School districts in Massachusetts ranked by poverty-rate for school aged children

The United States Census Bureau has released data that does the kind of cross-source referencing that the Bureau usually warns again. The table below shows the school districts in Massachusetts ranked by poverty rate (as calculated by me, dividing the number of students who live in households below the federal poverty line by the total number of students in the district. The table shows the name of the district, which usually is a city or town but sometimes a regional school, the total population of the district, the school aged population of the district (ie children aged 5-17), the number of said children who live in poor households and finally the poverty rate for the school-aged children in the district.

The population number (column “Population”) is the revised estimate for 2007 [update: actually, it doesn't quite match the revised population number nor does it match the original 2007 population estimate so I'm not quite sure what the population number is] while the school-aged populations (overall and poor) (“Students”) are based on estimates from the 2007 American Community Survey. The ACS results can vary quite a bit from year to year for small towns so some of the poverty rates can seem a bit high (I’m mostly surprised by Winthrop, which has a poverty rate roughly three times that of that in the 2000 population count, either because of rapidly changing demographics or because of the variance I mentioned).

Keep in mind that the school-aged population doesn’t exactly match the the actual student population for a number of reasons:

1) Not all school-aged children go to a public school district.
2) Some students are 18 or 19-years old and thus not included in the school-aged population used here.
3) Some students attend school districts other than the one they live in.

For example, while Boston is believed to have some 82,000 school-aged children the city’s public school district has only about 57,000 students.

Still, if you are looking to buy a house in Massachusetts you can use the table as a one of the data points to take into consideration when deciding where to buy.

If you are looking for a specific school district simply use your browser’s Find function (e.g. Ctrl-F on FireFox on Windows).

(I set up a page on GBNX where you can sort the school districts by column. Update: You can now sort public school districts in all states on that page.)

