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Rank
166
B-

Somerville

8 schools · 1 high school · 7 elementary schools · Somerville

Somerville is a densely populated urban district located directly north of Boston, just across the Somerville-Cambridge border. The city has a long history as an industrial and working-class community, and it has evolved into a vibrant neighborhood with increasing residential diversity and cultural institutions. Somerville Public Schools serve the city's students through seven elementary schools and Somerville High School, which draw from the broader community. With a graduation rate of 87.5%, the district reflects the educational engagement of this increasingly dynamic urban area.
Avg MCAS ELA
42.8%
#204 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
35.9%
#221 of 326
Avg SAT
1,175
#69 of 290
Attendance
92.8%
#190 of 328
Graduation Rate
87.5%
#236 of 288
AP Pass Rate
75%
#131 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$28,407
#37 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$104,743
#53 of 325

MCAS Performance by Grade

GradeELA M+E%Math M+E%Sci M+E%Avg ScoreStudents
Grade 340%32%—490368
Grade 440%31%—489360
Grade 537%31%42%490374
Grade 641%34%—492343
Grade 739%32%—489301
Grade 840%37%39%491324
Grade 1044%38%43%493348
HS Science——40%491338
Showing 2025 data

Student Demographics

White: 39.7%
Asian: 6%
Hispanic: 38.4%
Black: 8.4%
Multi-Race: 7.2%
Am. Indian: 0.1%
Pac. Islander: 0.2%
Female: 46.6%Male: 52.6%Non-binary: 0.7%

High Schools in Somerville

Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
135
B-
Somerville High
SAT
1,175
ELA
47%
Math
41%
Grad
87.5%
135
B-
Somerville High
1,175
47%
41%
75%
87.5%

Elementary Schools in Somerville

Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
57
A
Benjamin G Brown
ELA
80%
Math
73%
Attend.
95.9%
Class
18
57
A
Benjamin G Brown
80%
73%
95.9%
18
100
B+
John F Kennedy
ELA
60%
Math
76%
Attend.
95.4%
Class
22
100
B+
John F Kennedy
60%
76%
95.4%
22
369
B-
West Somerville Neighborhood
ELA
49%
Math
43%
Attend.
93.9%
Class
21
369
B-
West Somerville Neighborhood
49%
43%
93.9%
21
568
C+
Albert F. Argenziano School at Lincoln Park
ELA
41%
Math
26%
Attend.
94.2%
Class
16
568
C+
Albert F. Argenziano School at Lincoln Park
41%
26%
94.2%
16
700
C
Arthur D Healey
ELA
17%
Math
20%
Attend.
93%
Class
18
700
C
Arthur D Healey
17%
20%
93%
18
722
C
E Somerville Community
ELA
27%
Math
12%
Attend.
94.2%
Class
21
722
C
E Somerville Community
27%
12%
94.2%
21
770
C-
Winter Hill Community
ELA
16%
Math
14%
Attend.
94.3%
Class
14
770
C-
Winter Hill Community
16%
14%
94.3%
14

District Operations

Attendance

#190 of 328
Attendance Rate92.8%
Avg Days Absent12
Chronically Absent (10%+)19.3%
Chronically Absent (20%+)5.8%

Per-Pupil Expenditure

#37 of 325
In-District Per Pupil$27,410
Total Per Pupil$28,407
Total FTE Students5,356

Teacher Salaries

#53 of 325
Average Salary$104,743
Teacher FTE Count441
Salary vs. Town Income1.8x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 1.8x the town's per capita income ($59,412). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.

Class Size & Populations

#45 of 327
Avg Class Size15
English Learners24.7%
Students w/ Disabilities20%
Total Students4,937

Staffing & Retention

#238 of 327
Teacher Retention83%
Principal Retention90%
Total Teachers465
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025

Town Data

Somerville

Avg Assessed Value
$853,939
#53 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$9,376
Income Per Capita
$59,412
#88 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#82
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 Income15.78%(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

$532.8M+3.03% levy growth(strong)
Residential$281.1M
Commercial/Industrial$251.7M
Residential Share39.17%(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 5.5% (2.5% base + 3.03% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (39.17%) 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

$23.9M6.1% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $391.3M.

Where Children Attend School

Local Public: 4,730(85.4%)
Vocational: 2(0.0%)
Charter: 243(4.4%)
Private: 503(9.1%)
Home School: 37(0.7%)
Total: 5,541