Rank
183
C+
Saugus
2 schools · 1 high school · 1 elementary school · Saugus
Saugus is a suburban town located approximately 15 miles north of Boston along the North Shore. The Saugus school district serves a single town with one high school and one elementary school, supporting a community with an average single-family assessed home value of approximately $684,000. The district's graduation rate of 86.5% reflects solid student outcomes, while Saugus High School earned a statewide ranking of #183. Historically, Saugus is known for the Saugus Iron Works, a National Historic Site that marks the location of America's first iron mill, established in the 17th century.
Avg MCAS ELA
36.5%
#247 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
40%
#192 of 326
Avg SAT
1,100
#175 of 290
Attendance
91.3%
#316 of 328
Graduation Rate
86.5%
#244 of 288
AP Pass Rate
53.3%
#224 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,547
#275 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$89,778
#181 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 36% | 47% | — | 495 | 197 |
| Grade 4 | 27% | 31% | — | 489 | 202 |
| Grade 5 | 27% | 34% | 39% | 491 | 200 |
| Grade 6 | 20% | 22% | — | 484 | 221 |
| Grade 7 | 23% | 24% | — | 482 | 208 |
| Grade 8 | 23% | 47% | 27% | 491 | 194 |
| Grade 10 | 36% | 31% | 36% | 489 | 177 |
| HS Science | — | — | 19% | 479 | 179 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 46.3%
Asian: 7.8%
Hispanic: 35%
Black: 7%
Multi-Race: 3.3%
Am. Indian: 0.5%
Pac. Islander: 0.1%
Female: 47.2%Male: 52.7%Non-binary: 0.1%
High Schools in Saugus
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
230
C+
Saugus High
SAT
1,100
ELA
37%
Math
31%
Grad
86.5%
230
C+
Saugus High
1,100
37%
31%
53.3%
86.5%
Elementary Schools in Saugus
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
397
B-
Belmonte STEAM Academy
ELA
36%
Math
49%
Attend.
93.1%
Class
23
397
B-
Belmonte STEAM Academy
36%
49%
93.1%
23
District Operations
Attendance
#316 of 328Attendance Rate91.3%
Avg Days Absent15
Chronically Absent (10%+)29.6%
Chronically Absent (20%+)8.1%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#275 of 325In-District Per Pupil$17,357
Total Per Pupil$18,547
Total FTE Students3,084
Teacher Salaries
#181 of 325Average Salary$89,778
Teacher FTE Count181
Salary vs. Town Income2.0x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 2.0x the town's per capita income ($44,958). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#275 of 327Avg Class Size19
English Learners14.1%
Students w/ Disabilities19.7%
Total Students2,718
Staffing & Retention
#227 of 327Teacher Retention84.5%
Principal Retention50%
Total Teachers174
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Saugus
Avg Assessed Value
$683,849
#101 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$7,126
Income Per Capita
$44,958
#142 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#160
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 Rate1.04%
Tax as % of Income15.85%(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
$82.9M+1.48% levy growth(typical)
Residential$52.8M
Commercial/Industrial$30.1M
Residential Share46.04%(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 4.0% (2.5% base + 1.48% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (46.04%) 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
$19.1M15.4% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $124.2M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 2,538(70.0%)
Vocational: 142(3.9%)
Charter: 316(8.7%)
Private: 475(13.1%)
Home School: 56(1.5%)
Total: 3,624