# District Population Students Poverty Rate
1 Westwood 14,217 2,811 51 1.81%
2 Wayland 13,163 2,785 51 1.83%
3 Medfield 12,360 3,068 61 1.99%
4 Westford 20,853 4,696 95 2.02%
5 Hopkinton 13,410 3,053 63 2.06%
6 Needham 28,680 5,400 113 2.09%
7 Edgartown 3,905 377 8 2.12%
8 Southborough 9,148 1,541 34 2.21%
9 Sudbury 16,922 3,018 67 2.22%
10 Sherborn 4,220 515 12 2.33%
11 Norfolk 10,534 1,282 30 2.34%
12 Reading 23,823 4,471 106 2.37%
13 Carlisle 4,740 829 20 2.41%
14 Duxbury 14,773 3,087 75 2.43%
15 Richmond 1,543 163 4 2.45%
16 Concord-Carlisle 21,814 1,085 27 2.49%
17 Wellesley 27,237 4,705 118 2.51%
18 Lincoln-Sudbury 25,016 1,266 32 2.53%
19 Acton 20,428 2,675 69 2.58%
20 Holliston 13,867 3,079 80 2.6%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
21 Acton-Boxborough 25,320 2,151 56 2.6%
22 Bedford 12,655 2,101 55 2.62%
23 Groton-Dunstable 12,435 2,886 76 2.63%
24 Dover 5,597 718 19 2.65%
25 Nauset-Providencetown In Truro (7-12) 2,084 108 3 2.78%
26 Franklin 29,769 6,167 175 2.84%
27 Hingham 20,615 3,873 110 2.84%
28 Lincoln 8,095 1,334 38 2.85%
29 Norwell 10,125 2,007 58 2.89%
30 Dover-Sherborn 9,817 1,102 32 2.9%
31 Topsfield 6,223 791 23 2.91%
32 Lexington 30,500 6,192 181 2.92%
33 North Reading 13,903 2,707 80 2.96%
34 Scituate 18,522 3,293 99 3.01%
35 Northboro-Southboro 23,748 1,064 32 3.01%
36 Concord 17,074 2,418 73 3.02%
37 Medway 12,536 2,887 88 3.05%
38 Weston 11,524 2,389 73 3.06%
39 Winchester 20,910 3,763 115 3.06%
40 Longmeadow 15,691 2,961 91 3.07%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
41 Plympton 2,734 324 10 3.09%
42 Walpole 22,986 4,339 135 3.11%
43 King Philip 28,900 2,172 68 3.13%
44 Chelmsford 33,774 6,109 192 3.14%
45 Northborough 14,599 2,314 73 3.15%
46 Littleton 8,223 1,528 49 3.21%
47 Nashoba 16,901 3,255 106 3.26%
48 Up-Island Regional 3,775 428 14 3.27%
49 Wachusett 38,517 7,587 249 3.28%
50 Boxford 8,027 1,121 37 3.3%
51 Pelham 1,411 119 4 3.36%
52 Cohasset 7,312 1,487 50 3.36%
53 Westborough 18,750 3,710 125 3.37%
54 Wakefield 24,923 3,961 136 3.43%
55 Harvard 6,231 1,215 42 3.46%
56 Hanover 13,649 2,796 98 3.51%
57 Masconomet 22,098 1,750 64 3.66%
58 Wilmington 21,465 4,130 151 3.66%
59 Sharon 17,531 4,023 148 3.68%
60 Granville 1,529 216 8 3.7%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
61 Burlington 22,986 3,768 141 3.74%
62 Shrewsbury 32,964 5,481 205 3.74%
63 Natick 32,324 4,965 188 3.79%
64 Conway 1,811 158 6 3.8%
65 Mansfield 22,764 4,630 176 3.8%
66 Mendon-Upton 11,476 2,184 83 3.8%
67 Mattapoisett 6,499 630 24 3.81%
68 East Bridgewater 13,452 2,588 102 3.94%
69 Belmont 24,310 4,018 159 3.96%
70 Easton 22,647 3,794 151 3.98%
71 Southampton 5,419 528 21 3.98%
72 Rochester 4,750 526 21 3.99%
73 West Bridgewater 6,879 1,074 43 4%
74 Milton 26,246 5,062 204 4.03%
75 Boxborough 4,891 713 29 4.07%
76 Arlington 42,592 5,153 210 4.08%
77 Ashland 14,744 2,520 103 4.09%
78 Foxborough 16,361 3,168 130 4.1%
79 West Boylston 7,794 1,240 51 4.11%
80 Grafton 15,517 2,678 110 4.11%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
81 Whately 1,564 121 5 4.13%
82 Bridgewater-Raynham 38,036 6,159 260 4.22%
83 Andover 32,402 6,672 282 4.23%
84 Nantucket 10,531 1,419 60 4.23%
85 Millis 7,958 1,465 62 4.23%
86 Berlin-Boylston 6,655 448 19 4.24%
87 Canton 20,922 3,573 152 4.25%
88 Plainville 7,737 869 37 4.26%
89 Newton 84,232 13,233 564 4.26%
90 Berkley 5,839 934 40 4.28%
91 Lynnfield 11,696 2,050 88 4.29%
92 Lanesborough 3,119 279 12 4.3%
93 Westhampton 1,477 139 6 4.32%
94 Tewksbury 28,989 5,125 222 4.33%
95 Boylston 4,176 437 19 4.35%
96 Hamilton-Wenham 13,145 2,360 103 4.36%
97 Brewster 10,093 708 31 4.38%
98 Sutton 8,595 1,753 77 4.39%
99 Georgetown 7,476 1,430 63 4.41%
100 Abington 15,144 2,621 116 4.43%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
101 Bellingham 15,422 3,021 134 4.44%
102 Lakeville 10,183 809 36 4.45%
103 Halifax 7,777 779 35 4.49%
104 Hopedale 6,154 1,090 49 4.5%
105 North Middlesex 23,296 5,261 238 4.52%
106 Old Rochester 16,561 1,256 57 4.54%
