Education
Per-Student Spending


Per-Student Spending

What does this measure?

Total spending by public school districts, divided by total pupils.

Why is this important?

Higher spending for schools can mean better facilities, programs, and a greater range of opportunities available to students. It may also signal public support for education and a better paid, more experienced teaching workforce. However, studies have found higher spending does not necessarily lead to higher student achievement, given the many factors that contribute to student success, including parental and community influences.

How is our county doing?

In 2024, school districts in Essex County spent about $22,400 per student, close to the statewide level of $23,100. This was a 22% increase since 2010 in Essex County and a 23% increase in the state.

The highest spending districts in Essex County were Rockport ($30,200) and Masconomet ($27,400). Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical was the highest spending technical school ($30,500 per student) followed by Whittier Regional Vocational Technical ($25,200 per student). Spending was lowest in Hill View Montessori Charter Public ($17,300), River Valley Charter ($18,100) Saugus ($18,500) and , North Andover ($19,300).

How do we compare to similar counties?

Essex County's spending was below Middlesex, MA, ($23,400 per student) and Westchester, NY ($35,400) in 2024.

Notes about the data

Figures have been adjusted to 2024 dollars. Per pupil expenditures are calculated by dividing a district's operating costs by its average enrollment across the school year. Comparable data were not available for Lake, IL.

