← Back to District Rankings
Rank
5
A+

Winchester

6 schools · 1 high school · 5 elementary schools · Winchester

Winchester is a prosperous suburban town located about 10 miles north of Boston, known for its highly regarded public school system. With an average single-family assessed value exceeding $1.6 million and per capita income of $150,357, Winchester ranks among the state's wealthiest communities—and this investment in education is evident in its strong academic performance. The district ranks #5 overall among Massachusetts school districts, with Winchester High School placing #13 statewide and Ambrose Elementary ranking #6. The town has deep historical roots, having been settled in the 1600s and playing a notable role in the American Revolution. With a 96.6% graduation rate and an average SAT score of 1,295, Winchester consistently delivers strong outcomes for its students.
Avg MCAS ELA
79%
#8 of 326
Avg MCAS Math
74.5%
#17 of 326
Avg SAT
1,295
#9 of 290
Attendance
95.7%
#29 of 328
Graduation Rate
96.6%
#102 of 288
AP Pass Rate
91.8%
#28 of 278
Per-Pupil Spending
$19,933
#233 of 325
Avg Teacher Salary
$103,352
#64 of 325

MCAS Performance by Grade

GradeELA M+E%Math M+E%Sci M+E%Avg ScoreStudents
Grade 378%75%—514328
Grade 470%73%—510297
Grade 566%70%79%511377
Grade 664%70%—510344
Grade 767%74%—512337
Grade 879%81%75%518350
Grade 1080%77%84%519348
HS Science——77%518381
Showing 2025 data

Student Demographics

White: 65.1%
Asian: 21.4%
Hispanic: 4.4%
Black: 1.4%
Multi-Race: 7.7%
Am. Indian: 0.1%
Female: 50.3%Male: 49.6%Non-binary: 0.1%

High Schools in Winchester

Rank
Grade
School
SAT
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
AP
Grad
13
A
Winchester High School
SAT
1,295
ELA
81%
Math
78%
Grad
96.6%
13
A
Winchester High School
1,295
81%
78%
91.8%
96.6%

Elementary Schools in Winchester

Rank
Grade
School
MCAS ELA
MCAS Math
Attend.
Class Size
6
A+
Ambrose Elementary
ELA
83%
Math
87%
Attend.
95.4%
Class
19
6
A+
Ambrose Elementary
83%
87%
95.4%
19
26
A+
Muraco Elementary
ELA
78%
Math
81%
Attend.
95.1%
Class
19
26
A+
Muraco Elementary
78%
81%
95.1%
19
59
A
Vinson-Owen Elementary
ELA
75%
Math
75%
Attend.
95.4%
Class
21
59
A
Vinson-Owen Elementary
75%
75%
95.4%
21
65
A
Lynch Elementary
ELA
78%
Math
67%
Attend.
95.4%
Class
20
65
A
Lynch Elementary
78%
67%
95.4%
20
83
A-
Lincoln Elementary
ELA
79%
Math
59%
Attend.
95.6%
Class
19
83
A-
Lincoln Elementary
79%
59%
95.6%
19

District Operations

Attendance

#29 of 328
Attendance Rate95.7%
Avg Days Absent8
Chronically Absent (10%+)5.9%
Chronically Absent (20%+)0.7%

Per-Pupil Expenditure

#233 of 325
In-District Per Pupil$18,726
Total Per Pupil$19,933
Total FTE Students4,380

Teacher Salaries

#64 of 325
Average Salary$103,352
Teacher FTE Count342
Salary vs. Town Income0.7x(below town avg)
Teacher salary is only 0.7x the town's per capita income ($150,357). In this wealthy community, the average resident earns more than the average teacher. The MA median ratio is about 1.9x.

Class Size & Populations

#264 of 327
Avg Class Size19
English Learners2.6%
Students w/ Disabilities16.8%
Total Students4,413

Staffing & Retention

#32 of 327
Teacher Retention92.3%
Principal Retention75%
Total Teachers365
Attendance: 2024-2025 · Expenditure: 2024 · Salaries: 2023-2024 · Class Size: 2024-2025 · Staffing: 2025

Town Data

Winchester

Avg Assessed Value
$1,649,138
#12 of 235
Avg Tax Bill
$18,272
Income Per Capita
$150,357
#11 of 235
Tax Bill Rank
#10
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 Rate1.11%
Tax as % of Income12.15%(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

$120.0M+1.19% levy growth(typical)
Residential$61.3M
Commercial/Industrial$58.7M
Residential Share52.2%(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 3.7% (2.5% base + 1.19% from new growth). The MA median is about 1.2%; above 1.5% is strong, below 0.8% signals limited development. The residential share (52.2%) 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

$22.4M13.5% of operating budget
Free cash is the town's unencumbered surplus funds. 5-10% of budget is considered healthy. Operating budget: $165.3M.

Where Children Attend School

Local Public: 4,369(91.9%)
Vocational: 12(0.3%)
Charter: 1(0.0%)
Private: 323(6.8%)
Home School: 26(0.5%)
Total: 4,756