Rank
9
A+
Westwood
5 schools · 1 high school · 4 elementary schools · Westwood
Westwood is a suburban community about 20 miles southwest of Boston that consistently ranks among the state's top school districts. With an average single-family assessed value exceeding $1.2 million and strong per capita income, the town's investment in education is evident in its schools' performance—Westwood High School ranks #19 statewide, while Downey Elementary ranks #3. The district's 99.6% graduation rate and average SAT score of 1269 reflect the academic strength across all grade levels. Westwood's combination of affluent residential character, excellent school rankings, and proximity to Boston make it a notable hub for families prioritizing education.
Avg MCAS ELA
75.8%
#16 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
77.2%
#14 of 326
Avg SAT
1,269
#20 of 290
Attendance
95.5%
#13 of 328
Graduation Rate
99.6%
#12 of 288
AP Pass Rate
92.5%
#24 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$25,156
#77 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$113,220
#21 of 325
MCAS Performance by Grade
| Grade | ELA M+E% | Math M+E% | Sci M+E% | Avg Score | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 72% | 74% | — | 514 | 225 |
| Grade 4 | 69% | 75% | — | 514 | 234 |
| Grade 5 | 74% | 77% | 80% | 514 | 192 |
| Grade 6 | 72% | 71% | — | 515 | 233 |
| Grade 7 | 68% | 66% | — | 511 | 225 |
| Grade 8 | 75% | 70% | 72% | 513 | 206 |
| Grade 10 | 77% | 77% | 77% | 515 | 226 |
| HS Science | — | — | 70% | 511 | 212 |
Showing 2025 data
Student Demographics
White: 71.2%
Asian: 13.3%
Hispanic: 7.2%
Black: 1.8%
Multi-Race: 6.3%
Pac. Islander: 0.1%
Female: 47.9%Male: 52.1%
High Schools in Westwood
Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
19
A
Westwood High
SAT
1,269
ELA
78%
Math
77%
Grad
99.6%
19
A
Westwood High
1,269
78%
77%
92.5%
99.6%
Elementary Schools in Westwood
Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
3
A+
Downey
ELA
81%
Math
88%
Attend.
96.1%
Class
18
3
A+
Downey
81%
88%
96.1%
18
13
A+
Martha Jones
ELA
85%
Math
78%
Attend.
96.1%
Class
18
13
A+
Martha Jones
85%
78%
96.1%
18
19
A+
William E Sheehan
ELA
77%
Math
83%
Attend.
96%
Class
18
19
A+
William E Sheehan
77%
83%
96%
18
211
B+
Pine Hill Elementary School
ELA
58%
Math
60%
Attend.
95.5%
Class
20
211
B+
Pine Hill Elementary School
58%
60%
95.5%
20
District Operations
Attendance
#13 of 328Attendance Rate95.5%
Avg Days Absent8
Chronically Absent (10%+)7.4%
Chronically Absent (20%+)1.6%
Per-Pupil Expenditure
#77 of 325In-District Per Pupil$24,325
Total Per Pupil$25,156
Total FTE Students2,904
Teacher Salaries
#21 of 325Average Salary$113,220
Teacher FTE Count238
Salary vs. Town Income0.8x(below town avg)
Teacher salary is only 0.8x the town's per capita income ($135,759). In this wealthy community, the average resident earns more than the average teacher. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.
Class Size & Populations
#152 of 327Avg Class Size17
English Learners1.3%
Students w/ Disabilities21.5%
Total Students2,855
Staffing & Retention
#217 of 327Teacher Retention85.2%
Principal Retention71.4%
Total Teachers250
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025
Town Data
Westwood
Avg Assessed Value
$1,250,705
#23 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$16,097
Income Per Capita
$135,759
#13 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#19
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 Rate1.29%
Tax as % of Income11.86%(below avg)
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
$112.4M+1.71% levy growth(strong)
Residential$93.5M
Commercial/Industrial$18.9M
Residential Share72.35%(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 4.2% (2.5% base + 1.71% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (72.35%) 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
$15.7M13.4% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $117.5M.
Where Children Attend School
Local Public: 2,820(92.5%)
Vocational: 10(0.3%)
Private: 201(6.6%)
Home School: 5(0.2%)
Total: 3,050