The share of students who are economically disadvantaged. Economic disadvantage is based on a student's participation in social safety net programs.
This measure not only shows the proportion of students and families with low incomes in an area, it is also an indication of the potential challenges facing schools as they work to educate children who have fewer resources.
In 2026, 46% of students in Essex County were economically disadvantaged, above the statewide rate of 41%. Essex County's rate has increased from 32% in 2017, rising at a similar rate to the state.
Of the 42 school districts and charter schools in Essex County with data in 2026, 20 had economically disadvantaged students make up more than 25% of their student body, and 10 had rates of 50% or more. The Lawrence School District had the highest rate in Essex County at 83%, followed by the Lynn School District at 74%, the Lawrence Family Development Charter at 72% and the Community Day Charter Public School-Prospect at 70%.
Essex County had an economically disadvantaged rate that was 16 percentage points higher than Middlesex County (30%). Middlesex has increased by 10 percentage points from 2017 to 2026, in comparison to Essex's 14 points.
Data is from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Students are considered economically disadvantaged if they participate in one or more of the following state-administered programs: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Transitional Assistance for Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC); the Department of Children and Families' (DCF) foster care program; and MassHealth (Medicaid). It is important to note that a lower share of students is identified as economically disadvantaged under this measure than was identified under the previously used free or reduced-price lunch measure. National data is not available for this measure.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | 32% | 34% | 33% | 36% | 40% | 48% | 47% | 47% | 47% | 46% |
| Middlesex County, MA | 20% | 21% | 21% | 22% | 25% | 32% | 31% | 30% | 31% | 30% |
| Massachusetts | 30% | 32% | 31% | 33% | 37% | 44% | 42% | 42% | 42% | 41% |
| School Districts in Essex | ||||||||||
| Amesbury | 22% | 23% | 23% | 23% | 28% | 34% | 34% | 33% | 34% | 33% |
| Andover | 6% | 7% | 8% | 9% | 10% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| Beverly | 26% | 26% | 25% | 26% | 28% | 35% | 33% | 32% | 32% | 31% |
| Boxford | 4% | 5% | 4% | 6% | 7% | 9% | 9% | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Community Day Charter Public School - Gateway | 51% | 51% | 50% | 51% | 65% | 74% | ||||
| Community Day Charter Public School - Prospect | 48% | 54% | 48% | 49% | 63% | 78% | 74% | 71% | 74% | 70% |
| Community Day Charter Public School - R. Kingman Webster | 49% | 52% | 49% | 53% | 60% | 76% | ||||
| Danvers | 16% | 16% | 16% | 18% | 21% | 27% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 24% |
| Essex Agricultural Technical | 21% | 18% | 17% | 18% | 19% | 24% | 24% | 24% | 25% | 26% |
| Georgetown | 9% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 11% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 14% |
| Gloucester | 35% | 37% | 35% | 38% | 41% | 48% | 48% | 44% | 45% | 44% |
| Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical | 52% | 53% | 50% | 55% | 61% | 71% | 67% | 65% | 63% | 62% |
