Rank

New Bedford

19 schools · 1 high school · 18 elementary schools · New Bedford

New Bedford is a coastal city in southeastern Massachusetts, approximately 50 miles south of Boston near the Rhode Island border. Historically a major whaling port and center of the American textile industry, New Bedford retains significant cultural heritage and is home to the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The public school district serves the city's diverse student population across 18 elementary schools and one high school. With a graduation rate of 82.4%, the district educates a significant portion of the city's residents.

Avg MCAS ELA

23.2%

#301 of 326

Avg MCAS Math

22.3%

#295 of 326

Avg SAT

1,056

#232 of 290

Attendance

92.3%

#193 of 328

Graduation Rate

82.4%

#259 of 288

AP Pass Rate

65.9%

#179 of 278

Per-Pupil Spending

$23,096

#126 of 325

Avg Teacher Salary

$88,190

#192 of 325

MCAS Performance by Grade

Grade	ELA M+E%	Math M+E%	Sci M+E%	Avg Score	Students
Grade 3	22%	20%	—	481	1,070
Grade 4	22%	23%	—	483	1,041
Grade 5	21%	20%	23%	484	894
Grade 6	27%	25%	—	485	866
Grade 7	20%	15%	—	477	896
Grade 8	19%	12%	12%	477	907
Grade 10	23%	13%	16%	479	702
HS Science	—	—	9%	471	594

Showing 2025 data

Student Demographics

White: 31%

Asian: 0.7%

Hispanic: 45.7%

Black: 16.5%

Multi-Race: 5.8%

Am. Indian: 0.3%

Female: 47.6%Male: 52.3%Non-binary: 0.1%

High Schools in New Bedford

Rank

Grade

School

SAT

MCAS ELA

MCAS Math

Grad

Elementary Schools in New Bedford

Rank

Grade

School

MCAS ELA

MCAS Math

Attend.

Class Size

286

Elizabeth Carter Brooks

Elizabeth Carter Brooks

Sgt Wm H Carney Academy

Sgt Wm H Carney Academy

Irwin M. Jacobs Elementary School

Irwin M. Jacobs Elementary School

District Operations

Attendance

#193 of 328

Attendance Rate92.3%

Avg Days Absent13

Chronically Absent (10%+)24.2%

Chronically Absent (20%+)7.3%

Per-Pupil Expenditure

#126 of 325

In-District Per Pupil$23,173

Total Per Pupil$23,096

Total FTE Students14,587

Teacher Salaries

#192 of 325

Average Salary$88,190

Teacher FTE Count1,034

Salary vs. Town Income3.9x(above town avg)

Teacher salary is 3.9x the town's per capita income ($22,531). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.

Class Size & Populations

#165 of 327

Avg Class Size17

English Learners27.2%

Students w/ Disabilities24.6%

Total Students12,851

Staffing & Retention

#188 of 327

Teacher Retention86.8%

Principal Retention76%

Total Teachers1,076

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

Town Data

New Bedford

Avg Assessed Value

$424,920

#193 of 235

Avg Tax Bill

$4,653

Income Per Capita

$22,531

#229 of 235

Tax Bill Rank

#307

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 Rate1.1%

Tax as % of Income20.65%(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

$165.2M+1.67% levy growth(strong)

Residential$89.2M

Commercial/Industrial$76.1M

Residential Share36.71%(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 4.2% (2.5% base + 1.67% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (36.71%) 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

$9.1M1.9% of operating budget

Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $474.2M.

Where Children Attend School

Local Public: 11,008(70.5%)

Vocational: 1,661(10.6%)

Charter: 1,564(10.0%)

Private: 743(4.8%)

Home School: 224(1.4%)

Total: 15,623