Per-Student Spending
201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
Essex County, MA$18,278$18,014$17,880$18,034$18,358$18,931$19,505$19,436$19,668$20,136$20,255$20,956$20,854$21,532$22,378
Middlesex County, MA$19,832$19,597$19,646$19,942$20,273$20,968$21,394$21,531$21,679$21,891$22,182$23,020$22,235$22,768$23,410
Westchester County, NY$34,391$33,608$33,680$33,412$34,169$34,744$34,291$34,296$34,572$35,326$35,157$35,080$34,701$35,353$35,447
Massachusetts$18,770$18,622$18,632$18,883$19,241$19,776$20,243$20,378$20,620$21,020$21,299$22,072$21,742$22,531$23,165
School Districts in Essex
Amesbury$17,815$18,082$16,910$17,554$17,549$18,227$19,056$20,304$20,557$21,895$21,609$23,018$23,176$23,621$23,136
Andover$19,080$19,102$18,904$19,359$20,122$20,649$21,420$21,807$22,468$22,882$23,824$24,243$23,819$23,305$24,441
Beverly$17,635$17,738$17,512$17,009$17,382$17,455$17,891$17,870$18,408$18,298$17,916$18,617$18,228$19,076$20,113
Boxford$16,799$16,743$18,220$19,366$20,037$21,470$22,267$22,069$23,204$24,065$22,747$24,426$22,718$21,660$22,511
Community Day Charter Public School - Gateway$19,588$20,856$20,639$19,653$20,073$17,268
Community Day Charter Public School - Prospect$21,357$21,374$21,480$21,241$21,868$19,236$19,568$20,863
Community Day Charter Public School - R. Kingman Webster$19,361$18,513$19,301$18,367$18,622$16,810
Danvers$18,163$17,873$17,656$17,817$18,054$19,332$19,743$20,153$20,764$21,374$22,283$21,241$20,818$21,411$21,728
Essex Agricultural Technical$32,618$31,725$31,430$31,171$31,339$28,415$25,739$24,650$23,554$24,225$24,074$23,798$24,084$23,664$23,871
Georgetown$13,160$13,766$14,361$14,888$15,638$16,678$17,118$17,255$18,182$19,190$19,165$20,662$19,388$19,926$20,089
Gloucester$18,431$19,269$19,046$19,510$19,850$21,263$21,433$21,053$21,085$21,119$21,627$23,305$21,506$22,096$23,039
Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical$28,672$28,957$27,493$27,440$26,067$27,208$26,778$26,801$27,266$27,310$27,801$26,734$33,409$29,738$30,527
Hamilton-Wenham$20,454$20,285$20,165$20,275$20,123$21,118$21,938$22,412$22,938$23,850$22,695$23,784$23,680$24,424$24,540
Haverhill$16,423$16,076$15,854$16,313$16,291$16,280$16,524$16,549$16,763$16,974$17,739$19,339$19,745$20,184$20,353
Hill View Montessori Charter Public$13,519$15,071$16,417$17,706$18,178$15,716$16,869$17,338
Ipswich$15,680$15,854$15,778$16,083$17,438$18,621$20,357$21,746$22,120$22,378$22,633$23,948$22,417$23,601$25,452
KIPP Academy Lynn Charter$21,915$22,844$22,495$21,876$22,656$20,365$21,330$21,230
Lawrence$20,075$18,775$18,133$18,652$18,587$19,157$19,772$18,917$18,726$19,748$19,391$20,061$20,896$21,494$23,487
