Total enrollment
112,529
-3,059 (-3%) vs SY 2017-18
Essex County
Massachusetts · Public K-12
Essex County's public schools, 221 in all, serve approximately 113,427 K-12 students inside Massachusetts, with Lynn the largest district by enrollment. By level, that breaks down as 132 elementary, 40 middle, and 40 high schools.
7-year change in Essex County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
214
-8 (-4%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
47%
was 56%
% Hispanic
42%
was 33%
% Black
5%
was 4%
% Asian
4%
was 4%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
813,054
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
221
41 districts
Enrollment
113,427
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$101,883
Above Massachusetts avg
Free/reduced lunch
·
Enrollment-weighted
Elementary
132
53,290 students
Middle
40
22,410 students
High
40
33,625 students
Combined / other
9
4,102 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Lynn
16,364 students · 41 districts in Essex County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Essex County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
43.0%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.7%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.1%
civilian labor
Median age
41
20.8% under 18
Test scores in Essex County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 178 schools ranked. Massachusetts state average: 43.8%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Hamilton-Wenham Regional High· 82.0%
- Manchester Essex Regional High School· 82.0%
- Lynnfield High· 78.0%
- Masconomet Regional High School· 76.0%
- Henry C Sanborn Elementary· 75.0%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Francis M Leahy· 5.0%
- Gerard A. Guilmette· 7.0%
- Leonard Middle School· 7.0%
- Cobbet Elementary· 8.0%
- Ingalls· 8.0%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood Center | Lynn | Elementary | PK-PK | 135 | · |
| McKeown School | Beverly | Elementary | PK-PK | 125 | · |
| Center | Peabody | Elementary | PK-PK | 123 | · |
| School for Exceptional Studies | Lawrence | Combined | 01-12 | 118 | · |
| Salem Early Childhood | Salem | Elementary | PK-PK | 106 | · |
| Gloucester PreSchool | Gloucester | Elementary | PK-PK | 101 | · |
| Peabody Personalized Remote Education Program | Peabody | Combined | 04-12 | 97 | · |
| Fecteau-Leary Junior/Senior High School | Lynn | High | 06-12 | 94 | · |
| Shawsheen School | Andover | Elementary | PK-PK | 85 | · |
| RISE Academy | Lawrence | High | 08-12 | 74 | · |
| Perley Elementary | Georgetown | Elementary | PK-PK | 68 | · |
| Amesbury Innovation High School | Amesbury | High | 09-12 | 50 | · |
| Bartlett School and Assessment Center | Haverhill | Combined | 01-12 | 45 | · |
| Lynnfield Preschool | Lynnfield | Elementary | PK-PK | 36 | · |
| New Liberty Innovation School | Salem | High | 09-12 | 36 | · |
| Greenleaf Academy | Bradford | High | 06-12 | 34 | · |
| William R Fallon | Lynn | Elementary | KG-05 | 30 | · |
| Salem Prep High School | Salem | High | 09-12 | 23 | · |
| East Gloucester Elementary | Gloucester | Combined | M-M | · | · |
| Tilton Upper Middle School | Haverhill | Combined | M-M | · | · |
| Veterans Memorial | Gloucester | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Essex County
Lawrence29 schoolsLynn28 schoolsHaverhill17 schoolsSalem12 schoolsAndover11 schoolsPeabody11 schoolsGloucester9 schoolsBeverly8 schoolsNorth Andover8 schoolsDanvers7 schoolsMarblehead6 schoolsMethuen6 schoolsSwampscott6 schoolsAmesbury5 schoolsLynnfield5 schoolsNewburyport5 schoolsSaugus5 schoolsGeorgetown4 schoolsIpswich4 schoolsBoxford3 schoolsManchester3 schoolsRockport3 schoolsSouth Hamilton3 schoolsWest Newbury3 schoolsBradford2 schoolsByfield2 schoolsMerrimac2 schoolsMiddleton2 schoolsTopsfield2 schoolsBoxford Ma1 schoolEssex1 schoolGroveland1 schoolHamilton1 schoolHathorne1 schoolNahant1 schoolNewbury1 schoolRowley1 schoolSalisbury1 schoolWenham1 school
About Essex County
Across the sprawling Massachusetts county of Essex County of about 813,054 residents, the public-school footprint covers 221 schools and about 113,427 students.
For perspective, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $101,883, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
Looking at the level breakdown, Essex County covers 132 elementary schools (53,290 students), 40 middle schools (22,410), 40 high schools (33,625), and 9 combined or other schools.
Lynn is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 16,364 students across Essex County.
Trend over the past 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment declined 3%: 115,588 students in SY 2017-18 versus 112,529 in SY 2024-25. Essex County now counts 214 public schools, down from 222 in SY 2017-18. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 56% to 47% over the same window.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Essex County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.
Frequently asked questions
Essex County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data