Rank
30
A-
Hamilton-Wenham
4 schools · 1 high school · 3 elementary schools · Hamilton, Wenham · Regional District
Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District serves the neighboring North Shore communities of Hamilton and Wenham, located approximately 25 miles northeast of Boston. Both towns are suburban residential communities with notably strong per capita incomes; Wenham in particular has an average single-family assessed value exceeding $1 million. The district ranks #30 statewide and maintains a 97.5% graduation rate, with Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School ranked #38 among Massachusetts high schools. The region has deep colonial roots and is known for its tree-lined streets, conservation areas, and proximity to the Essex County coast.
Avg MCAS ELA
67.8%
#45 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
70.8%
#29 of 326
Avg SAT
1,221
#36 of 290
Attendance
95.8%
#15 of 328
Graduation Rate
97.5%
#71 of 288
AP Pass Rate
77.5%
#107 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$24,540
#88 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$93,642
#140 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 62% | 69% | — | 507 | 154 |
| Grade 4 | 51% | 61% | — | 501 | 133 |
| Grade 5 | 67% | 66% | 65% | 508 | 126 |
| Grade 6 | 56% | 43% | — | 502 | 137 |
| Grade 7 | 66% | 59% | — | 507 | 138 |
| Grade 8 | 74% | 73% | 70% | 516 | 123 |
| Grade 10 | 80% | 73% | 73% | 514 | 116 |
| HS Science | — | — | 76% | 514 | 117 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 86.3%
Asian: 3.3%
Hispanic: 6.3%
Black: 0.8%
Multi-Race: 3.2%
Pac. Islander: 0.2%
Female: 50.8%Male: 49.1%Non-binary: 0.1%
High Schools in Hamilton-Wenham
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
38
A-
Hamilton-Wenham Regional High
SAT
1,221
ELA
82%
Math
75%
Grad
97.5%
38
A-
Hamilton-Wenham Regional High
1,221
82%
75%
77.5%
97.5%
Elementary Schools in Hamilton-Wenham
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
121
A-
Bessie Buker Elementary
ELA
63%
Math
72%
Attend.
96.3%
Class
20
121
A-
Bessie Buker Elementary
63%
72%
96.3%
20
142
B+
Cutler School
ELA
70%
Math
67%
Attend.
95.7%
Class
17
142
B+
Cutler School
70%
67%
95.7%
17
192
B+
Winthrop School
ELA
56%
Math
69%
Attend.
95.5%
Class
17
192
B+
Winthrop School
56%
69%
95.5%
17
District Operations
Attendance
#15 of 328Attendance Rate95.8%
Avg Days Absent8
Chronically Absent (10%+)5.3%
Chronically Absent (20%+)0.7%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#88 of 325In-District Per Pupil$22,303
Total Per Pupil$24,540
Total FTE Students1,714
Teacher Salaries
#140 of 325Average Salary$93,642
Teacher FTE Count148
Salary vs. Town Income0.9x(below town avg)
Teacher salary is only 0.9x the town's per capita income ($106,923). In this wealthy community, the average resident earns more than the average teacher. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#84 of 327Avg Class Size16
English Learners0.8%
Students w/ Disabilities17.4%
Total Students1,678
Staffing & Retention
#205 of 327Teacher Retention85.8%
Principal Retention80%
Total Teachers155
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Hamilton
Avg Assessed Value
$870,526
#43 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$13,093
Income Per Capita
$98,753
#21 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#35
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 Rate1.5%
Tax as % of Income13.26%(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
$10.7M+0.49% levy growth(low)
Residential$9.3M
Commercial/Industrial$1.4M
Residential Share87.23%(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 3.0% (2.5% base + 0.49% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (87.23%) 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
$3.7M8.7% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $42.7M.
Wenham
Avg Assessed Value
$1,010,911
#43 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$16,164
Income Per Capita
$115,093
#21 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#18
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 Rate1.6%
Tax as % of Income14.04%(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
$17.8M+1.33% levy growth(typical)
Residential$7.6M
Commercial/Industrial$10.1M
Residential Share42.97%(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 + 1.33% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (42.97%) 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
$1.8M6.6% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $26.9M.