Rank
23
A
Melrose
6 schools · 1 high school · 5 elementary schools · Melrose
Melrose is a residential suburb located about 10 miles north of Boston, encompassing a single town of the same name. The district ranks #23 overall in the state and is home to Horace Mann Elementary, ranked #9 among Massachusetts elementary schools. With a 97.9% graduation rate and strong SAT performance, Melrose High serves as the district's sole secondary school. The town's single-family assessed values average $853,264, supporting a school system that consistently delivers strong academic outcomes across its five elementary schools and one high school.
Avg MCAS ELA
72%
#34 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
73.3%
#20 of 326
Avg SAT
1,166
#75 of 290
Attendance
94.8%
#59 of 328
Graduation Rate
97.9%
#60 of 288
AP Pass Rate
83.6%
#71 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$16,977
#315 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$85,682
#217 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 68% | 72% | — | 512 | 303 |
| Grade 4 | 73% | 72% | — | 514 | 303 |
| Grade 5 | 59% | 60% | 61% | 505 | 296 |
| Grade 6 | 56% | 58% | — | 504 | 281 |
| Grade 7 | 57% | 54% | — | 502 | 303 |
| Grade 8 | 55% | 41% | 48% | 500 | 292 |
| Grade 10 | 80% | 63% | 71% | 512 | 253 |
| HS Science | — | — | 58% | 505 | 244 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 72.6%
Asian: 7.4%
Hispanic: 7.9%
Black: 5.9%
Multi-Race: 6%
Am. Indian: 0.2%
Female: 49.6%Male: 50%Non-binary: 0.4%
High Schools in Melrose
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
102
B
Melrose High
SAT
1,166
ELA
82%
Math
64%
Grad
97.9%
102
B
Melrose High
1,166
82%
64%
83.6%
97.9%
Elementary Schools in Melrose
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
9
A+
Horace Mann
ELA
79%
Math
84%
Attend.
95.5%
Class
21
9
A+
Horace Mann
79%
84%
95.5%
21
45
A
Winthrop
ELA
77%
Math
75%
Attend.
96.1%
Class
22
45
A
Winthrop
77%
75%
96.1%
22
70
A
Herbert Clark Hoover
ELA
64%
Math
79%
Attend.
95.1%
Class
20
70
A
Herbert Clark Hoover
64%
79%
95.1%
20
95
A-
Roosevelt
ELA
69%
Math
77%
Attend.
94.8%
Class
21
95
A-
Roosevelt
69%
77%
94.8%
21
229
B
Lincoln
ELA
61%
Math
61%
Attend.
94.8%
Class
21
229
B
Lincoln
61%
61%
94.8%
21
District Operations
Attendance
#59 of 328Attendance Rate94.8%
Avg Days Absent9
Chronically Absent (10%+)10.6%
Chronically Absent (20%+)2.2%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#315 of 325In-District Per Pupil$15,798
Total Per Pupil$16,977
Total FTE Students4,257
Teacher Salaries
#217 of 325Average Salary$85,682
Teacher FTE Count284
Salary vs. Town Income1.2x(near town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.2x the town's per capita income ($70,173). Teachers earn close to the community average. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#294 of 327Avg Class Size20
English Learners6.4%
Students w/ Disabilities17.5%
Total Students3,850
Staffing & Retention
#180 of 327Teacher Retention87%
Principal Retention55.6%
Total Teachers292
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Melrose
Avg Assessed Value
$853,264
#54 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$9,787
Income Per Capita
$70,173
#63 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#73
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 Rate1.15%
Tax as % of Income13.95%(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
$68.6M+1.01% levy growth(typical)
Residential$55.6M
Commercial/Industrial$13.0M
Residential Share70.53%(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 3.5% (2.5% base + 1.01% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (70.53%) 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
$5.6M4.9% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $113.4M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 3,529(80.4%)
Vocational: 87(2.0%)
Charter: 316(7.2%)
Private: 393(8.9%)
Home School: 32(0.7%)
Total: 4,392