Does School Quality Affect Home Prices? What NeighborScore Data Shows
By Sharon Ben-Moshe · June 19, 2026
Does school quality track home prices? Across our LA, Chicago, and NYC ZIPs, higher NeighborScore school scores line up with higher prices — with revealing exceptions.
School quality is 47% of NeighborScore's overall, and mapping school scores against home prices across our Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York ZIPs shows the expected pattern — stronger schools tend to command higher prices — with some instructive exceptions.
The clearest case: Chicago
Lincoln Park (60614) carries an 80 school score (about 69% math) at a ~$835K median; Marquette Park (60629) scores 65 (about 47% math) at ~$320K. The stronger-school ZIP costs roughly 2.6x as much — a large premium for a 15-point school gap.
Where price outruns schools
Price is not only about schools. Chelsea / Hudson Yards (10001) is the most expensive ZIP in our set (~$2.64M) but scores just 53 on schools — its price reflects Manhattan location far more than its classrooms. Beverly Hills (90210), by contrast, pairs a top school score (88) with its high price.
Where schools outrun price
The reverse also shows up: Times Square / Midtown West (10036) posts the highest school score in our NYC set (85, about 77% math) at a price (~$1.80M) below Chelsea's — a reminder to check the school data directly rather than assume price equals quality.
How to use this
When two neighborhoods have similar overall scores, the component breakdown tells you which factor is doing the work. If you have school-age children, weight the school score and open each ZIP's Schools tab for school-by-school proficiency — the ZIP aggregate can hide variation.
Home-price figures are Zillow ZHVI medians, not current listings; school scores derive from NCES proficiency data. This is research, not investment or enrollment advice.