| Hamilton-Wenham | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 11% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 6% |
| Haverhill | 45% | 47% | 46% | 48% | 54% | 63% | 61% | 61% | 61% | 61% |
| Hill View Montessori Charter Public | 15% | 18% | 17% | 19% | 31% | 37% | 42% | 42% | 36% | 37% |
| Ipswich | 12% | 14% | 14% | 15% | 17% | 21% | 20% | 19% | 19% | 18% |
| KIPP Academy Lynn Charter | 48% | 51% | 49% | 51% | 58% | 72% | 67% | 65% | 65% | 64% |
| Lawrence | 65% | 64% | 63% | 71% | 79% | 89% | 86% | 85% | 85% | 83% |
| Lawrence Family Development Charter | 55% | 60% | 55% | 59% | 67% | 84% | 76% | 78% | 73% | 72% |
| Lynn | 52% | 59% | 57% | 58% | 65% | 76% | 74% | 74% | 74% | 74% |
| Lynnfield | 7% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 9% | 11% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Manchester Essex Regional | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 11% | 14% | 14% | 13% | 13% | 12% |
| Marblehead | 9% | 10% | 9% | 10% | 11% | 14% | 13% | 13% | 12% | 13% |
| Marblehead Community Charter Public | 3% | 11% | 12% | 14% | 17% | 22% | 22% | 28% | 29% | 28% |
| Masconomet | 6% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 8% | 11% | 8% | 11% | 10% | 9% |
| Methuen | 32% | 35% | 35% | 36% | 42% | 54% | 53% | 54% | 54% | 53% |
| Middleton | 8% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 9% | 12% | 12% | 11% | 14% | 12% |
| Nahant | 20% | 20% | 17% | 20% | 22% | 24% | 20% | 17% | 17% | 19% |
| Newburyport | 9% | 10% | 8% | 10% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 13% | 13% | 12% |
| North Andover | 13% | 14% | 15% | 16% | 19% | 23% | 23% | 22% | 23% | 22% |
| Peabody | 30% | 31% | 30% | 32% | 37% | 46% | 46% | 45% | 45% | 44% |
| Pentucket | 10% | 12% | 12% | 11% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 17% | 16% | 14% |
| River Valley Charter | 6% | 8% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 10% | 8% | 9% | 8% | 7% |
| Rockport | 17% | 18% | 19% | 20% | 21% | 29% | 28% | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Salem | 47% | 49% | 48% | 49% | 55% | 63% | 60% | 62% | 60% | 57% |
| Salem Academy Charter | 32% | 31% | 30% | 33% | 38% | 54% | 50% | 55% | 54% | 57% |
| Saugus | 27% | 29% | 30% | 33% | 37% | 47% | 46% | 47% | 48% | 46% |
| Silver Hill Horace Mann Charter | 25% | 29% | ||||||||
| Swampscott | 14% | 15% | 15% | 16% | 19% | 24% | 21% | 21% | 20% | 20% |
| Topsfield | 7% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 5% | 6% |
| Triton | 18% | 21% | 20% | 22% | 25% | 34% | 31% | 30% | 28% | 26% |
| Whittier Regional Vocational Technical | 29% | 30% | 28% | 31% | 34% | 41% | 39% | 38% | 37% | 36% |
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | 36,767 | 39,074 | 38,410 | 41,010 | 44,587 | 53,249 | 51,270 | 51,901 | 52,305 | 50,167 |
| Middlesex County, MA | 43,846 | 46,947 | 45,027 | 48,459 | 53,499 | 67,138 | 65,598 | 65,372 | 66,035 | 63,189 |
| Massachusetts | 288,465 | 305,203 | 297,120 | 310,873 | 333,843 | 399,140 | 386,060 | 385,697 | 385,161 | 369,909 |
| School Districts in Essex | ||||||||||
| Amesbury | 482 | 501 | 473 | 465 | 524 | 603 | 602 | 606 | 608 | 594 |
| Andover | 376 | 416 | 449 | 501 | 549 | 673 | 634 | 665 | 661 | 630 |
| Beverly | 1,161 | 1,155 | 1,160 | 1,234 | 1,309 | 1,600 | 1,497 | 1,428 | 1,440 | 1,397 |
| Boxford | 28 | 39 | 29 | 41 | 50 | 63 | 65 | 55 | 49 | 43 |
