Families Target Top-Rated School Districts This Moving Season--But at a Price

Rhea-AI Summary

Realtor.com (NASDAQ:NWSA) has released its 2025 analysis of the Most Popular School Districts across America's 50 largest metros, revealing significant price premiums for top-rated education. The study shows that 27 of the 50 most sought-after districts command a 135% premium over their metro areas, with median listing prices averaging $1.21 million.

Leading districts include Carroll Independent School District (Dallas metro) with a 390.9% premium, Laguna Beach Unified (Orange County) at 322% premium, and Reed Union Elementary (San Francisco) at 304.7% premium. However, some popular districts like Johnston County (Raleigh) and Humble ISD (Houston) offer prices below metro averages, combining quality education with affordability.

The analysis focused on districts with schools rated 8 or higher and examined factors including class sizes, walkability, and lifestyle amenities, based on out-of-district home shopper data from May to July 2025.

Positive

• Several top districts offer prices below metro averages, providing affordable quality education options
• Comprehensive data analysis covering multiple factors including class sizes and walkability scores
• Strong market interest in suburban and rural districts offering lifestyle amenities
• Data shows clear correlation between school quality and property values, beneficial for existing homeowners

Negative

• Significant price premiums of up to 390.9% in top-rated school districts
• Average 135% price premium in 27 of 50 most sought-after districts
• High pupil-teacher ratios in some popular districts, exceeding 20:1
• Limited walkability scores in many high-demand school districts

Insights

Real Estate Market Analyst

Realtor.com's school district analysis reveals significant housing premiums for top education, highlighting strategic positioning in the competitive real estate data space.

This research from Realtor.com provides compelling insights into how school quality drives housing premiums across major U.S. markets. The data shows a stark reality: in 27 of the 50 most sought-after school districts, families are paying an average $1.21 million for homes—a 135% premium over surrounding areas. Most dramatically, Carroll Independent School District (Dallas) commands a 390.9% premium, followed by Laguna Beach Unified (322%) and Reed Union Elementary (304.7%).

What makes this analysis particularly valuable is its identification of contrarian opportunities—districts like Johnston County (Raleigh), Humble ISD (Houston), and Palm Beach County (Miami) that offer strong educational outcomes without the typical price premium. These areas actually list below their metro averages, indicating strategic opportunities for value-conscious families.

The comprehensive dataset also reveals nuanced buyer preferences beyond academics, including community factors (Wimberley ISD), educational quality metrics like pupil-teacher ratios (Old Saybrook, Fayette County), and lifestyle considerations such as walkability (East Grand Rapids, Alamo Heights ISD). This multidimensional approach demonstrates Realtor.com's sophisticated understanding of homebuyer decision-making.

The research methodology shows particular rigor—focusing on out-of-market shopping patterns from May-July 2025, filtering for districts with at least one school rated 8+, and requiring sufficient inventory (100+ listings) to ensure statistical relevance. By integrating data from the National Center for Education Statistics and Local Logic's walkability metrics, Realtor.com has created a proprietary, high-value dataset that differentiates its market intelligence capabilities.

Corporate Strategy Analyst

This research initiative represents a strategic content play for News Corp's Realtor.com, addressing a prime decision factor for family relocations while showcasing the platform's data analytics capabilities. The research strategically positions Realtor.com as an authoritative source in the intensely competitive real estate information landscape, where differentiated consumer insights drive platform engagement.

By focusing on the education-housing price relationship across 50 major metros, Realtor.com demonstrates its ability to combine proprietary user behavior data (out-of-district shopping patterns) with external educational metrics and housing inventory data. This creates uniquely valuable content that serves multiple strategic purposes: attracting family homebuyers to the platform, providing marketing material for real estate professionals, and generating media coverage that reinforces brand authority.

The timing—August, just before the school year—maximizes relevance and search interest. The research reveals substantial pricing inefficiencies in the market (some top districts commanding 300%+ premiums while others offer quality education below metro averages), delivering actionable intelligence that drives user engagement and reinforces Realtor.com's value proposition as more than just a listing platform.

This type of content initiative specifically counters competitive threats from both traditional MLS systems and newer entrants by establishing Realtor.com as a research and insights leader rather than merely a listings aggregator. The comprehensive dataset combines housing metrics with educational quality indicators and lifestyle factors (walkability, locale type, student-teacher ratios)—creating a multidimensional analysis that would be difficult for competitors to replicate without similar data resources.

