Rank

C+

Palmer

1 school · 1 elementary school · Palmer

Palmer is a town of roughly 12,000 residents located in central Massachusetts, about 15 miles east of Springfield in the Pioneer Valley region. The Palmer Public School District serves the town's elementary-age students, with secondary education handled through regional school choice arrangements. As a smaller district focused on elementary education, Palmer reflects the character of a rural New England community with a mix of residential and agricultural heritage. The town is home to several notable natural areas and has deep roots in the region's industrial and farming past.

Avg MCAS ELA

35%

#252 of 326

Avg MCAS Math

35%

#228 of 326

Avg SAT

—

Attendance

93.7%

#141 of 328

Graduation Rate

—

AP Pass Rate

—

Per-Pupil Spending

$23,575

#113 of 325

Avg Teacher Salary

$80,277

#265 of 325

MCAS Performance by Grade

Grade	ELA M+E%	Math M+E%	Sci M+E%	Avg Score	Students
Grade 3	34%	33%	—	490	86
Grade 4	21%	22%	—	484	104
Grade 5	18%	33%	29%	489	68
Grade 6	18%	22%	—	484	89
Grade 7	33%	33%	—	488	111
Grade 8	29%	32%	25%	488	94
Grade 10	40%	37%	37%	490	50
HS Science	—	—	20%	480	10

Showing 2025 data

Student Demographics

White: 72.3%

Asian: 1.9%

Hispanic: 19%

Black: 2.1%

Multi-Race: 4.8%

Female: 49.3%Male: 50.7%

Elementary Schools in Palmer

Rank

Grade

School

MCAS ELA

MCAS Math

Attend.

Class Size

District Operations

Attendance

#141 of 328

Attendance Rate93.7%

Avg Days Absent11

Chronically Absent (10%+)16.8%

Chronically Absent (20%+)5.2%

Per-Pupil Expenditure

#113 of 325

In-District Per Pupil$23,155

Total Per Pupil$23,575

Total FTE Students1,234

Teacher Salaries

#265 of 325

Average Salary$80,277

Teacher FTE Count103

Salary vs. Town Income2.6x(above town avg)

Teacher salary is 2.6x the town's per capita income ($30,774). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.

Class Size & Populations

#123 of 327

Avg Class Size17

English Learners4.5%

Students w/ Disabilities19.6%

Total Students1,118

Staffing & Retention

#233 of 327

Teacher Retention83.7%

Principal Retention100%

Total Teachers104

Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025

Town Data

Palmer

Avg Assessed Value

$300,932

#230 of 235

Avg Tax Bill

$5,014

Income Per Capita

$30,774

#210 of 235

Tax Bill Rank

#283

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 Rate1.67%

Tax as % of Income16.29%(above avg)

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

$33.9M+2.35% levy growth(strong)

Residential$19.5M

Commercial/Industrial$14.4M

Residential Share57.44%(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 4.8% (2.5% base + 2.35% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (57.44%) 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

$5.2M10.3% of operating budget

Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $50.2M.

Where Children Attend School

Local Public: 1,015(70.1%)

Vocational: 187(12.9%)

Charter: 32(2.2%)

Private: 38(2.6%)

Home School: 44(3.0%)

Total: 1,447