SANTA CLARA, Calif.,
July 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Realtor.com®, a leading provider of online real estate
services operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] subsidiary Move,
Inc., today released its ranking of the 10 most affordable housing
markets with top elementary schools. Led by Aurora, Ill. (60503), the list also includes
towns from all over the U.S., from Royersford, Pa., to Chandler, Ariz.
To create the list, realtor.com® analyzed ZIP codes
within the top metropolitan areas in the country which contained at
least one public school ranked eight out of 10 or higher by
GreatSchools. In order, realtor.com®'s top 10 most
affordable towns with great elementary schools include:
Aurora, Ill.; Stone Mountain, Ga.; Hampton, N.J.; Royersford, Pa; Kingwood, Texas; Rosemount, Minn.; Bowie, Md.; Huntington Woods, Mich.; Stow, Mass.; and Chandler.
"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 homebuyer priorities," said
Javier Vivas, manager of economic
research for realtor.com®. "These markets offer strong
public schools and affordable homes, making them a great fit for
homebuyers with elementary school-age children."
The monthly cost of owning a median-priced home near a top
elementary school is on average only 23 percent of the median
household income in the ZIP, which is on-average 41 percent less
costly than their surrounding metro area. In addition to offering
affordable prices, these markets are home to strong incomes as well
with an average household income of $106,525, compared to the national median of
$57,462.
Realtor.com® also looked into the top affordable towns for
middle schools and high schools, Aurora also topped the list for middle schools
while Royersford -- which made the
top elementary list -- was ranked No. 1 for high schools. In fact,
seven of the top 10 elementary school towns also made it onto the
top middle school or high school list, including: Aurora (middle school), Hampton (middle school), Royersford (middle and high schools),
Kingswood (middle school), Rosemount (middle and high schools),
Stow (middle school) and
Chandler (middle and high
schools).
"Staying in your home for at least five to 10 years is one
way you can ensure you receive a high return on your home
investment," added Vivas. "With strong middle and high schools many
of the markets on the list offer families the opportunity to put
down roots while building equity in their home."
In a realtor.com® survey of first-time homebuyers
conducted earlier this year, younger homebuyers who are more likely
to have young children in the house were particularly interested in
living in a good school district. In fact, millennial home
shoppers, as well as shoppers age 35-44, cited family needs as the
primary reason for entering the housing market, and noted better
school districts as a primary reason for purchasing a new home.
Realtor.com® ranked ZIP codes according to
affordability of homes within each area, determined by calculating
the monthly mortgage costs and other costs to purchase the
median-priced home in the ZIP code and dividing it by the ZIP
code's median income.
Realtor.com®'s Top Affordable Towns
with the Best Elementary Schools
1. Aurora, Ill. (ZIP code
60503)
Schools: Homestead Elementary School (rating 10/10), The
Wheatlands Elementary School (rating 8/10), and Wolfs Crossing
Elementary School (rating 10/10)
Housing in ZIP 60503: The 2017 median household income in
Aurora is $114,118 with a 2017 median listing price of
$259,900. Aurora is 45 percent more affordable compared
to its surrounding metro area, and 47 percent more affordable
compared to the U.S. overall.
Schools: Oswego Community Unit School District 308 is
home to Homestead, Wheatlands, and Wolfs Crossing. As the
district's tagline, "world-class schools serving caring
communities" suggests, these schools place an emphasis on
partnering and engaging with students' families and their
surrounding communities. It is also home to the No. 1 middle school
on the list Bednarcik Junior High School.
2. Stone Mountain, Ga. (ZIP
code 30087)
School: Wynbrooke Elementary School (rating 9/10)
Housing in ZIP 30087: The 2017 median household income in
Stone Mountain is $71,678 with a 2017 median listing price of
$218,950. Stone Mountain is 38 percent more affordable
compared to its surrounding metro area, and compared to the U.S.
overall.
School: Dubbing itself a "theme school," Wynbrooke
Elementary seeks to engage students through research-centered
assignments and hands-on projects. Its known for its low
student-to-teacher ratio, daily homework assignments, and uniform
policy.
3. Hampton, N.J. (ZIP code
08827)
School: Union Township Elementary School (rating
8/10)
Housing in ZIP 08827: The 2017 median household income in
Hampton is $118,810 with a 2017 median listing price of
$297,000. Hampton is 60 percent more affordable compared
to its surrounding metro area, and 37 percent more affordable
compared to the U.S. overall.
School: The Union
Township Board of Education says it aims to build not just
academic abilities, but the entire set of skills necessary to
become productive members of society by encouraging their students'
individual growth. Union Township Elementary students get to enjoy
learning in the fresh air thanks to two recently built "outdoor
classroom pavilions" that were constructed with the help of
community members and the school's PTA. The school is also
considering changing its current half-day Kindergarten to a more
rigorous all-day program.
