RSS News Feed

Home shoppers chase highly-rated schools with $1.21M median prices


Many families spent summer break chasing top-rated school districts with communities that offer an appealing lifestyle, small class sizes and walkability, but some came with a hefty price tag.

The data, collected by Realtor.com, shows “out-of-district home shoppers” looked the most between May and July this year at “areas with at least one public school rated 8 or higher.” It also focused on districts with an average of at least 100 for-sale properties.

Homes in 27 out of the 50 most sought-after districts came with steep median listing prices, averaging about $1.21 million. 

TOP CONTENDERS

  • Carroll Independent School District in the Dallas, Texas, metropolitan area
  • Laguna Beach Unified, Orange County, California
  • Reed Union, San Francisco Bay area

SCHOOL DISTRICTS HIRE CONSULTANTS TO RECRUIT STUDENTS AS THEY FACE ENROLLMENT CRISIS: REPORT

Teacher Nathan Grebil talks to his fourth-grade class as they wait at Bel Aire Elementary School on Oct. 16, 2020, in Tiburon, California. The school is part of a sought-after district in the San Francisco area. (Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle / Getty Images)

“School quality has long been a driver of homebuying decisions,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com said in a statement. “Our data shows families are making trade-offs—sometimes paying a significant premium for top-rated districts, and other times prioritizing value in areas that still offer strong academics.”

NORTHEAST SUBURB BEATS OUT ENTIRE COUNTRY FOR HOTTEST HOUSING MARKET IN 2025

Dallas Metro Skyline

The downtown Dallas skyline on Feb. 22, 2024. Carroll Independent School District, which is in nearby Southlake, was one of the top-rated districts with high-priced homes. (Kirby Lee / Getty Images)

Housing market districts that represent value include “areas that combine strong schools with more attainable housing costs, often due to their suburban or rural settings.”

VALUE MARKETS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS 

  • Johnston County, Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Humble Independent School District, Houston, Texas
  • Palm Beach County, Miami, Florida
CA students walk to school in crosswalk

Students head to the first day of class at Trabuco Mesa Elementary School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, on Aug. 13, 2025. (Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register / Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

“This year, we also saw sizable interest in districts outside major urban centers, reflecting both affordability concerns and a desire for lifestyle amenities,” Hale said. 



Source link