107 Quabbin 14,840 3,184 145 4.55%
108 Petersham 1,229 110 5 4.55%
109 Seekonk 13,635 2,509 115 4.58%
110 Sandwich 20,131 3,811 176 4.62%
111 North Attleborough 27,567 5,066 234 4.62%
112 Melrose 27,264 4,104 190 4.63%
113 Douglas 7,340 1,465 68 4.64%
114 Billerica 39,168 7,248 346 4.77%
115 Silver Lake 22,725 1,636 78 4.77%
116 Tyngsborough 11,134 2,342 112 4.78%
117 Carver 11,575 2,230 107 4.8%
118 Nauset 24,633 1,699 82 4.83%
119 Pentucket 16,543 3,470 168 4.84%
120 Berlin 2,480 244 12 4.92%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
121 Freetown-Lakeville 18,787 2,033 100 4.92%
122 Middleton 7,848 770 38 4.94%
123 Whitman-Hanson 24,239 4,583 227 4.95%
124 Ashburnham-Westminster 12,974 2,638 132 5%
125 Somerset 24,358 3,083 155 5.03%
126 Brookline 57,509 6,838 344 5.03%
127 Freetown 8,604 573 29 5.06%
128 Braintree 34,067 5,493 278 5.06%
129 Chesterfield-Goshen 2,134 178 9 5.06%
130 Dudley-Charlton Reg 22,190 4,342 222 5.11%
131 Williamstown 8,102 450 23 5.11%
132 Leverett 1,700 135 7 5.19%
133 Pembroke 17,551 3,369 176 5.22%
134 Hatfield 3,267 437 23 5.26%
135 North Andover 26,829 4,820 255 5.29%
136 Marshfield 25,221 4,557 244 5.35%
137 Swampscott 18,286 2,653 142 5.35%
138 Stoneham 22,325 3,326 179 5.38%
139 Danvers 25,330 4,281 236 5.51%
140 Berkshire Hills 10,789 1,576 88 5.58%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
141 Eastham 5,452 303 17 5.61%
142 Shirley 7,652 762 43 5.64%
143 Granby 6,168 1,025 58 5.66%
144 Hampden-Wilbraham 18,713 3,631 206 5.67%
145 Uxbridge 11,623 2,306 131 5.68%
146 Hampshire 11,471 789 45 5.7%
147 Wrentham 10,629 1,324 76 5.74%
148 Hudson 18,200 3,113 179 5.75%
149 Dighton-Rehoboth 16,602 3,158 182 5.76%
150 Norton 18,318 3,246 187 5.76%
151 Plymouth 53,608 9,485 549 5.79%
152 Frontier 11,910 700 41 5.86%
153 Dedham 23,630 3,759 221 5.88%
154 Maynard 10,483 1,683 99 5.88%
155 Hancock 692 68 4 5.88%
156 Dracut 28,699 5,285 313 5.92%
157 Leicester 10,909 2,047 122 5.96%
158 Marblehead 20,650 3,368 203 6.03%
159 Williamsburg 2,441 199 12 6.03%
160 Marion 5,312 571 35 6.13%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
161 Manchester Essex Regional School District 8,609 1,545 95 6.15%
162 Auburn 16,566 2,697 167 6.19%
163 Swansea 16,149 2,641 164 6.21%
164 East Longmeadow 14,152 2,485 156 6.28%
165 Brookfield 3,179 317 20 6.31%
166 Blackstone-Millville 12,010 2,447 155 6.33%
167 Mount Greylock 11,221 627 40 6.38%
168 Kingston 12,214 1,328 85 6.4%
169 Central Berkshire 13,256 2,342 151 6.45%
170 Fairhaven-New Bedford In Acushnet (9-12) 10,320 510 33 6.47%
171 Lee 6,093 893 58 6.49%
172 Ayer-Lundenburg In Shirley (9-12) 7,652 228 15 6.58%
173 Dartmouth 31,145 4,647 306 6.58%
174 Acushnet 10,320 1,259 83 6.59%
175 Norwood 28,789 4,226 279 6.6%
176 Westport 14,404 2,297 153 6.66%
177 Lunenburg 9,794 1,824 122 6.69%
178 Southern Berkshire 7,347 1,089 73 6.7%
179 Rockland 18,322 3,253 221 6.79%
180 Holbrook 10,861 1,830 126 6.89%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
181 Sunderland 3,781 246 17 6.91%
182 Weymouth 54,370 8,388 585 6.97%
183 Pioneer Valley 6,634 1,067 75 7.03%
184 Southwick-Tolland 10,822 1,793 126 7.03%
185 Newburyport 17,419 2,481 175 7.05%
186 Northbridge 13,734 2,580 183 7.09%
187 Deerfield 4,754 365 26 7.12%
188 Belchertown 13,044 2,229 159 7.13%
189 Middleborough 20,676 3,968 286 7.21%
190 Mashpee 12,943 2,111 153 7.25%
191 Quaboag Regional 8,939 1,638 119 7.26%
192 Nahant 3,681 275 20 7.27%
193 Chatham 6,625 596 44 7.38%
194 Woburn 37,435 5,639 418 7.41%
195 Rockport 7,871 1,240 92 7.42%
196 Spencer-E Brookfield 14,365 2,476 185 7.47%
197 Ayer 7,322 1,219 92 7.55%
198 South Hadley 17,301 2,182 165 7.56%
199 Hadley 4,821 620 47 7.58%
200 Stoughton 27,341 4,553 345 7.58%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
201 Millbury 13,319 2,142 163 7.61%
202 Beverly 40,395 5,917 461 7.79%
203 Farmington River Regional 2,105 308 24 7.79%
204 Amesbury 16,672 3,071 241 7.85%
205 Waltham 59,510 6,294 500 7.94%
206 Sturbridge 8,165 838 67 8%
