Is the benefit of great school district overrated?

Sending kids to public school might cost parents hundreds of thousands of dollars. The main reason: Homes in good public school districts cost 77% more than homes in average or below-average districts, in accordance with data from ATTOM Data Solutions.

Is the benefit of great school district overrated?

The real estate research firm analyzed home prices and test scores in more than 4,400 postal codes in the country. It defined good public school districts as districts having a minimum of one public school in which student test scores were at least one-third higher than the state average.

In a good school district, the typical home cost $427,402 in July 2016, compared with $241,096 for other districts. This is because a function of supply and demand, explains Daren Blomquist, ATTOM’s senior vice president: “There’s more demand for these homes, and that drives up the price for these homes.”

In some regions of the country, it could cost parents less overall to buy a home within a low-rated school district and pay separately for private school.

Still, there are a few places where homes in good school districts are priced reasonably, including two in Florida: Tampa-St. Petersburg (33712) and Orlando (32835) have two zip codes out of 10 ATTOM lists with good schools with homes that are also some of the best bargain-home buying opportunities.

Nick & Cindy Davis are here to assist you in finding your new home here in the Tampa Bay and Surrounding areas. We are always a click here or call to 813-300-7116 away.

Here are a few homes for sale in the 33712 Zip Code, or if you prefer you can click here and search by schools.

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(all data current as of 8/28/2025)

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