19.2%
Hispanic: 9.4%
Black: 4.4%
Multi-Race: 4.5%
Am. Indian: 0.2%
Pac. Islander: 0.3%
Female: 48.6%Male: 51.3%Non-binary: 0.1%
High Schools in Chelmsford
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
59
B+
Chelmsford High
SAT
1,189
ELA
75%
Math
63%
Grad
96.6%
59
B+
Chelmsford High
1,189
75%
63%
86.9%
96.6%
Elementary Schools in Chelmsford
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
159
B+
South Row
ELA
65%
Math
64%
Attend.
95.4%
Class
23
159
B+
South Row
65%
64%
95.4%
23
244
B
Byam School
ELA
65%
Math
50%
Attend.
95.7%
Class
21
244
B
Byam School
65%
50%
95.7%
21
266
B
Center Elementary School
ELA
54%
Math
57%
Attend.
94.8%
Class
22
266
B
Center Elementary School
54%
57%
94.8%
22
325
B
Charles D Harrington
ELA
52%
Math
53%
Attend.
95.3%
Class
23
325
B
Charles D Harrington
52%
53%
95.3%
23
District Operations
Attendance
#38 of 328Attendance Rate95.4%
Avg Days Absent8
Chronically Absent (10%+)9%
Chronically Absent (20%+)1.9%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#274 of 325In-District Per Pupil$17,377
Total Per Pupil$18,641
Total FTE Students5,346
Teacher Salaries
#175 of 325Average Salary$90,640
Teacher FTE Count379
Salary vs. Town Income1.3x(near town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.3x the town's per capita income ($67,479). Teachers earn close to the community average. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#257 of 327Avg Class Size19
English Learners5.1%
Students w/ Disabilities20.3%
Total Students5,151
Staffing & Retention
#91 of 327Teacher Retention89.8%
Principal Retention100%
Total Teachers391
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Chelmsford
Avg Assessed Value
$694,695
#97 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$9,219
Income Per Capita
$67,479
#66 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#86
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 Rate1.33%
Tax as % of Income13.66%(typical)
Bond RatingAA+(excellent)
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
$149.9M+1.8% levy growth(strong)
Residential$100.1M
Commercial/Industrial$49.8M
Residential Share62.44%(typical)
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 4.3% (2.5% base + 1.8% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (62.44%) 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
$4.9M3.0% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $166.7M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 4,916(90.6%)
Vocational: 210(3.9%)
Charter: 79(1.5%)
Private: 107(2.0%)
Home School: 38(0.7%)
Total: 5,429