Quality Education on Sale
One of Trulia’s goals is to provide the user with the best search experience possible. An important aspect of this search experience is the information that supplements our listings, such as data on school districts as well as local real estate market indicators. Our recently released advanced search functionality allows the user to search for properties within specific school districts or neighborhoods, and our California real estate guides link users to market trends and school information for every city in the state (available for all of our live states). The following analysis of school district value is just one example of the many types of stories that our data can tell you. As our coverage continues to grow, our helpful home-finding information will grow with it.
Finding a home within a good school district is a priority for home-buyers with school-aged children (see HouseValues article). In an anaylsis of greater Los Angeles area schools, we found that to get one of the best educations for your child, you don’t necessarily have to spend the most money on a house. Within the top school districts in the LA area, average housing prices vary by more than $800,000 and $600/square foot. Take a look at the 5 most expensive and 5 cheapest places to get a great education in the Los Angeles area.
The Most Expensive
|
School District
|
City
|
2005 API*
|
05-06 Avg. Sales Price
|
05-06 Avg. Price / sq. ft.
|
Sales Price / API
|
| Manhattan Beach Unified | Manhattan Beach | 896 | $1,611,030 | $953 | $1,798 |
| La Canada Unified | La Canada | 918 | $1,430,427 | $591 | $1,558 |
| San Marino Unified | San Marino | 932 | $1,328,570 | $535 | $1,426 |
| Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified | Rancho Palos Verdes | 890 | $1,218,136 | $518 | $1,369 |
| Las Virgenes Unified | Calabasas | 860 | $1,013,918 | $418 | $1,179 |
The Best Values
|
School District
|
City
|
2005 API*
|
05-06 Avg. Sales Price
|
05-06 Avg. Price / sq. ft.
|
Sales Price / API
|
| Irvine Unified | Irvine | 882 | $657,943 | $414 | $746 |
| Walnut Valley Unified | Diamond Bar | 857 | $643,205 | $333 | $751 |
| Los Alamitos Unified | Los Alamitos | 858 | $711,469 | $379 | $829 |
| South Pasadena Unified | South Pasadena | 866 | $797,441 | $465 | $921 |
| Arcadia Unified | Arcadia | 865 | $808,419 | $427 | $935 |
*API = Academic Performance Index. 2005 Average for Unified districts in CA = 694
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