Groups and their members

School districts

Statewide

Two statewide averages of the traditional districts, those run by a city or town, or by several towns together, rather than vocational schools or charter schools: one without the 10 very large ones, those with more than 10,000 in-district pupils, and one with them. The 10 are Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lynn, Brockton, Lowell, Lawrence, New Bedford, Newton and Fall River. Together they teach 23% of the pupils in traditional districts, so in an average weighted by pupils they carry 23% of its weight between them, Boston 6% on its own. The average without them, the explorer's usual comparison, follows the Western MA per-pupil expenditure report, which left Springfield out of its Western MA average; it covers the other 276. The average with them covers all 286. The 10 also have an average of their own: Very large, under Cohorts. Spending averages weight each district by its in-district pupils (full-time equivalents); Chapter 70 averages, by foundation enrollment. From DESE's District Expenditures by Spending Category and DESE's Chapter 70 district profiles.

Regions

The six regions of the state's Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), each district in the one DESE assigns it in its Education-to-Career data. Each region's average covers its traditional districts but not its very large ones, those with more than 10,000 pupils, which would weigh heavily in an average weighted by pupils: Springfield in Western MA; Worcester in Central MA; Lynn, Lowell and Lawrence in Northeast MA; Newton in Metro West; Brockton, New Bedford and Fall River in Southeast MA; Boston in the Boston area.

Cohorts

Traditional districts by FY2025 in-district pupils: Tiny up to 200, Small 201–800, Medium 801–1,600, Large 1,601–10,000, Very large over 10,000. The boundaries are those the Western MA per-pupil expenditure report set from FY2024 Western MA enrollment. Vocational and technical districts and charter schools are cohorts of their own. Very large is the 10 named under Statewide. Enrollment from DESE's District Expenditures by Spending Category.

Cohorts by region

Each cohort within each region, where at least three districts share both. Where they don't, “Its cohort in its region” compares with the cohort statewide.

Gateway Cities

The 26 cities on the Commonwealth's list of Gateway Cities, from 2014. State law (M.G.L. c. 23A, § 3A) defines one as a city of 35,000 to 250,000 residents whose median household income and share of adults with a bachelor's degree are both below the state's. Their districts are in their size cohorts too.

Community types

Rural: 35 or fewer students per square mile, counting a district's foundation enrollment over its towns' land area. It's the test for DESE's rural school aid (which also requires income below the state average), and DESE splits it in three tiers: 11 or fewer, over 11 to 21, and over 21 to 35. Inner Core: Boston and its densest neighbors, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's Metropolitan Core Communities and Streetcar Suburbs in its community types. Gateway Cities outside the Inner Core: the other 22. Suburban and other: the rest, which the state doesn't name. Land areas from the Census Bureau's 2023 cartographic boundaries.

Income fifths

The 286 traditional districts ranked by their towns' combined income per resident, 57 or 58 to a fifth: lowest, under $36,985; second, $36,985–$46,624; middle, $46,625–$56,311; fourth, $56,312–$77,214; highest, $77,215 and up. Income per resident is the residents' income the FY2027 Chapter 70 formula uses, from 2023 state tax returns, divided by the Census Bureau's population estimate for July 2023.

Cities and towns

Statewide

Two statewide averages: one without the 10 cities whose school districts have more than 10,000 pupils, and one with them. The 10 are Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Newton, Springfield and Worcester. They're home to 24% of the state's residents, so in an average that pools dollars and residents they carry 24% of its weight. The average without them, the explorer's usual comparison, covers the other 341; the average with them, all 351. Each average pools its towns: their combined dollars over their combined residents. Budgets from the Division of Local Services' Schedule A; population from the Census Bureau's population estimates.

Regions

The same six EOHHS regions: a town's region is its school district's, or, for the few towns without one, its county's. Each region's average leaves out its cities whose school districts have more than 10,000 pupils: Springfield in Western MA; Worcester in Central MA; Lynn, Lowell and Lawrence in Northeast MA; Newton in Metro West; Brockton, New Bedford and Fall River in Southeast MA; Boston in the Boston area.

Peer groups by population

Towns by the Census Bureau's estimate of their population on July 1, 2024: under 1,000; 1,000–2,499; 2,500–9,999; 10,000–24,999; 25,000–49,999; 50,000 or more. The 10 cities whose school districts have more than 10,000 pupils are in none.

Peer groups by population and region

Each peer group within each region, where at least three towns share both. Where they don't, “Its peer group in its region” compares with the peer group statewide.