Families flock to top-rated school districts at a price, Realtor.com says

Many families spent summer break chaseing 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

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“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.”

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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

“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.