Lawrence Family Development Charter$17,862$17,772$18,188$18,015$17,256$16,297$15,005$19,566
Lynn$18,928$17,709$17,805$17,733$17,521$18,119$18,017$17,446$17,795$17,878$18,073$18,939$19,148$21,702$22,388
Lynnfield$15,689$16,003$16,689$16,987$17,819$18,396$18,954$19,460$19,848$20,259$20,078$20,327$19,781$20,110$20,466
Manchester Essex Regional$19,539$18,512$18,416$19,279$19,708$20,267$21,339$22,329$22,915$23,113$23,271$25,205$25,143$25,832$27,396
Marblehead$17,601$17,748$17,759$17,110$17,514$18,103$19,226$19,922$20,076$21,430$21,537$22,641$22,636$22,622$21,972
Marblehead Community Charter Public$19,810$20,192$21,327$21,588$21,953$16,309$19,381$20,388
Masconomet$18,296$17,920$17,890$18,008$18,903$20,411$21,819$23,117$23,304$24,225$24,891$25,643$24,708$26,405$27,426
Methuen$15,628$16,348$15,802$15,990$16,538$16,952$17,504$17,560$17,745$17,742$17,863$18,410$18,483$19,113$20,409
Middleton$16,484$16,403$16,711$17,129$18,393$19,947$21,098$21,139$22,600$23,103$22,916$23,956$21,503$22,066$23,110
Nahant$15,509$14,615$14,927$16,175$17,175$18,820$19,582$20,007$20,740$20,467$19,764$20,898$19,586$21,900$22,914
Newburyport$18,613$18,643$18,612$18,153$18,647$18,747$20,006$20,340$21,052$21,982$21,836$23,126$22,382$23,531$23,234
North Andover$16,222$16,042$15,853$15,847$15,754$15,955$16,519$16,301$16,410$17,412$18,176$18,583$18,660$18,758$19,313
North Shore Regional Vocational Technical$33,925$32,539$32,174$31,480$32,959
Peabody$19,206$17,751$17,801$16,692$17,606$17,862$18,689$18,661$18,932$18,772$18,925$18,741$18,218$19,430$20,628
Pentucket$15,466$15,603$16,151$16,599$17,041$18,356$19,350$19,445$19,578$20,132$19,762$20,759$20,071$19,837$20,724
River Valley Charter$18,616$19,569$20,145$19,148$21,462$16,533$16,933$18,073
Rockport$18,799$20,385$21,156$21,379$20,399$21,345$22,582$23,683$24,943$25,554$26,000$28,846$28,920$29,028$30,150
Salem$19,948$20,400$20,093$19,979$22,156$22,360$24,701$23,867$23,957$23,781$24,483$24,231$24,905$24,895$25,713
Salem Academy Charter$20,192$20,742$20,445$21,504$22,297$18,502$19,950$20,794
Saugus$16,926$17,767$17,339$17,529$17,799$18,748$19,120$20,246$20,389$21,048$20,207$21,209$20,050$19,112$18,548
Silver Hill Horace Mann Charter$11,039$10,366
Swampscott$18,135$17,675$18,781$19,591$19,608$19,978$21,135$22,032$21,082$21,393$20,993$21,970$21,923$21,867$21,736
Topsfield$16,064$16,542$17,969$19,089$19,316$20,858$20,668$21,623$21,016$20,507$20,919$22,340$20,622$19,642$22,535
Triton$16,548$17,374$17,418$18,113$18,829$19,835$20,654$20,889$21,083$22,354$22,588$24,146$23,883$23,972$24,898
Whittier Regional Vocational Technical$25,344$24,294$24,258$24,459$24,043$24,184$23,815$24,422$25,799$25,468$25,517$25,054$24,449$24,381$25,186

