Families Target Top-Rated School Districts This Moving Season--But at a Price
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 | District | Median | Median | Premium | Premium | Locale | Pupil/ | School |
Atlanta-Sandy | Fayette County | 8 | $597,617 | $420,282 | 42.2 % | $177,335 | Suburb: Large | 13.62 | 0.79 |
Austin-Round | Wimberley | 8 | $835,900 | $520,300 | 60.7 % | $315,600 | Rural: Distant | 14.81 | 0.02 |
Baltimore- | Harford County | 7 | $451,805 | $399,966 | 13.0 % | $51,839 | Suburb: Mid | 14.21 | 1.90 |
Birmingham, AL | Mountain | 10 | $1,046,408 | $306,433 | 241.5 % | $739,975 | Suburb: Large | 11.47 | 3.46 |
Boston- | *Duxbury | 9 | $1,569,167 | $858,641 | 82.8 % | $710,526 | Suburb: Large | 11.91 | 0.29 |
Buffalo- | East Aurora | 8 | $485,408 | $299,750 | 61.9 % | $185,658 | Town: Fringe | 10.85 | 2.85 |
Charlotte- | Iredell- | 5 | $486,017 | $451,311 | 7.7 % | $34,706 | Suburb: Large | 16.36 | 0.11 |
Chicago- | Mokena | 8 | $493,533 | $378,933 | 30.2 % | $114,600 | Suburb: Large | 14.32 | 3.79 |
Cincinnati, OH- | Forest Hills | 7 | $543,800 | $353,308 | 53.9 % | $190,492 | Suburb: Large | 17.09 | 3.43 |
Cleveland, OH | Bay Village | 8 | $616,492 | $273,608 | 125.3 % | $342,884 | Suburb: Large | 14.9 | 3.68 |
Columbus, OH | Granville | 8 | $651,583 | $390,783 | 66.7 % | $260,800 | Suburb: Small | 18.38 | 0.15 |
Dallas-Fort | Carroll | 9 | $2,159,833 | $439,967 | 390.9 % | $1,719,866 | Suburb: Large | 15.31 | 3.42 |
Denver-Aurora- | Platte Canyon | 7 | $642,025 | $603,317 | 6.4 % | $38,708 | Rural: Distant | 13.42 | 0.00 |
Detroit-Warren- | Trenton Public | 7 | $249,290 | $276,650 | -9.9 % | -$27,360 | Suburb: Large | 16.42 | 6.28 |
Grand Rapids- | East Grand | 9 | $890,817 | $417,400 | 113.4 % | $473,417 | Suburb: Large | 18.26 | 7.64 |
Hartford-West | Old Saybrook | 7 | $938,158 | $460,933 | 103.5 % | $477,225 | Suburb: Large | 8.84 | 1.17 |
Houston- | Humble | 6 | $360,056 | $372,475 | -3.3 % | -$12,419 | Suburb: Large | 14.36 | 4.61 |
Indianapolis- | Carmel Clay | 8 | $617,808 | $334,741 | 84.6 % | $283,067 | City: Mid | 15.92 | 2.99 |
Jacksonville, FL | St. Johns | 8 | $553,317 | $407,497 | 35.8 % | $145,820 | Suburb: Large | 17.76 | 0.24 |
Kansas City, MO- | Shawnee | 6 | $506,225 | $406,499 | 24.5 % | $99,726 | City: Mid | 13.93 | 4.99 |
Las Vegas- | **Clark County | 6 | $479,950 | $479,996 | 0.0 % | -$46 | City: Large | 20.71 | 4.43 |
Los Angeles-Long | Laguna Beach | 9 | $4,959,833 | $1,175,328 | 322.0 % | $3,784,505 | Suburb: Large | 18.79 | 2.60 |
Louisville/Jefferson | Oldham | 7 | $585,150 | $325,888 | 79.6 % | $259,262 | Suburb: Large | 16.5 | 0.20 |
Memphis, TN-MS- | Germantown | 8 | $565,828 | $345,717 | 63.7 % | $220,111 | Suburb: Large | 14.58 | 3.49 |
Miami-Fort | Palm Beach | 6 | $496,080 | $509,983 | -2.7 % | -$13,903 | Suburb: Large | 16.57 | 2.42 |