4. Royersford, Pa. (ZIP code
19468)
Schools: Brooke Elementary School (rating 9/10), Evans
Elementary School (rating 8/10), Limerick Elementary School (rating
9/10), Spring-Ford Intrmd School 5th/6th (rating 9/10), and Upper
Providence Elementary School (rating 9/10)
Housing in ZIP 19468: The 2017 median household income in
Royersford is $83,264 with a 2017 median listing price of
$246,125. Royersford is 21 percent more affordable
compared to its surrounding metro area, and 32 percent more
affordable compared to the U.S. overall.
Schools: Brooke, Limerick, Spring-Ford and Upper Providence are all located in the
Spring-Ford Area School District which places an emphasis on making
school fun. It operates under the philosophy that elementary
school students "should enjoy coming to school" and that creating
an enjoyable environment is the best way to help students reach
their full potential.
5. Kingwood, Texas (ZIP code
77345)
Schools: Deerwood Elementary School (rating 9/10),
Greentree Elementary School (rating 10/10), Hidden Hollow
Elementary (9/10), Shadow Forest Elementary School (rating 10/10),
and Willow Creek Elementary School (rating 10/10).
Housing in ZIP 77345: The 2017 median household income in
Kingwood is $123,201 with a 2017 median listing price of
$323,750. Kingwood is 46 percent more affordable
compared to its surrounding metro area, and 32 percent more
affordable compared to the U.S. overall.
Schools: The Humble School District, home to Deerwood, Greentree, Hidden Hollow, Shadow Forest, and
Willow Creek, is one of
Texas' 25 fastest-growing
districts. It aims to create students who are "life-long learners,
complex thinkers, responsible global citizens and effective
communicators."
6. Rosemount, Minn. (ZIP
code 55068)
School: Shannon Park Elementary School (rating 10/10)
Housing in ZIP 55068: The 2017 median household income in
Rosemount is $93,743 with a 2017 median listing price of
$299,900. Rosemount is 30 percent more affordable
compared to its surrounding metro area, and 32 percent more
affordable compared to the U.S. overall.
School: Known for its academics and extracurriculars,
Shannon Park students have a chance
to take part in a plethora of activities, including a geography
bee, math olympiad, young Authors Conference and family math
night.
7. Bowie, Md. (ZIP code
20715)
Schools: Whitehall Elementary School (rating 8/10) and
Yorktown Elementary School (rating 8/10)
Housing in ZIP 20715: The 2017 median household income in
Bowie is $107,865 with a 2017 median listing price of
$345,350. Bowie is 29 percent more affordable compared
to its surrounding metro area, and 27 percent more affordable
compared to the U.S. overall.
Schools: Located just minutes away from Washington, D.C., Prince George's County Public Schools is one
of the nation's 25 largest school districts. Whitehall and Yorktown are known for their academic rigor,
which is demonstrated by their mission statements "to educate
children beyond expectations" and "a rigorous instructional program
for every student, in every classroom every day," respectively.
8. Huntington Woods, Mich.
(ZIP code 48070)
School: Burton Elementary School (rating 8/10)
Housing in ZIP 48070: The 2017 median household income in
Huntington Woods is $120,265 with a 2017 median listing price of
$400,000. Huntington Woods is 15 percent more affordable
compared to its surrounding metro area, and 27 percent more
affordable compared to the U.S. overall.
School: Burton Elementary school prides itself on its
comprehensive and innovative curricula, making parents part of the
education process and integrating technology into every subject.
The 480 students who attend the K-5 elementary school, also benefit
from "differentiated instruction" – programs that help enable
the school to cater to all learning types.
9. Stow, Mass. (ZIP code
01775)
School: Center School (rating 8/10)
Housing in ZIP 01775: The 2017 median household income in
Stow is $139,622 with a 2017 median listing price of
$504,750. Stow is 45 percent more affordable compared to
its surrounding metro area, and 23 percent more affordable compared
to the U.S. overall.
School: At Center School, educators use high expectations
and cutting edge educational practices to drive students toward
academic achievement. It's home to a state of the art
100,000-square-foot building equipped with iPads, Chromebooks and
smartboards that give a students hands-on technology
experience.
10. Chandler, Ariz. (85226)
– Kyrene Elementary District and Paragon Education
Corporation
Schools: Kyrene De La Mirada School (rating 9/10),
Kyrene De La Paloma School (rating
8/10), Kyrene De Las Brisas School (rating 9/10), Kyrene del Cielo School (rating 10/10), Kyrene
Traditional - Sureno Campus (rating 9/10), and Paragon Science
Academy K-12 (rating 9/10).
