Rank
16
A
Harvard
2 schools · 1 high school · 1 elementary school · Harvard
Harvard is a suburban town in north-central Massachusetts, roughly 30 miles northwest of Boston, home to the Harvard Public School District. With an average single-family assessed value near $920,000 and per capita income of $87,251, Harvard is a relatively affluent community that supports strong academic outcomes—the district ranks #16 statewide, with The Bromfield High School ranked #21 among Massachusetts high schools and a 93.8% graduation rate. The town is known for its rural character, conservation areas, and historical significance as the home of Harvard Divinity School's founding connections to American religious life. Despite its wealth, Harvard residents maintain a modest tax burden relative to property values, ranking #22 among Massachusetts towns for single-family tax bills.
Avg MCAS ELA
76.5%
#14 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
71.5%
#26 of 326
Avg SAT
1,277
#16 of 290
Attendance
92.7%
#283 of 328
Graduation Rate
93.8%
#167 of 288
AP Pass Rate
87.5%
#43 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$25,306
#75 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$91,787
#160 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 64% | 61% | — | 505 | 72 |
| Grade 4 | 63% | 61% | — | 504 | 56 |
| Grade 5 | 73% | 80% | 85% | 515 | 75 |
| Grade 6 | 71% | 65% | — | 509 | 80 |
| Grade 7 | 74% | 64% | — | 509 | 82 |
| Grade 8 | 77% | 56% | 75% | 513 | 77 |
| Grade 10 | 87% | 80% | 77% | 519 | 75 |
| HS Science | — | — | — | — | — |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 70.9%
Asian: 14.3%
Hispanic: 6.2%
Black: 2%
Multi-Race: 6.4%
Am. Indian: 0.3%
Female: 49.1%Male: 50.6%Non-binary: 0.3%
High Schools in Harvard
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
21
A
The Bromfield High School
SAT
1,277
ELA
88%
Math
81%
Grad
93.8%
21
A
The Bromfield High School
1,277
88%
81%
87.5%
93.8%
Elementary Schools in Harvard
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
144
B+
Hildreth Elementary School
ELA
65%
Math
62%
Attend.
94.8%
Class
18
144
B+
Hildreth Elementary School
65%
62%
94.8%
18
District Operations
Attendance
#283 of 328Attendance Rate92.7%
Avg Days Absent13
Chronically Absent (10%+)19.8%
Chronically Absent (20%+)4.9%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#75 of 325In-District Per Pupil$23,169
Total Per Pupil$25,306
Total FTE Students1,072
Teacher Salaries
#160 of 325Average Salary$91,787
Teacher FTE Count88
Salary vs. Town Income1.1x(near town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.1x the town's per capita income ($87,251). Teachers earn close to the community average. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#104 of 327Avg Class Size16
English Learners3.1%
Students w/ Disabilities17.6%
Total Students1,019
Staffing & Retention
#234 of 327Teacher Retention83.3%
Principal Retention66.7%
Total Teachers90
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Harvard
Avg Assessed Value
$917,594
#47 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$14,562
Income Per Capita
$87,251
#35 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#22
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 Rate1.59%
Tax as % of Income16.69%(above 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
$7.2M+0.45% levy growth(low)
Residential$5.0M
Commercial/Industrial$2.2M
Residential Share69.22%(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 3.0% (2.5% base + 0.45% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (69.22%) 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
$1.6M4.2% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $37.9M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 851(88.1%)
Vocational: 7(0.7%)
Charter: 21(2.2%)
Private: 58(6.0%)
Home School: 12(1.2%)
Total: 966