Realtor.com^® reveals the most sought-after school districts in the nation's 50 largest metros

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With the new school year just around the corner, families on the move are zeroing in on school districts that promise both quality education and strong community appeal, according to a new analysis from Realtor.com^®. The 2025 list of the Most Popular School Districts by Metro highlights where out-of-district home shoppers are looking most between May and July 2025, focusing on areas with at least one public school rated 8 or higher.

The findings reveal that in 27 of the 50 most sought-after districts, high ratings come with a steep price tag—median listing prices in these top-rated districts averaged 1.21 million, 135% higher than the surrounding metro areas. Leading the list is Carroll Independent School District in the Dallas metro, where homes come with a 390.9% premium compared to the metro average, followed by Laguna Beach Unified in Orange County (322% premium) and Reed Union Elementary in the San Francisco Bay Area (304.7% premium).

Still, affordability is influencing family moves. Several top districts—such as Johnston County in Raleigh, Humble ISD in Houston, and Palm Beach County in Miami—boast median listing prices below their surrounding metro averages. These areas combine strong schools with more attainable housing costs, often due to their suburban or rural settings.

Other features drawing families include:

• Appealing lifestyle: Rural and mid-size suburban districts like Wimberley ISD near Austin offer a strong sense of community and abundant outdoor amenities.
• Small class sizes: Districts such as Old Saybrook (Hartford) and Fayette County (Atlanta) provide low pupil-teacher ratios for more personalized learning.
• Walkability: Areas like East Grand Rapids (Grand Rapids metro) and Alamo Heights ISD (San Antonio) score high for walkable access between homes and schools.

"School quality has long been a driver of homebuying decisions. 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," said Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com^®. "This year, we also saw sizable interest in districts outside major urban centers, reflecting both affordability concerns and a desire for lifestyle amenities."

The full list of Most Popular School Districts in the Top 50 U.S. Metros is available at realtor.com/research/school-housing-2025.

