Andover/North Shore info needed (Boston, Salem: best town, sales, car registration)

[dremmy]

My husband is considering a job transfer to Andover. We currently live in NC. I grew up on the south shore of MA but have no clue about the north shore. We are trying to gather some opinions about the best town to live in around Andover. We also have 3 kids.

1. Need to know the best elementary/middle/ and high schools in Andover and the surrounding towns
2. Homes-what's the most expensive town to most affordable to live in.

Thanks so much for any help you can provide. We really appreciate it.

[scarletfire]

Andover schools are very well regarded and are considered the best in the area. Prices are relatively high. What size/specs of home are you looking for?

Along the north shore, the best schools are Marblehead and Manchester by the Sea.

[dremmy]

Thanks for the info. I appreciate all the insight we can get. We are probably looking for a 3,000 sq ft home, 4 bed, 2 1/2 bath. Basements are not very common in the south, so we are looking forward to that aspect if we decide to head up north. I see many homes have them. Is it common for people to live in Salem or Nashua and commute to Andover? Seems like you can get more house for the money up there. Not sure about the schools though. Your thoughts?

[scarletfire]

The commute from Salem wouldn't be bad. Schools there are "so so". Andover is much better. Perhaps parts of Beverly like Beverly Farms would be an option as well.

I'm not sure of the implications of living in NH and working in MA but perhaps someone else here can chime in.

[scarletfire]

Here's a bit more school info:
Top-scoring districts on the 2008 3rd-grade MCAS exams - The Boston Globe - Boston.com
The Best Schools 2008 - Boston Magazine
Schooldigger.com -- Search and compare elementary, middle, and high schools.
PSK12 Public School Rankings

[Valerie C]

Hi Dremmy
Welcome back to New England (if he decides to accept the job). If you are looking for North Shore towns, Andover itself has highly regarded schools. Scarlet provides good links--hopefully you'll get a chance to look over the data. You could also check GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community, and do some comparisons. NH does not have MCAS exams, so you would be looking at IOWA and NECAP scores. Some of the higher rated school districts are in southern NH and include Amherst, Bedford, Hollis and Londonderry. Any of these would be doable to Andover.

Regarding living in NH and working in MA, you'll need to be aware of tax issues. Simply put, Mass. has an income tax, presently 5.3%, and a sales tax (I believe 8%) on most items other than clothing (under $175) and food. NH has neither. If you live in NH and work in MA, you will pay the state of Massachusets an income tax.

While NH does not have an income tax OR a sales tax, it's considered "illegal" for Mass. residents to cross the border to purchase items. You are expected to keep track of any items you purchase in NH, calculate the tax and send it to the state. No kidding! Google "Town Fair Tire" and "tax" to get more info...

New Hampshire's property taxes, paid to the town, are considered exorbitant by many. However, other than fees such as car registration, tolls, etc. this is the only tax that many NH residents pay.

Getting beyond the tax issues, living in New Hampshire is not for everone. The government doesn't have the "cradle to grave" mentality, and NH residents tend to look out for themselves more, and look to government less. Along with that, there are less services overall provided by both state and local government. For example, much of NH's homes are serviced by private well and septic, while much of MA is serviced by town water and sewer. The old-style town-meeting is alive in well and well in New Hampshire, and that's where the budget is voted on by residents. It might take half of a Saturday in March to bang out the budget, but IMO, as a former MA resident who relocated to NH, I like the local control. Knowing that my tax dollars are, for the most part, funding the schools, the roads and the services that my town provides. If you believe in smaller government, NH might just be for you. I don't want this to turn into a political rant, just wanted to point out some of the differences you will find from one state to the other...

[capecodcathy]

Not sure about the commute to Andover, but Georgetown is very nice.