Rank
131
B-
Northampton
5 schools · 1 high school · 4 elementary schools · Northampton
Northampton is a mid-sized public school district serving the city of Northampton in the Pioneer Valley region of western Massachusetts, roughly 90 miles west of Boston. Home to Smith College and a vibrant cultural scene, Northampton has a distinctive character as an intellectual and artistic community. The district operates four elementary schools and Northampton High School, which serves a diverse student body with a 94.2% graduation rate. With per capita income of $44,052 and an average single-family assessed value of $570,686, Northampton reflects the economic profile of a working and middle-class community with strong cultural institutions.
Avg MCAS ELA
50.6%
#148 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
48.8%
#131 of 326
Avg SAT
1,264
#23 of 290
Attendance
93.8%
#152 of 328
Graduation Rate
94.2%
#158 of 288
AP Pass Rate
86%
#53 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$21,336
#179 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$80,036
#269 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 45% | 43% | — | 494 | 149 |
| Grade 4 | 53% | 35% | — | 494 | 173 |
| Grade 5 | 40% | 31% | 52% | 492 | 191 |
| Grade 6 | 45% | 40% | — | 493 | 175 |
| Grade 7 | 49% | 42% | — | 495 | 171 |
| Grade 8 | 44% | 30% | 43% | 489 | 201 |
| Grade 10 | 74% | 64% | 75% | 508 | 224 |
| HS Science | — | — | 71% | 513 | 86 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 68.1%
Asian: 2.6%
Hispanic: 18.6%
Black: 3.4%
Multi-Race: 7.2%
Am. Indian: 0.1%
Female: 47.3%Male: 51.7%Non-binary: 1%
High Schools in Northampton
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
52
B+
Northampton High
SAT
1,264
ELA
74%
Math
65%
Grad
94.2%
52
B+
Northampton High
1,264
74%
65%
86%
94.2%
Elementary Schools in Northampton
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
230
B
Jackson Street
ELA
60%
Math
58%
Attend.
94.8%
Class
21
230
B
Jackson Street
60%
58%
94.8%
21
480
B-
R. K. Finn Ryan Road
ELA
50%
Math
36%
Attend.
94.6%
Class
20
480
B-
R. K. Finn Ryan Road
50%
36%
94.6%
20
506
C+
Leeds
ELA
38%
Math
42%
Attend.
94.9%
Class
18
506
C+
Leeds
38%
42%
94.9%
18
563
C+
Bridge Street
ELA
31%
Math
43%
Attend.
93%
Class
22
563
C+
Bridge Street
31%
43%
93%
22
District Operations
Attendance
#152 of 328Attendance Rate93.8%
Avg Days Absent11
Chronically Absent (10%+)15.9%
Chronically Absent (20%+)4.7%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#179 of 325In-District Per Pupil$21,427
Total Per Pupil$21,336
Total FTE Students2,846
Teacher Salaries
#269 of 325Average Salary$80,036
Teacher FTE Count240
Salary vs. Town Income1.8x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.8x the town's per capita income ($44,052). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#143 of 327Avg Class Size17
English Learners5.2%
Students w/ Disabilities25.4%
Total Students2,533
Staffing & Retention
#193 of 327Teacher Retention86.6%
Principal Retention50%
Total Teachers246
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Northampton
Avg Assessed Value
$570,686
#136 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$7,801
Income Per Capita
$44,052
#148 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#128
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 Rate1.37%
Tax as % of Income17.71%(above avg)
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
$67.0M+1.2% levy growth(typical)
Residential$32.1M
Commercial/Industrial$34.9M
Residential Share47.97%(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 3.7% (2.5% base + 1.2% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (47.97%) 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
$6.3M4.8% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $131.2M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 2,396(78.1%)
Vocational: 133(4.3%)
Charter: 169(5.5%)
Private: 251(8.2%)
Home School: 50(1.6%)
Total: 3,068