Rank
202
C+
Waltham
8 schools · 1 high school · 7 elementary schools · Waltham
Waltham is a city located 10 miles west of Boston with a diverse, urban character and a rich industrial and innovation history—it was once a major center for watch manufacturing and remains home to Brandeis University. The Waltham Public School District serves the city's students across seven elementary schools and Waltham Senior High School. With a graduation rate of 84.4%, the district reflects the experiences of an urban community with significant demographic variety and varying levels of educational attainment among its families.
Avg MCAS ELA
36.1%
#249 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
37.1%
#210 of 326
Avg SAT
1,121
#143 of 290
Attendance
93.4%
#149 of 328
Graduation Rate
84.4%
#252 of 288
AP Pass Rate
73.2%
#143 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$26,402
#57 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$97,434
#104 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 36% | 38% | — | 493 | 422 |
| Grade 4 | 35% | 44% | — | 494 | 406 |
| Grade 5 | 33% | 33% | 29% | 490 | 415 |
| Grade 6 | 47% | 39% | — | 495 | 399 |
| Grade 7 | 47% | 40% | — | 494 | 434 |
| Grade 8 | 47% | 41% | 32% | 497 | 410 |
| Grade 10 | 38% | 30% | 27% | 489 | 415 |
| HS Science | — | — | 6% | 469 | 16 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 34.4%
Asian: 4.6%
Hispanic: 47.2%
Black: 9.5%
Multi-Race: 4.1%
Am. Indian: 0.1%
Pac. Islander: 0.1%
Female: 48.2%Male: 51.6%Non-binary: 0.2%
High Schools in Waltham
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
200
C+
Waltham Sr High
SAT
1,121
ELA
39%
Math
31%
Grad
84.4%
200
C+
Waltham Sr High
1,121
39%
31%
73.2%
84.4%
Elementary Schools in Waltham
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
342
B
James Fitzgerald Elementary School
ELA
44%
Math
53%
Attend.
95.6%
Class
16
342
B
James Fitzgerald Elementary School
44%
53%
95.6%
16
374
B-
Thomas R Plympton Elementary School
ELA
50%
Math
48%
Attend.
94.6%
Class
16
374
B-
Thomas R Plympton Elementary School
50%
48%
94.6%
16
458
B-
Douglas MacArthur Elementary School
ELA
43%
Math
44%
Attend.
95.3%
Class
18
458
B-
Douglas MacArthur Elementary School
43%
44%
95.3%
18
510
C+
Northeast Elementary School
ELA
33%
Math
36%
Attend.
93.8%
Class
15
510
C+
Northeast Elementary School
33%
36%
93.8%
15
608
C+
Henry Whittemore Elementary School
ELA
22%
Math
30%
Attend.
95.2%
Class
16
608
C+
Henry Whittemore Elementary School
22%
30%
95.2%
16
703
C
Dual Language School
ELA
32%
Math
26%
Attend.
94.9%
Class
17
703
C
Dual Language School
32%
26%
94.9%
17
704
C
William F. Stanley Elementary School
ELA
26%
Math
29%
Attend.
94.3%
Class
13
704
C
William F. Stanley Elementary School
26%
29%
94.3%
13
District Operations
Attendance
#149 of 328Attendance Rate93.4%
Avg Days Absent11
Chronically Absent (10%+)18.8%
Chronically Absent (20%+)5.5%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#57 of 325In-District Per Pupil$25,639
Total Per Pupil$26,402
Total FTE Students5,922
Teacher Salaries
#104 of 325Average Salary$97,434
Teacher FTE Count552
Salary vs. Town Income2.0x(above town avg)
Teacher salary is 2.0x the town's per capita income ($48,365). Teachers earn well above the community per capita income. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#71 of 327Avg Class Size16
English Learners24.8%
Students w/ Disabilities18.6%
Total Students5,919
Staffing & Retention
#221 of 327Teacher Retention85.1%
Principal Retention100%
Total Teachers569
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Waltham
Avg Assessed Value
$502,825
#163 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$5,189
Income Per Capita
$48,365
#123 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#270
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 Rate1.03%
Tax as % of Income10.73%(below avg)
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
$345.1M+1.93% levy growth(strong)
Residential$136.6M
Commercial/Industrial$208.5M
Residential Share23.41%(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 4.4% (2.5% base + 1.93% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (23.41%) 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
$53.1M16.5% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $321.1M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 5,550(86.2%)
Charter: 11(0.2%)
Private: 720(11.2%)
Home School: 47(0.7%)
Total: 6,442