207 Attleboro 42,725 7,344 603 8.21%
208 Brimfield 3,351 356 30 8.43%
209 Milford 27,838 4,588 391 8.52%
210 Narragansett 8,774 1,654 141 8.52%
211 Tantasqua 18,855 1,566 134 8.56%
212 Shutesbury 1,808 181 16 8.84%
213 Triton 20,312 3,732 331 8.87%
214 Orleans 6,339 290 26 8.97%
215 Rowe 351 22 2 9.09%
216 Medford 55,904 7,195 657 9.13%
217 Monson 8,390 1,457 133 9.13%
218 Hull 11,457 1,740 159 9.14%
219 Peabody 48,773 7,609 697 9.16%
220 Wales 1,743 162 15 9.26%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
221 Gateway 8,860 1,551 144 9.28%
222 North Brookfield 4,879 989 92 9.3%
223 Harwich 12,383 1,529 143 9.35%
224 Randolph 31,182 5,327 500 9.39%
225 Saugus 26,427 3,892 368 9.46%
226 Winchendon 10,013 2,159 205 9.5%
227 Ipswich 13,161 2,156 205 9.51%
228 Northampton 29,148 3,134 302 9.64%
229 Framingham 67,230 9,879 956 9.68%
230 Falmouth 32,652 4,605 449 9.75%
231 Marlborough 36,429 5,800 567 9.78%
232 Lenox 4,883 734 73 9.95%
233 Watertown 33,144 3,083 307 9.96%
234 Fairhaven 16,411 2,611 260 9.96%
235 Amherst-Pelham 39,997 1,774 177 9.98%
236 Erving 1,468 119 12 10.08%
237 Mohawk Trail 11,114 1,585 161 10.16%
238 Amherst 35,078 1,546 158 10.22%
239 Truro 2,084 146 15 10.27%
240 Dennis-Yarmouth 40,770 4,586 474 10.34%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
241 Savoy 678 58 6 10.34%
242 Cambridge 101,840 9,199 955 10.38%
243 Marthas Vineyard 15,396 596 62 10.4%
244 Avon 4,474 755 79 10.46%
245 Clarksburg 1,622 191 20 10.47%
246 Hawlemont 1,696 152 16 10.53%
247 Ludlow 21,287 3,113 328 10.54%
248 Bourne 18,716 2,538 268 10.56%
249 Leominster 43,031 7,413 796 10.74%
250 Wareham 21,085 3,642 395 10.85%
251 Agawam 28,247 4,275 468 10.95%
252 Oxford 13,911 2,566 286 11.15%
253 Clinton 13,997 2,230 254 11.39%
254 New Salem-Wendell 1,917 155 18 11.61%
255 Somerville 77,971 7,887 918 11.64%
256 Methuen 44,375 7,774 910 11.71%
257 Barnstable 47,809 6,947 840 12.09%
258 Wellfleet 2,748 124 15 12.1%
259 Gloucester 30,678 4,715 584 12.39%
260 Oak Bluffs 3,836 387 48 12.4%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
261 Taunton 56,850 9,443 1,178 12.47%
262 Gosnold 89 8 1 12.5%
263 Quincy 88,648 10,848 1,387 12.79%
264 Holland 2,416 288 37 12.85%
265 Gardner 21,639 3,589 469 13.07%
266 Winthrop 18,920 2,414 317 13.13%
267 Athol-Royalston 13,076 2,455 323 13.16%
268 Orange 7,525 724 97 13.4%
269 Adams-Cheshire 12,422 1,830 248 13.55%
270 Webster 17,102 2,664 363 13.63%
271 Haverhill 59,758 10,402 1,430 13.75%
272 Brockton 97,782 18,657 2,576 13.81%
273 Mount Greylock-New Lebanon Ny In Hancock (9-12) 692 36 5 13.89%
274 Florida 743 92 13 14.13%
275 Tisbury 3,880 351 50 14.25%
276 Ralph C Mahar 10,671 806 117 14.52%
277 Pittsfield 45,583 6,626 974 14.7%
278 Gill-Montague 11,308 1,460 217 14.86%
279 Provincetown 3,430 185 28 15.14%
280 Ware 9,765 1,522 234 15.37%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
281 Westfield 40,220 6,589 1,017 15.43%
282 Easthampton 16,088 2,125 329 15.48%
283 Malden 56,615 7,842 1,224 15.61%
284 Palmer 12,543 2,256 357 15.82%
285 Lowell 105,670 20,371 3,336 16.38%
286 Everett 38,219 5,908 1,003 16.98%
287 Fitchburg 40,738 7,272 1,269 17.45%
288 Salem 40,948 5,668 998 17.61%
289 Greenfield 18,185 2,434 446 18.32%
290 Fall River 93,373 15,514 2,864 18.46%
291 Southbridge 17,934 3,145 602 19.14%
292 West Springfield 28,003 4,509 886 19.65%
293 Worcester 179,872 28,814 5,808 20.16%
294 New Bedford 95,232 16,198 3,456 21.34%
295 Chicopee 54,854 8,621 1,921 22.28%
296 Lynn 90,242 16,878 4,207 24.93%
297 Revere 48,876 6,913 1,789 25.88%
298 North Adams 16,485 2,169 562 25.91%
299 Boston 608,991 81,381 22,958 28.21%
300 Chelsea 36,262 6,489 2,091 32.22%
# District Population Students Poverty Rate
301 Lawrence 73,007 15,936 5,167 32.42%
302 Springfield 152,641 29,784 10,640 35.72%
303 Holyoke 39,985 7,887 3,411 43.25%

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 11th, 2008 in Boston. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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