Rank

C+

Lowell

16 schools · 1 high school · 15 elementary schools · Lowell

Lowell is a mid-sized urban district in north-central Massachusetts, about 30 miles northwest of Boston. The city has deep historical roots as a 19th-century mill town and remains a diverse, working community with a significant immigrant population. Lowell High School serves the district and maintains a graduation rate of 81.9%, with an average SAT score of 1090. The district encompasses 15 elementary schools and one high school, serving a community with moderate tax bills relative to state averages.

Avg MCAS ELA

30.7%

#276 of 326

Avg MCAS Math

35.8%

#222 of 326

Avg SAT

1,090

#192 of 290

Attendance

92.6%

#220 of 328

Graduation Rate

81.9%

#261 of 288

AP Pass Rate

67%

#174 of 278

Per-Pupil Spending

$22,085

#151 of 325

Avg Teacher Salary

$93,138

#143 of 325

MCAS Performance by Grade

Grade	ELA M+E%	Math M+E%	Sci M+E%	Avg Score	Students
Grade 3	29%	35%	—	489	1,143
Grade 4	28%	32%	—	488	1,171
Grade 5	19%	26%	22%	484	1,063
Grade 6	28%	31%	—	487	1,196
Grade 7	28%	30%	—	486	1,066
Grade 8	34%	33%	20%	489	1,114
Grade 10	30%	23%	17%	486	826
HS Science	—	—	16%	477	772

Showing 2025 data

Student Demographics

White: 18%

Asian: 25.6%

Hispanic: 42.6%

Black: 9.5%

Multi-Race: 4%

Am. Indian: 0.2%

Pac. Islander: 0.1%

Female: 48.1%Male: 51.9%

High Schools in Lowell

Rank

Grade

School

SAT

MCAS ELA

MCAS Math

Grad

Elementary Schools in Lowell

Rank

Grade

School

MCAS ELA

MCAS Math

Attend.

Class Size

Pawtucketville Memorial

Pawtucketville Memorial

Charlotte M Murkland Elementary

Charlotte M Murkland Elementary

Bartlett Community Partnership

Bartlett Community Partnership

S Christa McAuliffe Elementary

S Christa McAuliffe Elementary

20%

23%

93.8%

District Operations

Attendance

#220 of 328

Attendance Rate92.6%

Avg Days Absent13

Chronically Absent (10%+)21.4%

Chronically Absent (20%+)6.3%

Per-Pupil Expenditure

#151 of 325

In-District Per Pupil$22,212

Total Per Pupil$22,085

Total FTE Students17,134

Teacher Salaries

#143 of 325

Average Salary$93,138

Teacher FTE Count1,159

Salary vs. Town Income3.4x(above town avg)

Teacher salary is 3.4x the town's per capita income ($27,446). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.

Class Size & Populations

#199 of 327

Avg Class Size18

English Learners28.2%

Students w/ Disabilities20.7%

Total Students14,899

Staffing & Retention

#164 of 327

Teacher Retention87.7%

Principal Retention81.3%

Total Teachers1,191

Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025

Town Data

Lowell

Avg Assessed Value

$514,854

#159 of 235

Avg Tax Bill

$5,844

Income Per Capita

$27,446

#218 of 235

Tax Bill Rank

#234

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 Rate1.14%

Tax as % of Income21.29%(high burden)

Bond RatingAA-(good)

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

$165.1M+1.49% levy growth(typical)

Residential$74.9M

Commercial/Industrial$90.3M

Residential Share29.86%(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 4.0% (2.5% base + 1.49% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (29.86%) 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

$8.9M1.7% of operating budget

Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $533.0M.

Where Children Attend School

Local Public: 12,475(69.7%)

Vocational: 1,638(9.2%)

Charter: 2,273(12.7%)

Private: 999(5.6%)

Home School: 264(1.5%)

Total: 17,888