When relocating, whether to the next town or the other side of the country, one of the most important considerations is school district. This is an obvious point for parents, as the school you send your child to is usually one of the primary factors in your location search. But even if you are not a parent, the school district you move into can have a huge impact upon how stable your home’s value is and how much upside potential there is.

When moving to a new district as a parent, there are a few things you want to consider. Where is the school ranked? Is it one of the top schools in state? One of the top in the nation? How long has it been ranked as such? And, finally, has it been trending upwards, downwards, or has it been consistently at it’s current ranking? These questions are important to ask because they help you to determine if the new school district is better, worse, or the same as your current, and if the school is likely to remain where it is, academically, or if it is about to get better or worse.

If you are moving and do not have to worry about kids, I would say you want to ask the same questions, but in  almost exactly reverse order. The current standings are far less important than the trend; if you are buying a house as an investment (even if it will be your primary residence), you want to be sure you are buying into a school that is getting better year over year, because that will have a dramatic positive impact upon your home’s value. Similarly, you want to avoid a declining school at all costs. Since the housing market is tailored to today’s academic numbers, the current ranking of the school is a near moot point for you; a school on the rise is a school on the rise, whether from bad to mediocre or good to great.

If you are in the market for a new home and would like to further understand how a school district selection might impact you, please contact me. If you have anything to add about moving into a new school district, please leave a comment.