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, New York State Education Department
Notes: Figures are in constant 2024 dollars.




Total Student Spending
201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
Essex County, MA$2,147,082,550$2,118,950,558$2,100,508,481$2,134,519,183$2,179,153,145$2,254,462,493$2,310,861,499$2,408,335,619$2,441,211,467$2,496,575,238$2,519,308,737$2,509,107,993$2,522,336,501$2,609,152,555$2,729,371,701
Middlesex County, MA$4,308,021,700$4,252,770,548$4,261,577,275$4,333,430,734$4,437,055,166$4,589,638,291$4,703,657,575$4,960,365,028$5,022,603,191$5,085,522,396$5,160,640,829$5,144,313,402$5,059,287,860$5,171,702,663$5,345,635,451
Westchester County, NY$5,107,692,626$5,039,950,000$5,009,566,617$4,970,984,090$5,082,930,272$5,194,930,623$5,161,282,278$5,162,102,508$5,159,891,194$5,259,995,851$5,214,937,064$5,056,490,248$4,947,225,773$5,057,782,081$5,072,180,351
Massachusetts$18,511,469,327$18,335,830,115$18,242,175,520$18,537,435,364$18,903,703,266$19,439,649,894$19,883,921,059$20,963,453,673$20,345,943,318$21,713,640,085$21,986,432,717$21,914,543,022$20,697,077,979$21,350,291,859$22,003,229,656
School Districts in Essex
Amesbury$45,802,092$45,840,357$42,169,572$43,770,972$44,074,837$44,559,279$45,094,873$46,672,018$46,631,030$48,078,494$47,454,707$46,890,647$46,280,364$46,802,453$47,580,889
Andover$120,876,741$121,418,375$120,476,335$122,302,006$126,025,279$128,787,701$133,378,360$134,632,082$136,589,533$139,329,562$142,750,763$137,997,322$134,427,977$131,994,164$136,436,312
Beverly$79,855,174$80,035,022$79,333,103$77,700,070$79,919,327$81,610,924$83,864,548$84,671,448$87,003,905$87,993,177$88,165,917$89,817,849$88,640,025$91,574,830$94,776,730
Boxford$15,134,539$14,973,368$15,301,045$15,359,061$15,324,669$16,274,087$16,606,589$16,970,775$17,150,279$17,721,741$17,374,136$17,093,102$17,529,313$16,496,628$17,524,881
Community Day Charter Public School - Gateway$5,484,619$6,667,692$7,424,027$7,864,960$8,023,090$6,883,101
Community Day Charter Public School - Prospect$8,540,573$8,547,373$8,592,095$8,492,334$8,744,980$7,665,443$23,448,741$24,983,890
Community Day Charter Public School - R. Kingman Webster$5,419,036$5,920,451$6,946,495$7,346,948$7,443,121$6,636,646
Danvers$68,362,975$67,228,641$65,754,671$66,281,808$67,941,204$71,087,081$72,779,565$73,212,003$74,637,759$77,011,528$78,842,825$72,853,882$70,322,301$72,460,020$74,994,769
Essex Agricultural Technical$14,880,466$15,120,024$14,944,989$14,803,310$14,647,707$31,654,858$31,682,647$31,872,611$31,911,376$34,017,116$35,894,567$36,879,591$39,722,016$39,416,426$40,982,554
Georgetown$22,840,393$23,446,976$23,832,610$23,862,418$24,450,793$25,235,395$25,663,560$25,788,740$26,032,316$26,904,868$26,510,854$26,432,422$25,593,458$26,266,246$26,341,120
Gloucester$67,434,555$68,721,994$66,865,692$66,764,098$67,699,582$69,904,415$69,949,748$69,917,516$69,856,370$69,394,230$69,633,359$72,244,639$68,253,483$70,502,919$74,223,992
Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical$39,268,939$39,844,406$38,699,698$38,412,955$38,136,257$39,775,134$39,923,063$41,281,723$41,188,692$42,090,650$44,300,878$43,265,984$55,357,971$50,220,898$53,337,423
Hamilton-Wenham$41,657,288$40,409,205$39,849,934$39,663,604$38,671,181$39,849,088$40,379,729$40,868,757$41,603,222$43,115,644$42,932,581$41,062,345$41,329,007$41,956,299$42,069,616
Haverhill$132,836,981$130,796,293$131,509,548$135,923,278$136,072,818$137,903,871$141,005,821$143,013,179$146,045,100$148,157,045$155,985,955$163,422,865$168,884,736$172,859,799$177,517,005
Hill View Montessori Charter Public$4,138,255$4,549,809$5,012,128$5,533,089$5,545,999$4,784,064$5,143,475$5,298,445
Ipswich$33,796,552$33,810,849$33,825,729$33,720,938$35,539,478$36,356,527$37,923,278$39,478,237$38,723,984$39,001,065$39,388,867$39,885,781$38,078,164$39,244,574$42,601,808
KIPP Academy Lynn Charter$26,148,503$30,395,872$32,666,545$34,892,802$36,562,340$32,719,205$34,396,054$34,246,623
Lawrence$274,283,976$263,286,985$255,141,440$270,080,463$279,926,050$296,825,118$304,416,637$298,554,965$297,486,583$312,095,038$305,289,635$306,508,639$319,317,144$330,109,668$364,032,615