Metro	Most Popular School District	District Rating	Median Listing Price	Median Listing Price, Surrounding Metro	Premium vs. Surrounding Metros (%)	Premium vs. Surrounding Metros ($)	Locale	Pupil/ Teacher Ratio	School Walkability Score (out of 10)
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	Fayette County School District	8	$597,617	$420,282	42.2 %	$177,335	Suburb: Large	13.62	0.79
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	Wimberley Independent School District	8	$835,900	$520,300	60.7 %	$315,600	Rural: Distant	14.81	0.02
Baltimore- Columbia- Towson, MD	Harford County Public Schools	7	$451,805	$399,966	13.0 %	$51,839	Suburb: Mid	14.21	1.90
Birmingham, AL	Mountain Brook City School District	10	$1,046,408	$306,433	241.5 %	$739,975	Suburb: Large	11.47	3.46
Boston- Cambridge- Newton, MA-NH	*Duxbury School District	9	$1,569,167	$858,641	82.8 %	$710,526	Suburb: Large	11.91	0.29
Buffalo- Cheektowaga, NY	East Aurora Union Free School District	8	$485,408	$299,750	61.9 %	$185,658	Town: Fringe	10.85	2.85
Charlotte- Concord- Gastonia, NC-SC	Iredell- Statesville School District	5	$486,017	$451,311	7.7 %	$34,706	Suburb: Large	16.36	0.11
Chicago- Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	Mokena School District 159	8	$493,533	$378,933	30.2 %	$114,600	Suburb: Large	14.32	3.79
Cincinnati, OH- KY-IN	Forest Hills Local School District	7	$543,800	$353,308	53.9 %	$190,492	Suburb: Large	17.09	3.43
Cleveland, OH	Bay Village City School District	8	$616,492	$273,608	125.3 %	$342,884	Suburb: Large	14.9	3.68
Columbus, OH	Granville Exempted Village School District	8	$651,583	$390,783	66.7 %	$260,800	Suburb: Small	18.38	0.15
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	Carroll Independent School District	9	$2,159,833	$439,967	390.9 %	$1,719,866	Suburb: Large	15.31	3.42
Denver-Aurora- Centennial, CO	Platte Canyon 1 School District	7	$642,025	$603,317	6.4 %	$38,708	Rural: Distant	13.42	0.00
Detroit-Warren- Dearborn, MI	Trenton Public Schools	7	$249,290	$276,650	-9.9 %	-$27,360	Suburb: Large	16.42	6.28
Grand Rapids- Wyoming- Kentwood, MI	East Grand Rapids Public Schools	9	$890,817	$417,400	113.4 %	$473,417	Suburb: Large	18.26	7.64
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	Old Saybrook School District	7	$938,158	$460,933	103.5 %	$477,225	Suburb: Large	8.84	1.17
Houston- Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	Humble Independent School District	6	$360,056	$372,475	-3.3 %	-$12,419	Suburb: Large	14.36	4.61
Indianapolis- Carmel- Greenwood, IN	Carmel Clay Schools	8	$617,808	$334,741	84.6 %	$283,067	City: Mid	15.92	2.99
Jacksonville, FL	St. Johns County School District	8	$553,317	$407,497	35.8 %	$145,820	Suburb: Large	17.76	0.24
Kansas City, MO- KS	Shawnee Mission Pub School	6	$506,225	$406,499	24.5 %	$99,726	City: Mid	13.93	4.99
Las Vegas- Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	**Clark County School District*	6	$479,950	$479,996	0.0 %	-$46	City: Large	20.71	4.43
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	Laguna Beach Unified School District	9	$4,959,833	$1,175,328	322.0 %	$3,784,505	Suburb: Large	18.79	2.60
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	Oldham County School District	7	$585,150	$325,888	79.6 %	$259,262	Suburb: Large	16.5	0.20
Memphis, TN-MS- AR	Germantown Municipal School District	8	$565,828	$345,717	63.7 %	$220,111	Suburb: Large	14.58	3.49
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	Palm Beach County School District	6	$496,080	$509,983	-2.7 %	-$13,903	Suburb: Large	16.57	2.42
Milwaukee- Waukesha, WI	New Berlin School District	8	$449,008	$406,483	10.5 %	$42,525	Suburb: Large	15.64	2.57
Minneapolis- St. Paul- Bloomington, MN-WI	Stillwater Area Public School District	7	$656,625	$442,967	48.2 %	$213,658	Town: Fringe	18.85	1.51
Nashville- Davidson-- Murfreesboro-- Franklin, TN	Franklin School District	7	$775,950	$547,450	41.7 %	$228,500	City: Small	10.58	3.70
New York- Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	Holmdel Township School District	8	$1,361,583	$785,500	73.3 %	$576,083	Suburb: Large	10.14	1.47
Oklahoma City, OK	Edmond School District	7	$471,128	$327,442	43.9 %	$143,686	Suburb: Large	17.47	2.75
Orlando- Kissimmee- Sanford, FL	Seminole County Public Schools	6	$437,703	$429,123	2.0 %	$8,580	Suburb: Large	17.14	2.88
Philadelphia- Camden- Wilmington, PA- NJ-DE-MD	New Hope- Solebury School District	8	$1,249,567	$385,800	223.9 %	$863,767	Town: Fringe	11.32	1.82
Phoenix-Mesa- Chandler, AZ	Cave Creek Unified District	7	$1,656,908	$516,667	220.7 %	$1,140,241	City: Mid	17.51	0.01
Pittsburgh, PA	Peters Township School District	9	$540,304	$252,409	114.1 %	$287,895	Suburb: Large	15.74	2.07
Portland- Vancouver- Hillsboro, OR-WA	Lake Oswego School District 7j	8	$1,324,958	$608,567	117.7 %	$716,391	Suburb: Large	16.7	5.93
Providence- Warwick, RI-MA	Narragansett School District	8	$1,173,083	$599,950	95.5 %	$573,133	Suburb: Large	11.05	0.34
Raleigh-Cary, NC	Johnston County School District	7	$370,767	$459,723	-19.3 %	-$88,956	Rural: Fringe	15.18	0.24
Richmond, VA	Chesterfield County Public Schools	5	$480,081	$455,375	5.4 %	$24,706	Suburb: Large	13.84	1.37
Riverside-San Bernardino- Ontario, CA	Alta Loma Elementary School District	8	$883,825	$599,965	47.3 %	$283,860	Suburb: Large	24.49	5.48
Sacramento- Roseville-Folsom, CA	Eureka Union School District	9	$1,235,083	$632,154	95.4 %	$602,929	Suburb: Large	23.76	5.02
St. Louis, MO-IL	Ladue School District	8	$968,247	$299,950	222.8 %	$668,297	Suburb: Large	13.82	5.04
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	Alamo Heights Independent School District	8	$580,183	$339,992	70.6 %	$240,191	City: Large	12.91	6.33
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	Del Mar Union Elementary School District	8	$2,194,583	$992,500	121.1 %	$1,202,083	City: Large	19.99	4.67
San Francisco- Oakland-Fremont, CA	Reed Union Elementary School District	9	$4,029,750	$995,767	304.7 %	$3,033,983	Suburb: Large	14.99	2.86
San Jose- Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	Morgan Hill Unified School District	6	$1,469,500	$1,397,398	5.2 %	$72,102	Suburb: Mid	21.56	4.13
Seattle-Tacoma- Bellevue, WA	Peninsula School District	7	$934,575	$794,571	17.6 %	$140,004	Suburb: Large	18.46	0.13
Tampa-St. Petersburg- Clearwater, FL	Hillsborough County Public School District	5	$449,667	$417,167	7.8 %	$32,500	Suburb: Large	18.32	3.57
Tucson, AZ	Catalina Foothills Unified District	9	$546,942	$391,500	39.7 %	$155,442	Suburb: Large	17.2	2.16
Virginia Beach- Chesapeake- Norfolk, VA-NC	Currituck County School District	6	$701,133	$415,000	68.9 %	$286,133	Rural: Distant	15.95	0.01
Washington- Arlington- Alexandria, DC- VA-MD-WV	Prince William County Public Schools	6	$642,865	$624,133	3.0 %	$18,732	Suburb: Large	15.04	3.62
*Data from Boston Public Schools and Cambridge Public Schools are under review and were excluded from consideration in this analysis; ** Las Vegas metro only has one school district

