Rank
47
A-
Newton
17 schools · 2 high schools · 15 elementary schools · Newton
Newton is a wealthy suburban community about 10 miles west of Boston, with an average single-family assessed value exceeding $1.7 million and per capita income among the highest in the state. The district operates two well-regarded high schools—Newton South (ranked #17 statewide) and Newton North (ranked #31)—along with 15 elementary schools, including the top-ranked John Ward Elementary. With a 96.7% graduation rate and an average SAT score of 1283, Newton consistently maintains strong academic outcomes across its schools. The town's substantial investment in education is reflected in both infrastructure and programming, supporting a district ranked #47 overall among Massachusetts public school districts.
Avg MCAS ELA
64%
#59 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
68.9%
#35 of 326
Avg SAT
1,284
#13 of 290
Attendance
94.8%
#48 of 328
Graduation Rate
96.7%
#94 of 288
AP Pass Rate
90.6%
#33 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$26,567
#55 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$104,716
#54 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 62% | 67% | — | 508 | 810 |
| Grade 4 | 61% | 67% | — | 508 | 866 |
| Grade 5 | 67% | 65% | 70% | 508 | 845 |
| Grade 6 | 67% | 68% | — | 510 | 874 |
| Grade 7 | 66% | 72% | — | 510 | 870 |
| Grade 8 | 75% | 76% | 69% | 515 | 895 |
| Grade 10 | 77% | 79% | 82% | 519 | 1,005 |
| HS Science | — | — | 33% | 489 | 15 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 52.2%
Asian: 22%
Hispanic: 11.3%
Black: 4.7%
Multi-Race: 9.6%
Am. Indian: 0.1%
Pac. Islander: 0.1%
Female: 49%Male: 50.6%Non-binary: 0.4%
High Schools in Newton
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
17
A
Newton South High
SAT
1,303
ELA
79%
Math
84%
Grad
98.6%
17
A
Newton South High
1,303
79%
84%
91.3%
98.6%
31
A-
Newton North High
SAT
1,264
ELA
77%
Math
77%
Grad
94.8%
31
A-
Newton North High
1,264
77%
77%
89.9%
94.8%
Elementary Schools in Newton
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
1
A+
John Ward
ELA
93%
Math
97%
Attend.
95.8%
Class
17
1
A+
John Ward
93%
97%
95.8%
17
32
A
Mason-Rice
ELA
76%
Math
80%
Attend.
95%
Class
19
32
A
Mason-Rice
76%
80%
95%
19
47
A
A E Angier
ELA
69%
Math
83%
Attend.
95.6%
Class
18
47
A
A E Angier
69%
83%
95.6%
18
62
A
C C Burr
ELA
71%
Math
78%
Attend.
95.3%
Class
19
62
A
C C Burr
71%
78%
95.3%
19
75
A-
Williams
ELA
69%
Math
72%
Attend.
94.5%
Class
18
75
A-
Williams
69%
72%
94.5%
18
41
A-
Peirce
ELA
77%
Math
77%
Attend.
95.1%
Class
20
41
A-
Peirce
77%
77%
95.1%
20
111
A-
Memorial Spaulding
ELA
69%
Math
69%
Attend.
95%
Class
18
111
A-
Memorial Spaulding
69%
69%
95%
18
129
A-
Countryside
ELA
63%
Math
71%
Attend.
95%
Class
19
129
A-
Countryside
63%
71%
95%
19
171
B+
Zervas
ELA
62%
Math
64%
Attend.
95.3%
Class
18
171
B+
Zervas
62%
64%
95.3%
18
256
B
Bowen
ELA
56%
Math
67%
Attend.
95.4%
Class
18
256
B
Bowen
56%
67%
95.4%
18
287
B
Underwood
ELA
51%
Math
57%
Attend.
95.1%
Class
20
287
B
Underwood
51%
57%
95.1%
20
9
B
Horace Mann
ELA
79%
Math
84%
Attend.
95.5%
Class
21
9
B
Horace Mann
79%
84%
95.5%
21
394
B-
Cabot
ELA
49%
Math
59%
Attend.
94.9%
Class
19
394
B-
Cabot
49%
59%
94.9%
19
421
B-
Lincoln-Eliot
ELA
44%
Math
54%
Attend.
94.6%
Class
18
421
B-
Lincoln-Eliot
44%
54%
94.6%
18
257
C+
Franklin
ELA
54%
Math
60%
Attend.
95.5%
Class
21
257
C+
Franklin
54%
60%
95.5%
21
District Operations
Attendance
#48 of 328Attendance Rate94.8%
Avg Days Absent9
Chronically Absent (10%+)11.3%
Chronically Absent (20%+)2.3%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#55 of 325In-District Per Pupil$25,647
Total Per Pupil$26,567
Total FTE Students11,918
Teacher Salaries
#54 of 325Average Salary$104,716
Teacher FTE Count1,059
Salary vs. Town Income0.6x(below town avg)
Teacher salary is only 0.6x the town's per capita income ($172,729). In this wealthy community, the average resident earns more than the average teacher. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#130 of 327Avg Class Size17
English Learners7.2%
Students w/ Disabilities18%
Total Students11,774
Staffing & Retention
#55 of 327Teacher Retention91.1%
Principal Retention91.3%
Total Teachers1,119
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Newton
Avg Assessed Value
$1,762,337
#9 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$17,077
Income Per Capita
$172,729
#5 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#13
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 Rate0.97%
Tax as % of Income9.89%(low burden)
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
$628.9M+1.55% levy growth(strong)
Residential$554.6M
Commercial/Industrial$74.2M
Residential Share79.97%(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 4.0% (2.5% base + 1.55% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (79.97%) 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
$22.1M3.3% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $665.6M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 10,818(76.7%)
Charter: 4(0.0%)
Private: 3,157(22.4%)
Home School: 42(0.3%)
Total: 14,098