Essex vs Manchester-by-the-Sea
Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea are not two school districts that happen to look alike — they are one. Both are Manchester Essex Regional, down to the same elementary buildings, so every school figure on this page is identical for the two. Schools cannot decide this one, which makes everything below the whole of it.
On tax, look past the rate: Essex works out roughly $2,100 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR — despite having the higher rate of the two, because the bill follows the house.
Choose Essex if you want the lower price.
All Essex numbers →Choose Manchester-by-the-Sea if the commute matters most, or you want a train.
All Manchester-by-the-Sea numbers →Side by side
The better of the two is highlighted on each row. Where a row is not highlighted, the two are close enough that calling a winner would be false precision.
| Essex | Manchester-by-the-Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | strong schoolsT2 | strong schoolsT2 |
| MCAS percentile | 82nd | 82nd |
| Niche district rank | 51st of 236 | 51st of 236 |
| 4BR house | $900kT3 | $1.5MT4 |
| 2BR condo | $510k | $775k |
| Commute to Boston | 62 minT4 | 58 minT3 |
| MBTA rail | No MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~59 min to terminal |
| Tax rate | $13.50T3 | $9.50T1 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$12,200 | ≈$14,300 |
| 3BR rent | $3,117/mo | $3,150/mo |
Prices are estimates calibrated to the Zillow Home Value Index and Redfin; tax rates are FY2026 residential rates and the bill applies that rate to the town’s own median 4BR estimate; commutes take the rail leg from the MBTA timetable and still model the drive; rents are HUD FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents. School tiers are editorial and shown next to the state’s own MCAS figures. Data last reviewed — see the methodology. This comparison never uses demographics as an input.