Methodology:
To identify the most popular school districts across top 50 U.S. metros, we analyzed views per property from out-of-market home shoppers between May and July 2025. To focus on school-driven housing demand, our analysis included only listings with at least one nearby public school rated 8 or higher, according to GreatSchools ratings. In addition, we restricted our analysis to school districts with an average of at least 100 for-sale properties during this period to ensure we are capturing districts of a meaningful size and housing market presence.

Please note that there might be some overlaps between these popular school districts and our hottest zip codes. While top schools are undoubtedly attracting shoppers to certain zips, it's also likely that a district's apparent popularity is influenced by broader market conditions and the overall appeal of the ZIP code itself. Therefore, whether the overlap is limited or extensive, it suggests that this is not a major concern / this may be an important contributing factor.

School district location types (urban, suburban, town, or rural) and pupil-teacher ratios were sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics. School walkability scores were aggregated from the latest property-level data provided by Local Logic, which measures the distance to the nearest elementary and high school for each known property within a district.

About Realtor.com^®
Realtor.com^® pioneered online real estate and has been at the forefront for over 25 years, connecting buyers, sellers, and renters with trusted insights, professional guidance and powerful tools to help them find their perfect home. Recognized as the No. 1 site trusted by real estate professionals, Realtor.com^® is a valued partner, delivering consumer connections and a robust suite of marketing tools to support business growth. Realtor.com^® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc.

Media contact: Mallory Micetich, press@realtor.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/families-target-top-rated-school-districts-this-moving-seasonbut-at-a-price-302529447.html

SOURCE Realtor.com

FAQ

What is the average price premium for top-rated school districts in 2025?

According to Realtor.com's analysis, the most sought-after districts command an average 135% premium over their surrounding metro areas, with median listing prices averaging $1.21 million.

Which school district has the highest price premium in 2025?

Carroll Independent School District in the Dallas metro area has the highest premium at 390.9% compared to the metro average, with a median listing price of $2,159,833.

Are there any affordable top-rated school districts in 2025?

Yes, several districts like Johnston County in Raleigh, Humble ISD in Houston, and Palm Beach County in Miami offer prices below their metro averages while maintaining strong educational standards.

What factors besides academics are families considering when choosing school districts?

Families are considering factors such as walkability scores, pupil-teacher ratios, community amenities, and whether the district is in an urban, suburban, or rural setting.

How did Realtor.com determine the most popular school districts for 2025?

Realtor.com analyzed views per property from out-of-market home shoppers between May and July 2025, focusing on districts with at least one nearby public school rated 8 or higher and an average of 100+ for-sale properties.