Lawrence Family Development Charter$12,789,379$13,097,986$13,811,963$14,015,971$13,699,487$12,955,770$12,855,996$17,194,471
Lynn$266,900,570$253,726,494$258,870,521$268,573,235$274,836,254$294,884,914$301,790,999$298,539,708$310,480,070$318,231,895$328,811,238$336,616,126$348,748,807$397,762,812$417,050,707
Lynnfield$37,184,417$37,367,249$38,374,809$38,527,300$39,534,569$40,752,326$42,663,644$43,579,628$44,782,831$45,306,248$44,999,939$44,816,276$43,974,122$45,154,406$45,814,648
Manchester Essex Regional$28,895,997$28,480,000$29,092,375$30,790,560$31,156,085$30,921,736$31,242,496$31,886,351$32,251,015$32,781,586$32,782,440$32,781,695$32,572,827$32,082,869$33,636,824
Marblehead$59,470,991$60,581,479$59,863,379$59,125,352$61,303,958$62,128,276$65,423,800$67,405,635$66,666,851$70,023,433$67,616,594$64,883,380$63,162,607$62,653,096$59,950,402
Marblehead Community Charter Public$4,552,319$4,632,014$4,849,741$4,451,422$4,629,970$3,702,211$4,290,843$3,547,512
Masconomet$38,973,209$37,982,637$37,494,711$37,691,145$38,943,588$40,642,642$42,637,132$43,466,854$42,979,771$43,909,492$43,967,340$44,452,987$42,138,865$42,546,112$43,763,601
Methuen$116,708,489$120,190,298$115,998,981$115,932,276$118,292,196$121,636,527$125,952,789$127,349,187$129,794,501$130,359,604$129,398,653$127,754,772$129,278,429$135,103,842$144,742,929
Middleton$14,366,159$13,631,031$13,636,073$13,975,187$14,217,787$15,092,140$14,954,314$14,964,598$15,672,945$16,525,332$16,779,427$16,510,735$15,464,622$16,406,346$16,995,031
Nahant$6,239,249$5,680,898$5,499,212$5,565,699$5,755,438$5,888,796$5,843,244$5,754,034$5,601,916$5,671,276$5,668,330$5,594,517$5,272,487$5,801,413$6,202,911
Newburyport$46,514,581$46,791,103$48,129,469$47,053,126$48,511,009$48,392,312$50,382,453$51,114,923$52,289,891$54,136,279$54,106,199$53,847,898$53,242,196$55,096,296$54,141,210
North Andover$76,583,103$76,303,814$76,156,947$76,677,440$76,978,131$77,671,331$79,083,035$80,124,287$81,140,588$84,869,368$86,864,492$86,650,540$86,908,975$86,262,758$89,857,917
North Shore Regional Vocational Technical$15,181,354$14,951,867$14,970,371$14,814,611$15,372,269
Peabody$122,168,149$113,577,605$111,794,260$105,994,761$112,457,492$110,585,921$114,176,771$115,354,917$116,281,279$115,980,665$117,756,141$113,128,766$113,736,766$120,436,577$128,983,015
Pentucket$52,039,455$50,684,943$50,665,481$50,506,459$49,574,621$51,009,285$50,562,186$50,624,751$50,132,659$50,593,071$49,617,478$48,727,566$47,016,710$46,971,228$49,110,801
River Valley Charter$5,361,318$5,635,985$5,799,804$5,876,544$6,179,002$4,744,916$4,875,098$5,196,055
Rockport$19,078,617$20,114,081$20,343,205$21,060,099$20,700,650$21,511,767$22,589,044$23,406,307$23,875,554$24,166,156$23,196,833$23,229,768$23,130,441$22,316,563$21,813,769
Salem$97,764,198$100,475,580$99,333,811$104,777,810$106,105,857$111,904,963$114,619,623$110,429,709$111,556,858$112,829,296$112,477,478$105,735,055$108,679,885$110,415,215$115,424,338
Salem Academy Charter$8,874,392$9,835,788$9,948,504$10,584,204$10,996,799$9,069,496$9,719,768$10,049,623
Saugus$51,626,626$54,103,100$52,430,245$52,789,289$53,389,069$54,919,621$55,667,779$57,833,023$58,808,842$61,099,168$59,580,439$58,998,078$57,231,704$57,239,162$57,204,357
Silver Hill Horace Mann Charter$6,217,262$5,789,484
Swampscott$43,068,274$41,787,754$44,152,436$45,471,654$46,174,419$45,578,084$48,887,711$50,567,096$47,823,376$48,830,975$48,570,120$48,561,440$47,946,119$47,441,114$47,865,984
Topsfield$10,936,499$10,959,068$11,293,484$11,613,631$11,832,791$12,775,349$13,241,719$13,836,663$13,580,695$13,409,374$13,762,450$13,341,212$13,232,902$12,555,055$14,077,454
Triton$56,413,354$56,921,889$55,321,183$55,480,707$55,497,784$57,435,272$57,410,647$56,404,484$56,125,490$56,919,299$57,781,920$56,255,709$56,689,618$57,130,993$57,570,898
Whittier Regional Vocational Technical$29,938,587$29,707,173$29,383,162$29,453,863$30,089,996$30,907,749$31,063,695$31,233,757$31,433,732$30,971,261$31,987,910$31,041,617$31,011,606$31,141,799$32,228,572

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, New York State Education Department
Notes: Figures are in constant 2024 dollars.




INDICATORS TREND | ESSEX COUNTY