Housing in ZIP 85226: The 2017 median household income in
Chandler is $80,130 with a 2017 median listing price of
$324,155. Chandler is 30 percent more affordable
compared to its surrounding metro area, and 20 percent more
affordable compared to the U.S. overall.
School: In Arizona,
students can attend any school within or outside their own
districts. Kyrene and Paragon seek to attract top students with
strong academics, small class sizes, lots of activities – such as
technology and art – and the opportunity to use laptops every
day.
Realtor.com®'s Top Affordable Towns
with the Best Middle Schools
Rank
|
Area
|
District
|
School
|
GreatSchools
Rating
(out of
10)
|
Median
HH
Income
2017
|
Median
Listing
Price 2017
|
1.
|
Aurora
(60503)
|
Oswego Community Unit
School District 308
|
Bednarcik Junior High
School
|
9
|
$114,888
|
$259,900
|
2.
|
Hampton
(08827)
|
Union Township School
District
|
Union Twp Middle
School
|
10
|
$111,810
|
$297,000
|
3.
|
Royersford
(19468)
|
Spring-Ford Area
School District
|
Spring-Ford Ms 7th
Grade Center, Spring-Ford Ms 8th Grade Center
|
10
|
$83,264
|
$246,125
|
4.
|
Kingwood
(77345)
|
Humble Independent
School District
|
Riverwood Middle
School
|
10
|
$123,201
|
$323,750
|
5.
|
Rosemount
(55068)
|
Rosemount-Apple
Valley-Eagan School District
|
Rosemount Middle
School
|
9
|
$93,743
|
$299,900
|
7.
|
Woodstock, Ga.
(30189)
|
Cherokee County
School District
|
E.T. Booth Middle
School, Woodstock Middle School
|
9
|
$83,989
|
$304,450
|
8.
|
Stow
(01775)
|
Nashoba School
District
|
Hale Middle
School
|
9
|
$139,622
|
$504,750
|
9.
|
Chandler
(85226)
|
Kyrene Elementary
District, Paragon Education Corporation
|
Kyrene Aprende Middle
School, Kyrene Del Pueblo Middle School, Paragon Science Academy
K-12
|
9
|
$80,130
|
$324,155
|
10.
|
Plano,
Texas
(75094)
|
Plano Independent
School District
|
Murphy Middle
School
|
10
|
$128,673
|
$418,725
|
Realtor.com®'s Top Affordable Towns
with the Best High Schools
Rank
|
Town
|
District
Name
|
School
|
GreatSchools
Rating
(out of
10)
|
Median
Household
Income
|
Median
Listing
Price
|
1
|
Royersford
(19468)
|
Spring-Ford Area
School District
|
Spring-Ford Shs 10-12
Gr Center
|
10
|
$83,264
|
$246,125
|
2
|
Rosemount
(55068)
|
Rosemount-Apple
Valley-Eagan School District
|
Rosemount Senior High
School
|
10
|
$93,743
|
$299,900
|
3
|
Plainfield,
Ill.
(60585)
|
Plainfield School
District 202
|
Plainfield North High
School
|
8
|
$130,168
|
$398,725
|
4
|
Katy,
Texas
(77494)
|
Harmony School Of
Science - Houston, Katy Independent School District
|
Harmony Science
Academy - West Houston
|
9
|
$145,507
|
$384,997
|
Cinco Ranch
High School
|
8
|
Seven Lakes High
School
|
9
|
6
|
Woodstock, Ga.
(30189)
|
Cherokee County
School District
|
Etowah High School,
Woodstock High School
|
9
|
$83,989
|
$304,450
|
7
|
Medway, Ma.
(02053)
|
Medway School
District
|
Medway High
School
|
8
|
$119,135
|
$451,500
|
8
|
Chandler
(85226)
|
Paragon Education
Corporation
|
Paragon Science
Academy K-12
|
9
|
$80,130
|
$324,155
|
9
|
Troy,
Mich.
(48085)
|
Troy School
District
|
Athens High
School
|
10
|
$95,712
|
$356,324
|
10
|
Aledo,
Texas
(76008)
|
Aledo Independent
School District
|
Don R Daniel Ninth
Grade Campus
|
8
|
$109,965
|
$404,700
|
For more information, please visit:
http://research.realtor.com/top-10-affordable-towns-best-elementary-schools
About realtor.com®
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REALTORS.® For more information, visit realtor.com®.
Media Contact:
Realtor.com®
Lexie Puckett Holbert –
lexie.puckett@move.com
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