Milwaukee- | New Berlin | 8 | $449,008 | $406,483 | 10.5 % | $42,525 | Suburb: Large | 15.64 | 2.57 |
Minneapolis- | Stillwater Area | 7 | $656,625 | $442,967 | 48.2 % | $213,658 | Town: Fringe | 18.85 | 1.51 |
Nashville- | Franklin | 7 | $775,950 | $547,450 | 41.7 % | $228,500 | City: Small | 10.58 | 3.70 |
New York- | Holmdel | 8 | $1,361,583 | $785,500 | 73.3 % | $576,083 | Suburb: Large | 10.14 | 1.47 |
Oklahoma City, | Edmond | 7 | $471,128 | $327,442 | 43.9 % | $143,686 | Suburb: Large | 17.47 | 2.75 |
Orlando- | Seminole | 6 | $437,703 | $429,123 | 2.0 % | $8,580 | Suburb: Large | 17.14 | 2.88 |
Philadelphia- | New Hope- | 8 | $1,249,567 | $385,800 | 223.9 % | $863,767 | Town: Fringe | 11.32 | 1.82 |
Phoenix-Mesa- | Cave Creek | 7 | $1,656,908 | $516,667 | 220.7 % | $1,140,241 | City: Mid | 17.51 | 0.01 |
Pittsburgh, PA | Peters | 9 | $540,304 | $252,409 | 114.1 % | $287,895 | Suburb: Large | 15.74 | 2.07 |
Portland- | Lake Oswego | 8 | $1,324,958 | $608,567 | 117.7 % | $716,391 | Suburb: Large | 16.7 | 5.93 |
Providence- | Narragansett | 8 | $1,173,083 | $599,950 | 95.5 % | $573,133 | Suburb: Large | 11.05 | 0.34 |
Raleigh-Cary, NC | Johnston | 7 | $370,767 | $459,723 | -19.3 % | -$88,956 | Rural: Fringe | 15.18 | 0.24 |
Richmond, VA | Chesterfield | 5 | $480,081 | $455,375 | 5.4 % | $24,706 | Suburb: Large | 13.84 | 1.37 |
Riverside-San | Alta Loma | 8 | $883,825 | $599,965 | 47.3 % | $283,860 | Suburb: Large | 24.49 | 5.48 |
Sacramento- | Eureka Union | 9 | $1,235,083 | $632,154 | 95.4 % | $602,929 | Suburb: Large | 23.76 | 5.02 |
St. Louis, MO-IL | Ladue School | 8 | $968,247 | $299,950 | 222.8 % | $668,297 | Suburb: Large | 13.82 | 5.04 |
San Antonio-New | Alamo Heights | 8 | $580,183 | $339,992 | 70.6 % | $240,191 | City: Large | 12.91 | 6.33 |
San Diego-Chula | Del Mar Union | 8 | $2,194,583 | $992,500 | 121.1 % | $1,202,083 | City: Large | 19.99 | 4.67 |
San Francisco- | Reed Union | 9 | $4,029,750 | $995,767 | 304.7 % | $3,033,983 | Suburb: Large | 14.99 | 2.86 |
San Jose- | Morgan Hill | 6 | $1,469,500 | $1,397,398 | 5.2 % | $72,102 | Suburb: Mid | 21.56 | 4.13 |
Seattle-Tacoma- | Peninsula | 7 | $934,575 | $794,571 | 17.6 % | $140,004 | Suburb: Large | 18.46 | 0.13 |
Tampa-St. | Hillsborough | 5 | $449,667 | $417,167 | 7.8 % | $32,500 | Suburb: Large | 18.32 | 3.57 |
Tucson, AZ | Catalina | 9 | $546,942 | $391,500 | 39.7 % | $155,442 | Suburb: Large | 17.2 | 2.16 |
Virginia Beach- | Currituck | 6 | $701,133 | $415,000 | 68.9 % | $286,133 | Rural: Distant | 15.95 | 0.01 |
Washington- | Prince William | 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 | |||||||||
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, [email protected]
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SOURCE Realtor.com