Haverhill vs Methuen
marks the Massachusetts median on each scale. The better of the two is picked out where the gap is big enough to call; where neither is, they are level.
On schools these two are genuinely close — same tier and within five MCAS percentiles of each other — so the schools should not decide it. Price and commute should.
Methuen is about 5 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
Choose Haverhill if you want the lower price, or you want a train.
All Haverhill numbers →Choose Methuen if the commute matters most.
All Methuen numbers →Side by side
Some rows have no better. Town character describes a place rather than ranking it, and per-pupil spending tracks need rather than results, so neither is picked out.
SchoolsMethuen ahead on 1 of 9
| Haverhill | Methuen | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | mixed schoolsT4 | mixed schoolsT4 |
| MCAS achievement | 22nd | 22nd |
| Student growth | 50th | 50th |
| Graduation rate | 86.7% | 90.9% |
| SchoolDigger rank | 304th of 361 | 301st of 361 |
| State accountability | Moderate progress toward targets | Moderate progress toward targets |
| Spending per pupil | $20,353 | $20,409 |
| Schools in the district | 14 | 5 |
| Private schools within 12 mi | 7 | 6 |
What a home costsLevel across all 8
| Haverhill | Methuen | |
|---|---|---|
| 4BR house | $625kT2 | $630kT2 |
| 3BR townhouse | $500k | $500k |
| 2BR condo | $370k | $370k |
| 3BR home | $587k | $630k |
| 5+ BR home | $782k | $773k |
| 3BR rent | $2,790/mo | $2,810/mo |
| Income needed for the 4BR | $167k | $167k |
| 10-year price growth | 7% a year | 7% a year |
What you pay the townLevel across all 4
| Haverhill | Methuen | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax rate | $10.61T2 | $10.40T2 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$6,600 | ≈$6,600 |
| Town spending per resident | $3,798 | $4,112 |
| Share of budget on schools | 52% | 51% |
Getting to workMethuen ahead on 2 of 3, 1 against
| Haverhill | Methuen | |
|---|---|---|
| Commute to Boston | 68 minT4 | 63 minT4 |
| MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~66 min to terminal | No MBTA rail |
| Miles from downtown | 30 mi | 27 mi |
Before kindergartenHaverhill ahead on 2 of 4
| Haverhill | Methuen | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed child care programs | 157 | 155 |
| Child care places | 2,804 | 2,153 |
| Centers vs family programs | 27 centers | 17 centers |
| Infant places in centers | 236 | 156 |
What the place is likeDescribes the two, does not rank them
| Haverhill | Methuen | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,787 | 53,039 |
| Energy | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Compact center | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Family amenities | 3/10 | 3/10 |
| Culture | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Gathering places | 8/10 | 8/10 |
The tax bill is each town’s own rate on its own median 4BR, so a lower rate does not always mean a lower bill. School tiers are editorial, shown beside the state’s own MCAS figures rather than derived from them.
Prices calibrated to Zillow ZHVI and Redfin · FY2026 residential tax rates · rail leg from the MBTA timetable, drive modeled · rents are HUD FY2027 Small Area FMRs · reviewed · methodology. Never uses demographics as an input.
