Question: How much of a difference do schools make in the value of homes in Arlington?
Answer: I hope all parents, students, and teachers had a great first week back at school!
Nothing drives home values like schools and for most buyers around here, that is based on the ten-point ratings scale from GreatSchools.org. Let me be clear, this article is not meant to validate or challenge the quality of GreatSchools ratings; rather, it’s an acknowledgement of the weight the website’s ratings have on home buyer decisions and, therefore, home values.
Tips for Using Schools in Your Home Search
- Families define a “good school” differently. Whether that’s test scores, socioeconomic diversity, language instruction, athletics, or a STEM focus, think about what matters most to you and target schools that fit your values.
- GreatSchools offers more than just a single rating; they offer component data as well. Dig deeper and look at the components of a school’s rating and review them based on what you value.
- I know parents who have had both excellent and terrible experiences at top and low-rated schools alike. The GreatSchools rating is not everything.
- There are excellent public resources available for research, including the Virginia Dept of Education’s School Quality Profiles and information nights for each school, where you can see a school and interact with teachers first-hand.
- There are numerous message boards with loads of information about school operations, like disability support, college readiness, and athletics
- There are other private ratings websites like Niche.com and US News and World Report that offer different perspectives and ways of ranking schools
- Arlington County has an A+ grade from Niche.com, ranking as the #2 school district in Virginia, just behind Falls Church City. Loudoun County ranks #4 and Fairfax County ranks #6 in Virginia, each with an A grade.
Analyzing Arlington Homes by GreatSchools Ratings
If school ratings are an important focus for you, you can use the table below to figure out what the most efficient use of your budget is to maximize your GreatSchools rating per dollar spent. In the table, I calculate the cost per GreatSchools rating point, based on the average price of a 3+ bedroom home in that school boundary.
The data uses sales since January 1, 2024 of homes with at least three bedrooms, including condos (condos make up only about 5% of the total sales in this data set). Only neighborhood schools are included in this analysis, not the magnet/option schools.
- The lowest cost per GreatSchools point elementary schools are Barcroft (7), Glebe (9), and Tuckahoe (9)
- The lowest cost per GreatSchools point middle school is Gunston (7), followed closely by Kenmore (7)
- The lowest cost per GreatSchools point high school is Yorktown (9)
- The most expensive school to buy housing in on a total cost basis is Jamestown Elementary (8), but the most expensive per bedroom is Innovation Elementary (6)
- The least expensive school to buy housing in on a total cost and price per bedroom basis is Abingdon Elementary (3)
- Alice West Fleet (6) is the only school with a GS rating over 4 and average home price under $1M
- Ashlawn Elementary has the most homes sold (158) with 3+ bedrooms since 2024 and Hoffman-Boston has the least (44)
- It costs about 60% more to buy a 3+ bedroom homes in Arlington’s highest rated high school boundary (Yorktown, 9) compared to its lowest rated high school boundary (Wakefield, 4). The Wakefield HS boundary is the only high school market with an average sold price of a 3+ bedroom home under $1M.
If you’d like some more personalized data run for you using home sales and GreatSchools ratings, you’re welcome to reach out to me at [email protected]. I’m happy to help.
If you’d like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].
We have access to the most pre and off-market listings across the DMV of any brokerage and are happy to share what’s available with anybody who asks.
Below are some of our team’s pre/off-market listings, details and additional listings available by request:
- Rosslyn 2BR/2BA/1,100 sqft – condo (2008) – 1800 Wilson Blvd Arlington VA 22201
- Rosslyn 2BR+den/2.5BA/2,000 sqft – condo (2021) – 1781 N Pierce St Arlington VA 22209
- Ballston – 4BR/3.5BA+office/4,000 sqft – Four Townhouses (2026/2027) – 11th St N Arlington VA 22201
- Falls Church City – 4BR/4.5BA/3,000+ sqft – End-unit townhouse (1995) – Rees Pl Falls Church VA 22046
- Rosslyn – 2BR+den/2.5BA/2,000+ sqft – Condo (2021) – 1781 N Pierce St Arlington VA 22209
- Highland Park/Overlee Knolls – 6BR/5.5BA/5,000+ sqft – Detached Single Family (2025) – 22nd Rd N Arlington VA 22205
