Rank
59
B+
Reading
6 schools · 1 high school · 5 elementary schools · Reading
Reading is a suburban town roughly 20 miles north of Boston in the North Shore region. The district encompasses Reading's five elementary schools, a single high school, and serves a community with substantial real estate investment, reflected in an average single-family assessed value near $940,000. Reading Memorial High School anchors the district's secondary education, while Joshua Eaton Elementary ranks among the top 50 elementary schools statewide. With a 97.6% graduation rate and consistent academic performance, Reading maintains a solid position in the state's mid-tier rankings.
Avg MCAS ELA
63.5%
#65 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
61%
#67 of 326
Avg SAT
1,175
#67 of 290
Attendance
95.2%
#39 of 328
Graduation Rate
97.6%
#68 of 288
AP Pass Rate
82.5%
#77 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$20,124
#227 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$96,405
#112 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 64% | 63% | — | 506 | 305 |
| Grade 4 | 71% | 74% | — | 511 | 266 |
| Grade 5 | 54% | 59% | 64% | 503 | 345 |
| Grade 6 | 71% | 66% | — | 510 | 311 |
| Grade 7 | 63% | 62% | — | 507 | 297 |
| Grade 8 | 68% | 68% | 57% | 508 | 272 |
| Grade 10 | 68% | 62% | 57% | 509 | 290 |
| HS Science | — | — | 47% | 501 | 281 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 81.6%
Asian: 5.6%
Hispanic: 5.3%
Black: 3.7%
Multi-Race: 3.7%
Am. Indian: 0.1%
Female: 47.1%Male: 52.8%Non-binary: 0.1%
High Schools in Reading
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
62
B+
Reading Memorial High
SAT
1,175
ELA
68%
Math
63%
Grad
97.6%
62
B+
Reading Memorial High
1,175
68%
63%
82.5%
97.6%
Elementary Schools in Reading
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
49
A
Joshua Eaton
ELA
75%
Math
79%
Attend.
96%
Class
21
49
A
Joshua Eaton
75%
79%
96%
21
76
A-
J Warren Killam
ELA
72%
Math
73%
Attend.
95.3%
Class
20
76
A-
J Warren Killam
72%
73%
95.3%
20
207
B+
Alice M Barrows
ELA
63%
Math
56%
Attend.
95.5%
Class
20
207
B+
Alice M Barrows
63%
56%
95.5%
20
314
B
Birch Meadow
ELA
56%
Math
51%
Attend.
95.2%
Class
20
314
B
Birch Meadow
56%
51%
95.2%
20
452
B-
Wood End Elementary School
ELA
47%
Math
44%
Attend.
95.4%
Class
20
452
B-
Wood End Elementary School
47%
44%
95.4%
20
District Operations
Attendance
#39 of 328Attendance Rate95.2%
Avg Days Absent8
Chronically Absent (10%+)8.1%
Chronically Absent (20%+)1.4%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#227 of 325In-District Per Pupil$18,974
Total Per Pupil$20,124
Total FTE Students3,934
Teacher Salaries
#112 of 325Average Salary$96,405
Teacher FTE Count298
Salary vs. Town Income1.2x(near town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.2x the town's per capita income ($82,946). Teachers earn close to the community average. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#185 of 327Avg Class Size18
English Learners2.2%
Students w/ Disabilities19.8%
Total Students3,846
Staffing & Retention
#186 of 327Teacher Retention86.8%
Principal Retention77.8%
Total Teachers333
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Reading
Avg Assessed Value
$939,783
#44 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$10,300
Income Per Capita
$82,946
#40 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#60
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 Rate1.1%
Tax as % of Income12.42%(typical)
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
$71.6M+0.95% levy growth(typical)
Residential$56.4M
Commercial/Industrial$15.2M
Residential Share76.99%(typical)
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 + 0.95% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (76.99%) 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
$17.3M13.7% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $126.1M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 3,706(91.0%)
Vocational: 60(1.5%)
Charter: 2(0.0%)
Private: 250(6.1%)
Home School: 20(0.5%)
Total: 4,071