Best Schools in Martinez, California
14 schools · 9 Elementary · 1 Middle · 3 High · 1 Other
Choosing a school in Martinez?
Use this page to compare every school in Martinez by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.
Shortlist starter
Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.
Morello Park Elementary
Elementary · Martinez Unified. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
St Catherine of Siena School
Elementary. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
Vicente Martinez High
High · Martinez Unified. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Martinez for 2026 are Morello Park Elementary (8.0/10), St Catherine of Siena School (7.5/10), and Vicente Martinez High (6.9/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 11 rated schools. Ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment (plus college readiness for high schools), with equity shown as context, not scored; schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Schools
14
10 public · 4 private
Avg Score
6.0
out of 10
Median Home
$781,400
home value · ACS
Districts
3
serving the city
Schools
14
10 public · 4 private
Avg Score
6.0
out of 10
Median Home
$781,400
home value · ACS
Districts
3
serving the city
Rates 8.0/10 despite 20% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.9 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Martinez schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +9.8 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Martinez schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Martinez
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (11 of 14). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morello Park Elementary | 8.0 / 10 |
| 2 | St Catherine of Siena School | 7.5 / 10 |
| 3 | Vicente Martinez High | 6.9 / 10 |
| 4 | John Muir Elementary | 6.9 / 10 |
| 5 | Alhambra Senior High | 6.3 / 10 |
| 6 | John Swett Elementary | 5.9 / 10 |
| 7 | Martinez Junior High | 5.5 / 10 |
| 8 | Mt. Mckinley | 5.4 / 10 |
| 9 | Briones (alternative) | 4.9 / 10 |
| 10 | Hidden Valley Elementary | 4.5 / 10 |
See every school — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.
Family Snapshot
At a glance- Avg school rating
- 6.0/10
- Median household income
- $121,023
- Median home value
- $781,400
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 42%
- Avg commute
- 31 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 72%
18% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Martinez compares
California rank
#387 of 597
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
-0.3
below California avg (6.3)
Median household income
$121k
121% of California median
Schools in this city
11
About Schools in Martinez, California
Martinez is a mid-sized Contra Costa County city with 10 ranked public schools. The system averages 6.5 out of 10 — solid middle-ground performance for California public education. Four of those ten schools, or 40%, score 7.0 or above, meaning parents have real options at the higher end of the range without crossing district lines.
Elementary choices drive the strongest results. John Muir Elementary leads the city at 7.7 out of 10, the highest-rated school in the system. Morello Park Elementary (7.4) and Las Juntas Elementary (7.0) form a cluster of above-average programs, and Hidden Valley Elementary sits just below that threshold at 6.9. Parents relocating with young children will find multiple competitive schools to evaluate before settling on a neighborhood.
The middle school picture is similarly encouraging. Martinez Junior High scores 7.5 out of 10 — second in the city overall — meaning students who come up through the stronger elementary programs have a credible path forward without a significant performance drop. That continuity matters for families planning a multi-year arc, not just a single enrollment decision.
Practically, Martinez rewards parents who look beyond any one school. The gap between the top school (7.7) and the city average (6.5) is real but not extreme — this is not a system where a single standout school defines the entire landscape. Forty percent of schools clearing 7.0 signals that quality is spread across multiple neighborhoods. School boundary maps deserve early attention, since elementary assignment drives the pipeline into junior high. For families who prioritize elementary performance, John Muir, Morello Park, and Las Juntas are the names to research first. Martinez Junior High's 7.5 rating makes the middle school transition a relative non-issue for families already in those top feeder schools.
Elementary Schools
9 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.0 | ||
| 2 | 415 students · Kindergarten–5th | 6.9 | ||
| 3 | 534 students · Kindergarten–5th | 5.9 | ||
| 4 | 814 students · Kindergarten–5th | 4.5 | ||
| 5 | 346 students · Kindergarten–5th | 3.7 | ||
| Private Schools 4 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | St Catherine of Siena School
Private
119 students · Pre-K–8th | 7.5 | ||
| 2 | 6 students · Kindergarten–8th | — | ||
| 3 | St. Catherine of Siena
Private
133 students · Kindergarten–8th | Not Rated | ||
| 4 | 27 students · Pre-K–4th | — | ||
Middle Schools
1 school| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 803 students · 6th–8th | 5.5 |
High Schools
3 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46 students · 9th–12th | 6.9 |
| 2 | 1,070 students · 9th–12th | 6.3 |
| 3 | 36 students · 7th–12th | 5.4 |
Other Schools
1 school| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 students · Kindergarten–12th | 4.9 |
Schools in Martinez
Martinez, California · 14 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code
Median Income
$121,023
Median Home Value
$781,400
Median Rent
$2,247/mo
Population
48,600
College Educated
42%
Homeownership
72%
Avg Commute
31 min
Poverty Rate
7.6%
Community Profile
Martinez has a median household income of $121,023. It is a well-educated community where 42% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $781,400, with a median rent of $2,247/month. The local poverty rate of 7.6% is relatively low. The average commute for residents is 31 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- California
- Elementary
- 9
- Middle
- 1
- High
- 3
- Other
- 1
Resources
Nearby Cities
Other Major Cities in California
Top metros statewide by school count.
How we rate schools
A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.
See how we rateFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about schools in Martinez, California
How many schools are in Martinez, California?
Martinez has 14 schools, including 10 public and 4 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Martinez, California?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Martinez is 6.0 out of 10, built from student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools.
What is the top-ranked school in Martinez, California?
The top-ranked school in Martinez on MySchoolScout is Morello Park Elementary with a composite score of 8.0/10.
What is the best elementary school in Martinez, California?
The top-ranked elementary school in Martinez on MySchoolScout is Morello Park Elementary with a composite score of 8.0/10.
What is the best middle school in Martinez, California?
The top-ranked middle school in Martinez on MySchoolScout is Martinez Junior High with a composite score of 5.5/10.
What is the best high school in Martinez, California?
The top-ranked high school in Martinez on MySchoolScout is Vicente Martinez High with a composite score of 6.9/10.
How many school districts serve Martinez, California?
Martinez is served by 3 school districts: Martinez Unified, Mt. Diablo Unified, Contra Costa County Office of Education.
What is the education level in Martinez, California?
According to Census data, 42% of adults in Martinez have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Martinez, California?
The median household income in Martinez is approximately $121,023 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Martinez, California?
Yes, Martinez has 4 private schools alongside 10 public schools. The top-rated private school is St Catherine of Siena School with a score of 7.5/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Martinez, California?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Martinez is 17.4:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Martinez, California?
MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score built from Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context but not scored.
Related reading
- Best Elementary Schools in America: 2026 Rankingsbest schools
- Best Public Schools in California 2026: Top-Ranked Elementary, Middle & High Schoolsbest schools
- Best School Districts to Move To in 2026: A Data-Driven Guidebest schools
- Best Schools in Los Angeles, CA — 2026 Rankingsbest schools
- Best Schools in San Diego, CA — 2026 Rankingsbest schools
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, California Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.