| Community Day Charter Public School - Gateway | 142 | 164 | 181 | 204 | 259 | 298 | ||||
| Community Day Charter Public School - Prospect | 193 | 215 | 191 | 196 | 250 | 311 | 885 | 854 | 882 | 835 |
| Community Day Charter Public School - R. Kingman Webster | 136 | 167 | 178 | 212 | 241 | 301 | ||||
| Danvers | 547 | 559 | 554 | 598 | 685 | 860 | 813 | 842 | 870 | 741 |
| Essex Agricultural Technical | 274 | 253 | 243 | 265 | 300 | 402 | 401 | 415 | 455 | 507 |
| Georgetown | 127 | 132 | 123 | 119 | 135 | 192 | 189 | 180 | 160 | 145 |
| Gloucester | 1,017 | 1,063 | 1,019 | 1,070 | 1,127 | 1,368 | 1,332 | 1,265 | 1,263 | 1,215 |
| Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical | 768 | 796 | 786 | 878 | 994 | 1,168 | 1,128 | 1,155 | 1,158 | 1,171 |
| Hamilton-Wenham | 122 | 120 | 126 | 128 | 123 | 179 | 137 | 133 | 127 | 100 |
| Haverhill | 3,362 | 3,530 | 3,661 | 3,891 | 4,165 | 4,855 | 4,734 | 4,818 | 4,843 | 4,698 |
| Hill View Montessori Charter Public | 45 | 55 | 51 | 58 | 95 | 114 | 127 | 128 | 111 | 112 |
| Ipswich | 221 | 246 | 234 | 245 | 263 | 333 | 314 | 303 | 304 | 267 |
| KIPP Academy Lynn Charter | 575 | 687 | 716 | 824 | 932 | 1,164 | 1,076 | 1,044 | 1,059 | 1,035 |
| Lawrence | 8,991 | 8,875 | 8,645 | 9,577 | 10,081 | 11,359 | 10,995 | 11,064 | 11,282 | 10,732 |
| Lawrence Family Development Charter | 392 | 440 | 416 | 461 | 523 | 669 | 647 | 681 | 660 | 662 |
| Lynn | 7,904 | 9,098 | 8,936 | 9,369 | 10,154 | 11,995 | 11,447 | 11,776 | 12,095 | 11,691 |
| Lynnfield | 145 | 169 | 158 | 156 | 204 | 233 | 224 | 220 | 213 | 219 |
| Manchester Essex Regional | 111 | 112 | 108 | 115 | 142 | 169 | 172 | 161 | 153 | 137 |
| Marblehead | 293 | 301 | 288 | 290 | 305 | 361 | 327 | 341 | 300 | 304 |
| Marblehead Community Charter Public | 7 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 36 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 55 | 63 |
| Masconomet | 110 | 113 | 100 | 103 | 140 | 172 | 128 | 161 | 150 | 136 |
| Methuen | 2,190 | 2,410 | 2,389 | 2,444 | 2,702 | 3,454 | 3,403 | 3,548 | 3,511 | 3,316 |
| Middleton | 55 | 61 | 53 | 57 | 62 | 86 | 87 | 80 | 102 | 84 |
| Nahant | 28 | 29 | 26 | 31 | 33 | 40 | 31 | 25 | 28 | 34 |
| Newburyport | 206 | 225 | 182 | 215 | 245 | 286 | 267 | 276 | 273 | 242 |
| North Andover | 607 | 694 | 698 | 749 | 840 | 1,050 | 1,017 | 988 | 1,006 | 946 |
| Peabody | 1,789 | 1,839 | 1,811 | 1,945 | 2,159 | 2,724 | 2,702 | 2,609 | 2,616 | 2,466 |
| Pentucket | 260 | 290 | 292 | 268 | 290 | 357 | 363 | 369 | 351 | 321 |
| River Valley Charter | 18 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 28 | 22 | 26 | 24 | 21 |
| Rockport | 154 | 163 | 172 | 171 | 158 | 213 | 202 | 178 | 166 | 141 |
| Salem | 1,759 | 1,808 | 1,793 | 1,784 | 2,055 | 2,313 | 2,235 | 2,372 | 2,289 | 2,221 |
| Salem Academy Charter | 141 | 146 | 148 | 161 | 190 | 267 | 245 | 270 | 260 | 274 |
| Saugus | 689 | 740 | 774 | 847 | 846 | 1,142 | 1,132 | 1,216 | 1,282 | 1,204 |
| Silver Hill Horace Mann Charter | 140 | 164 | ||||||||
| Swampscott | 315 | 324 | 330 | 355 | 397 | 483 | 421 | 427 | 427 | 423 |
| Topsfield | 44 | 27 | 23 | 27 | 25 | 43 | 40 | 44 | 29 | 37 |
| Triton | 462 | 529 | 491 | 520 | 546 | 744 | 683 | 639 | 574 | 543 |
| Whittier Regional Vocational Technical | 381 | 373 | 351 | 384 | 430 | 528 | 497 | 490 | 469 | 460 |
| INDICATORS | TREND | ESSEX COUNTY |
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