Rank
27
A-
North Reading
4 schools · 1 high school · 3 elementary schools · North Reading
North Reading is a suburban community approximately 25 miles north of Boston in Essex County. The district ranks #27 statewide and is home to two elementary schools ranked among the top 20 in Massachusetts — Ethel Little School (#10) and L.D. Batchelder (#16) — reflecting strong academic performance across its three elementary schools and high school. With a 96.1% graduation rate and an average single-family assessed value of approximately $883,000, North Reading represents a well-established suburban district with consistent achievement. The town has deep historical roots in the region and maintains a close-knit community character despite its proximity to the Boston metro area.
Avg MCAS ELA
70.2%
#37 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
72%
#24 of 326
Avg SAT
1,183
#57 of 290
Attendance
95.4%
#32 of 328
Graduation Rate
96.1%
#115 of 288
AP Pass Rate
86.1%
#51 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$21,737
#165 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$94,846
#131 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 67% | 69% | — | 509 | 184 |
| Grade 4 | 65% | 60% | — | 506 | 193 |
| Grade 5 | 87% | 80% | 92% | 517 | 200 |
| Grade 6 | 66% | 74% | — | 511 | 149 |
| Grade 7 | 70% | 66% | — | 510 | 185 |
| Grade 8 | 75% | 67% | 63% | 510 | 171 |
| Grade 10 | 70% | 72% | 77% | 511 | 152 |
| HS Science | — | — | 69% | 507 | 162 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 83.8%
Asian: 5.9%
Hispanic: 5.4%
Black: 0.7%
Multi-Race: 4.2%
Female: 49%Male: 51%
High Schools in North Reading
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
53
B+
North Reading High
SAT
1,183
ELA
72%
Math
74%
Grad
96.1%
53
B+
North Reading High
1,183
72%
74%
86.1%
96.1%
Elementary Schools in North Reading
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
10
A+
E Ethel Little School
ELA
80%
Math
80%
Attend.
95.7%
Class
17
10
A+
E Ethel Little School
80%
80%
95.7%
17
16
A+
L D Batchelder
ELA
81%
Math
81%
Attend.
96%
Class
25
16
A+
L D Batchelder
81%
81%
96%
25
335
B
J Turner Hood
ELA
48%
Math
53%
Attend.
95.2%
Class
25
335
B
J Turner Hood
48%
53%
95.2%
25
District Operations
Attendance
#32 of 328Attendance Rate95.4%
Avg Days Absent8
Chronically Absent (10%+)6.2%
Chronically Absent (20%+)1%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#165 of 325In-District Per Pupil$20,475
Total Per Pupil$21,737
Total FTE Students2,379
Teacher Salaries
#131 of 325Average Salary$94,846
Teacher FTE Count208
Salary vs. Town Income1.1x(near town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.1x the town's per capita income ($85,428). Teachers earn close to the community average. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#251 of 327Avg Class Size19
English Learners1.6%
Students w/ Disabilities18.9%
Total Students2,333
Staffing & Retention
#21 of 327Teacher Retention93%
Principal Retention100%
Total Teachers214
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
North Reading
Avg Assessed Value
$882,903
#50 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$11,495
Income Per Capita
$85,428
#37 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#47
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 Rate1.3%
Tax as % of Income13.46%(typical)
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.
New Growth
$189.5M+4.18% levy growth(strong)
Residential$105.8M
Commercial/Industrial$83.7M
Residential Share55.81%(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 6.7% (2.5% base + 4.18% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (55.81%) 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
$9.2M9.9% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $93.0M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 2,274(90.2%)
Vocational: 49(1.9%)
Charter: 1(0.0%)
Private: 153(6.1%)
Home School: 12(0.5%)
Total: 2,522