Merrimac vs West Newbury
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.
Merrimac and West Newbury are not two school districts that happen to look alike — they are one. Both are Pentucket, 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.
Choose Merrimac if you want the lower price.
All Merrimac numbers →Choose West Newbury if the commute matters most.
All West Newbury 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.
SchoolsWest Newbury ahead on 1 of 9
| Merrimac | West Newbury | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | solid schoolsT3 | solid schoolsT3 |
| MCAS achievement | 64th | 64th |
| Student growth | 48th | 48th |
| Graduation rate | 98.1% | 98.1% |
| Niche district rank | 94th of 236 | 94th of 236 |
| State accountability | Moderate progress toward targets | Moderate progress toward targets |
| Spending per pupil | $20,723 | $20,723 |
| Schools in the district | 5 | 5 |
| Private schools within 12 mi | 1 | 2 |
What a home costsMerrimac ahead on 5 of 7
| Merrimac | West Newbury | |
|---|---|---|
| 4BR house | $675kT2 | $950kT3 |
| 3BR townhouse | $520k | $720k |
| 2BR condo | $385k | $535k |
| 3BR home | $670k | $886k |
| 3BR rent | $3,047/mo | $3,227/mo |
| Income needed for the 4BR | $186k | $248k |
| 10-year price growth | 6.3% a year | 5.9% a year |
What you pay the townWest Newbury ahead on 1 of 4
| Merrimac | West Newbury | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax rate | $13.19T3 | $10.15T2 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$8,900 | ≈$9,600 |
| Town spending per resident | $3,383 | $4,248 |
| Share of budget on schools | 59% | 52% |
Getting to workLevel across all 3
| Merrimac | West Newbury | |
|---|---|---|
| Commute to Boston | 71 minT4 | 69 minT4 |
| MBTA rail | No MBTA rail | No MBTA rail |
| Miles from downtown | 33 mi | 31 mi |
Before kindergartenWest Newbury ahead on 2 of 4
| Merrimac | West Newbury | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed child care programs | 4 | 4 |
| Child care places | 52 | 185 |
| Centers vs family programs | 2 centers | 4 centers |
| Infant places in centers | 9 | 27 |
What the place is likeDescribes the two, does not rank them
| Merrimac | West Newbury | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,723 | 4,500 |
| Energy | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Compact center | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Family amenities | 3/10 | 5/10 |
| Culture | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Gathering places | 6/10 | 6/10 |
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.
