Rank
29
A-
Norwell
3 schools · 1 high school · 2 elementary schools · Norwell
Norwell is a suburban town located about 20 miles south of Boston in the South Shore region. With an average single-family assessed value exceeding $1 million and strong per capita income, Norwell supports a well-resourced school district that ranks #29 statewide. The district comprises two elementary schools and Norwell High School, which is ranked #45 among Massachusetts high schools, with an impressive 99.3% graduation rate. Historically a shipbuilding and maritime community, Norwell has evolved into a residential suburb while maintaining its coastal character.
Avg MCAS ELA
71%
#36 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
69%
#33 of 326
Avg SAT
1,144
#108 of 290
Attendance
95%
#72 of 328
Graduation Rate
99.3%
#17 of 288
AP Pass Rate
85.1%
#60 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$21,154
#184 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$100,868
#81 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 66% | 63% | — | 506 | 178 |
| Grade 4 | 70% | 66% | — | 507 | 179 |
| Grade 5 | 69% | 67% | 69% | 510 | 195 |
| Grade 6 | 61% | 72% | — | 508 | 171 |
| Grade 7 | 71% | 78% | — | 511 | 169 |
| Grade 8 | 63% | 61% | 58% | 508 | 165 |
| Grade 10 | 80% | 80% | 68% | 514 | 153 |
| HS Science | — | — | 70% | 508 | 152 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 89.5%
Asian: 2.8%
Hispanic: 2%
Black: 0.6%
Multi-Race: 5%
Pac. Islander: 0.1%
Female: 47.3%Male: 52.5%Non-binary: 0.1%
High Schools in Norwell
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
45
A-
Norwell High
SAT
1,144
ELA
81%
Math
81%
Grad
99.3%
45
A-
Norwell High
1,144
81%
81%
85.1%
99.3%
Elementary Schools in Norwell
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
130
A-
Grace Farrar Cole
ELA
69%
Math
63%
Attend.
95%
Class
21
130
A-
Grace Farrar Cole
69%
63%
95%
21
131
A-
William G Vinal
ELA
63%
Math
63%
Attend.
94.9%
Class
22
131
A-
William G Vinal
63%
63%
94.9%
22
District Operations
Attendance
#72 of 328Attendance Rate95%
Avg Days Absent9
Chronically Absent (10%+)7.7%
Chronically Absent (20%+)1.1%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#184 of 325In-District Per Pupil$19,525
Total Per Pupil$21,154
Total FTE Students2,200
Teacher Salaries
#81 of 325Average Salary$100,868
Teacher FTE Count168
Salary vs. Town Income0.9x(below town avg)
Teacher salary is only 0.9x the town's per capita income ($116,707). In this wealthy community, the average resident earns more than the average teacher. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#142 of 327Avg Class Size17
English Learners0.5%
Students w/ Disabilities15.1%
Total Students2,199
Staffing & Retention
#3 of 327Teacher Retention96.5%
Principal Retention100%
Total Teachers173
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Norwell
Avg Assessed Value
$1,065,899
#32 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$13,675
Income Per Capita
$116,707
#19 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#32
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 Rate1.28%
Tax as % of Income11.72%(below 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
$41.7M+1.01% levy growth(typical)
Residential$34.8M
Commercial/Industrial$6.9M
Residential Share83.5%(mostly homes)
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 (83.5%) 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
$5.6M7.4% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $74.9M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 2,134(89.5%)
Vocational: 27(1.1%)
Charter: 9(0.4%)
Private: 184(7.7%)
Home School: 16(0.7%)
Total: 2,385