House prices near schools surge by 35 per cent in just one year Domain report showed

House prices near popular public schools surge by 35 per cent even during a recession

  • Online property sales site Domain compiled list on house prices near schools
  • Perth, Sydney’s north and Brisbane dominated the top ten list of value increases
  • Domain research analyst Dr Nicola Powell said catchment prices varied widely 

House prices near schools have surged by more than a third during the past year despite a recession.

Online sales site Domain has revealed Australia’s hottest suburbs for price growth in the year to October with buyers particularly keen on homes near both primary and high schools.

Upmarket suburbs in Sydney’s north and Perth‘s inner south dominated the list of areas where median house prices have soared by a third.

High schools took out six of the top ten spots for the most impressive growth in property values. 

House prices near schools have surged by more than a third during the past year despite a record economic downturn. Houses near Como Primary School in Perth’s upmarket inner south had the biggest median price surge of 35.6 per cent to $901,750

Domain senior research analyst Nicola Powell said being in the right school catchment area made a real different to prices, regardless of whether the house was near the city or in the outer suburbs.

School catchments driving up house prices

Como Primary School, Perth’s inner south: up 35.6 per cent to $901,750

Armadale Senior High School, Perth’s south-east: up 32.7 per cent to $325,000

Epping Boys High School, Sydney’s north: up 32.3 per cent to $1.565million

Colo High School, Sydney’s outer north west: up 31.9 per cent to $600,000 

Dudley Park Primary School, in the West Australian city of Mandurah: up 30.8 per cent to $276,000 

Bald Hills State School, Brisbane’s north, up 29.2 per cent to $675,000

Newport Public School, Sydney’s northern beaches: up 29 per cent to $2million 

Applecross Senior High School, Perth inner south: up 28.9 per cent to $1.030million

Wynnum West State School, Brisbane’s east: up 28.8 per cent to $547,500

Willoughby Girls High School, up 28.6 per cent to $3.115million 

Source: Domain School Zone report for 2020 

‘The boundary of public school catchment zones can have a huge influence on property decisions and the data suggests certain ones can have a positive effect on house prices,’ she said.

Houses near Como Primary School in Perth’s upmarket inner south had the biggest median price surge of 35.6 per cent to $901,750.

Perth had three school catchment areas in the top ten for house price growth, with an area in the satellite city of Mandurah also making the list, giving Western Australia four places.

The Armadale Senior High School catchment in Perth’s south-east saw a 32.7 per cent increase in prices. 

Greater Sydney took out four places in the top ten list. 

Houses near Epping Boys High School, in Sydney’s north, were in demand, with median prices surging by 32.3 per cent to $1.565million.

In the even more upmarket northern beaches, prices for a home near Newport Public School surged by 29 per cent to $2million.

An already very expensive area on the lower north shore also experienced a price surge with median values for homes near Willoughby Girls High School climbing by 28.6 per cent to $3.115million.

Brisbane had two places in the top ten with median prices near Bald Hills State School in the city’s north rising by 29.2 per cent to $675,000.

House near Wynnum  West State School in the city’s east rose by 28.8 per cent to $547,500. 

Domain has an app that enables buyers to search for a house based on the school catchment area.

Dr Powell said prices varied greatly even in neighbouring school catchment areas.

‘School zone price growth performance varied enormously with neighbouring catchments providing very different outcomes for homeowners,’ she said.

‘Some school zones in the same postcode, suburb or with overlapping catchment zones varied in the pace or even direction of house price movement.’ 

Greater Sydney took out four places in the top ten list. Houses near Epping Boys High School, in Sydney's north, were in demand, with median prices surging by 32.3 per cent to $1.565million

Greater Sydney took out four places in the top ten list. Houses near Epping Boys High School, in Sydney’s north, were in demand, with median prices surging by 32.3 per cent to $1.565million

Brisbane had two places in the top ten with median prices near Bald Hills State School in the city's north rising by 29.2 per cent to $675,000

Brisbane had two places in the top ten with median prices near Bald Hills State School in the city’s north rising by 29.2 per cent to $675,000