Rank
219
C+
Norwood
6 schools · 1 high school · 5 elementary schools · Norwood
Norwood is a suburban town located about 20 miles southwest of Boston in the I-95 corridor. With an average single-family assessed value around $719,000 and a per capita income of approximately $57,000, the town offers a middle-class residential character. The district operates five elementary schools and Norwood High School, which serves the community with a 96.7% graduation rate. Historically, Norwood developed as a manufacturing and industrial hub in the 19th and 20th centuries before transitioning to a primarily residential suburb.
Avg MCAS ELA
36.8%
#245 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
40.3%
#189 of 326
Avg SAT
1,124
#137 of 290
Attendance
92.4%
#234 of 328
Graduation Rate
96.7%
#98 of 288
AP Pass Rate
63.4%
#194 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$23,366
#119 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$92,324
#150 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 33% | 37% | — | 492 | 267 |
| Grade 4 | 40% | 42% | — | 494 | 281 |
| Grade 5 | 37% | 34% | 42% | 492 | 260 |
| Grade 6 | 40% | 29% | — | 491 | 260 |
| Grade 7 | 36% | 32% | — | 489 | 255 |
| Grade 8 | 41% | 40% | 39% | 493 | 269 |
| Grade 10 | 43% | 41% | 40% | 494 | 235 |
| HS Science | — | — | 39% | 491 | 236 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 53.2%
Asian: 6.2%
Hispanic: 22.7%
Black: 13.2%
Multi-Race: 4%
Am. Indian: 0.3%
Pac. Islander: 0.6%
Female: 49.8%Male: 50.2%
High Schools in Norwood
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
199
C+
Norwood High
SAT
1,124
ELA
45%
Math
44%
Grad
96.7%
199
C+
Norwood High
1,124
45%
44%
63.4%
96.7%
Elementary Schools in Norwood
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
336
B
F A Cleveland
ELA
43%
Math
61%
Attend.
94.8%
Class
18
336
B
F A Cleveland
43%
61%
94.8%
18
529
C+
John P Oldham
ELA
42%
Math
40%
Attend.
93.9%
Class
16
529
C+
John P Oldham
42%
40%
93.9%
16
588
C+
Charles J Prescott
ELA
36%
Math
39%
Attend.
93.6%
Class
19
588
C+
Charles J Prescott
36%
39%
93.6%
19
697
C
Cornelius M Callahan
ELA
24%
Math
36%
Attend.
93.5%
Class
20
697
C
Cornelius M Callahan
24%
36%
93.5%
20
720
C
Balch
ELA
31%
Math
22%
Attend.
92.6%
Class
20
720
C
Balch
31%
22%
92.6%
20
District Operations
Attendance
#234 of 328Attendance Rate92.4%
Avg Days Absent13
Chronically Absent (10%+)25.4%
Chronically Absent (20%+)7.4%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#119 of 325In-District Per Pupil$21,056
Total Per Pupil$23,366
Total FTE Students3,764
Teacher Salaries
#150 of 325Average Salary$92,324
Teacher FTE Count331
Salary vs. Town Income1.6x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.6x the town's per capita income ($57,096). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#151 of 327Avg Class Size17
English Learners16.8%
Students w/ Disabilities23.3%
Total Students3,592
Staffing & Retention
#141 of 327Teacher Retention88.2%
Principal Retention100%
Total Teachers340
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Norwood
Avg Assessed Value
$719,477
#92 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$7,065
Income Per Capita
$57,096
#94 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#162
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 Rate0.98%
Tax as % of Income12.37%(typical)
Bond RatingAA+(excellent)
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
$154.4M+3.61% levy growth(strong)
Residential$6.9M
Commercial/Industrial$147.5M
Residential Share2.01%(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 6.1% (2.5% base + 3.61% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (2.01%) 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
$24.9M14.6% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $169.6M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 3,444(83.4%)
Vocational: 94(2.3%)
Charter: 61(1.5%)
Private: 417(10.1%)
Home School: 52(1.3%)
Total: 4,130