Back-to-School Special: Top 10 Affordable Towns With the Best Schools

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Before long the temperatures will dip, the foliage will turn red, and yellow school buses will magically reappear in the nation’s suburbs and cities, picking up and dropping off children. And many parents will again begin worry whether their kids are getting A-level educations.

The desire to live in an area with a top-notch school district, of course, is one of the forces that drive many home-buying decisions for families. And most parents will do whatever it takes to ensure a great eduction for their kids. But here’s the reality: You don’t need to drop a load of money on private schools to make sure your children are learning their ABCs. And you don’t need to move to the priciest parts of the country to get into a top-rated public school.

You could just need to head to the Chicago suburb of Aurora, IL—or any of the other places on our list of affordable towns with the best schools.

Realtor.com® found the best elementary schools (which received at least an 8 out of 10 ranking by education information group GreatSchools) in the largest 15 metros where buyers can find a home without breaking the bank. You’re welcome!

To compile our rankings, our economics team looked at the monthly housing costs (mortgage payments, taxes, etc.) needed to purchase a median-priced home in all of the ZIP codes in each metro. To ensure buyers were getting a deal, we factored in the median income of residents living there to ensure affordability. We also filtered out the ZIP codes with high crime and poverty rates, and for geographic diversity included only one ZIP code per metro.

“When searching for a new home, finding something affordable in a good school district with family-friendly features, such as large backyards, tops the list of home buyer priorities,” says Javier Vivas, manager of economic research for realtor.com. “These markets offer strong public schools and affordable homes, making them a great fit for home buyers with elementary school–age children.”

Aurora topped the list due to its having three top-rated elementary schools. It’s also 45% more affordable than the surrounding metro area.

“It’s absolutely family-friendly,” says local real estate broker Margaret Rowe of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. She touted the myriad parks and family events held in Aurora.

Want to know where else you can score a bargain—and your kids can get a good education? Keep reading. Make your third-grade teacher proud.

1. Aurora, IL

ZIP code: 60503 (outside of Chicago)

Median home list price in ZIP code: $259,900

Top schools: Homestead Elementary School (10 out of 10), Wheatlands Elementary School (8 out of 10), and Wolfs Crossing Elementary School (10 out of 10)

2. Stone Mountain, GA

ZIP code: 30087 (outside of Atlanta)

Median home list price in ZIP code: $218,950

Top Schools: Wynbrooke Elementary School (9 out of 10)

3. Hampton, NJ

ZIP code: 08827 (outside of New York City)

Median home list price in ZIP code: $297,000

Top schools: Union Township Elementary School (8 out of 10)

4. Royersford, PA

ZIP code: 19468 (outside of Philadelphia)

Median home list price in ZIP code: $246,125

Top schools: Brooke Elementary School (9 out of 10), Evans Elementary School (8 out of 10), Limerick Elementary School (9 out of 10), Spring-Ford Intermediate School 5th/6th (9 out of 10), and Upper Providence Elementary School (9 out of 10)

5. Kingwood, TX

ZIP code: 77345 in Houston

Median Home home list price in ZIP code: $323,750

Top schools: Deerwood Elementary School (9 out of 10), Greentree Elementary School (10 out of 10), Hidden Hollow Elementary (9 out of 10), Shadow Forest Elementary School (10 out of 10), and Willow Creek Elementary School (10 out of 10)

6. Rosemount, MN

ZIP code: 55068 (outside of Minneapolis)

Median home list price in ZIP code: $299,900

Top schools: Shannon Park Elementary School (10 out of 10)

7. Bowie, MD

ZIP code: 20715 (outside of Washington, DC)

Median home list price in ZIP code: $345,350

Top schools: Whitehall Elementary School (8 out of 10) and Yorktown Elementary School (8 out of 10)

8. Huntington Woods, MI

ZIP code: 48070 (outside of Detroit)

Median home list price in ZIP code: $400,000

Top schools: Burton Elementary School (8 out of 10)

9. Stow, MA

ZIP code: 01775 (outside of Boston)

Median home list price in ZIP code: $504,750

Top schools: Center School (8 out of 10)

10. Chandler, AZ

ZIP code: 85226 (outside of Phoenix)

Median home list price in ZIP code: $324,155

Top schools: Kyrene De La Mirada Leadership Academy (9 out of 10), Kyrene De La Paloma Elementary School (8 out of 10), Kyrene De Las Brisas Elementary School (9 out of 10), Kyrene del Cielo Elementary School (10 out of 10), Kyrene Traditional Academy, Sureno Campus (9 out of 10), and Paragon Science Academy (9 out of 10)

The post Back-to-School Special: Top 10 Affordable Towns With the Best Schools appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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