America's 25 Best (Public) Schools For Your Housing Buck

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Median Home Price Under $200,000

No. 1: Mason, Ohio

Population: 29,555

Education Quality Score: 96.56

Median Home Price: $189,500

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.36%

Unemployment Rate: 6.7%

No. 2: Fishers, Ind.

Population: 66,080

Education Quality Score: 95.89

Median Home Price: $183,800

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.43%

Unemployment Rate: 5%

No. 3: Fort Thomas, Ky.

Population: 15,298

Education Quality Score: 94.22

Median Home Price: $176,960

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 0.90%

Unemployment Rate: 8.5%

No. 4: Allison Park, Pa.

Population: 23,395

Education Quality Score: 94.07

Median Home Price: $169,860

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 2.15%

Unemployment Rate: 6.8%

No. 5: North Royalton, Ohio

Population: 29,373

Education Quality Score: 92.54

Median Home Price: $199,720

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.86%

Unemployment Rate: 8.2%

Median Home Price $200,000-$399,999

No. 1: Edina, Minn.

Population: 45,912

Education Quality Score: 94.74

Median Home Price: $345,270

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.09%

Unemployment Rate: 6%

No. 2: Zionsville, Ind.

Population: 12,741

Education Quality Score: 94.03

Median Home Price: $286,000

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: est. 0.96%

Unemployment Rate: 7.7%

No. 3: Brookfield, Wis.

Population: 39,209

Education Quality Score: 93.94

Median Home Price: $278,110

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.44%

Unemployment Rate: 5.7%

No. 4: South Burlington, Vt.

Population: 17,445

Education Quality Score: 93.74

Median Home Price: $240,070

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.49%

Unemployment Rate: 6.3%

No. 5: Germantown, Wis.

Population: 19,375

Education Quality Score: 93.65

Median Home Price: $229,910

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.45%

Unemployment Rate: 8.4%

Median Home Price $400,000-$599,999

No. 1: Acton, MA

Population: 20,753

Education Quality Score: 97.10

Median Home Price: $520,570

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.01%

Unemployment Rate: 5.4%

No. 2 Sammamish, Wash.

Population: 35,242

Education Quality Score: 95.88

Median Home Price: $569,140

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 0.81%

Unemployment Rate: 5.9%

No. 3: Southlake, Texas

Population: 26,224

Education Quality Score: 95.21

Median Home Price: $464,480

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.98-2.24%

Unemployment Rate: 6.7%

No. 4: Severna Park, Md.

Population: 28,385

Education Quality Score: 94.57

Median Home Price: $488,540

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 0.62%

Unemployment Rate: 6.5%

No. 5: Madison, Conn.

Population: 18,793

Education Quality Score: 94.24

Median Home Price: $440,490

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.65%

Unemployment Rate: 5.4%

Median Home Price $600,000-$799,999

No. 1: Belmont, Mass.

Population: 23,216

Education Quality Score: 98.01

Median Home Price: $694,300

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.01%

Unemployment Rate: 5.2%

No. 2: Westwood, Mass.

Population: 14,010

Education Quality Score: 96.68

Median Home Price: $644,960

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 0.98%

Unemployment Rate: 5.7%

No. 3: Winchester, Mass.

Population: 21,362

Education Quality Score: 96.14

Median Home Price: $718,950

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.01%

Unemployment Rate: 5.4%

No. 4: Sudbury, Mass.

Population: 17,159

Education Quality Score: 95.47

Median Home Price: $738,200

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.01%

Unemployment Rate: 5.6%

No. 5: Basking Ridge, N.J.

Population: 27,371

Education Quality Score: 95.31

Median Home Price: $628,100

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.71%

Unemployment Rate: 6.9%

Median Home Price $800,000 or more

No. 1: Weston, Mass.

Population: 11,698

Education Quality Score: 96.80

Median Home Price: $1,021,510

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.01%

Unemployment Rate: 4.3%

No. 2: Mercer Island, Wash.

Population: 23,894

Education Quality Score: 95.93

Median Home Price: $863,160

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 0.81%

Unemployment Rate: 8%

No. 3: New Canaan, Conn.

Population: 19,890

Education Quality Score: 94.97

Median Home Price: $1,053,640

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.25%

Unemployment Rate: 4.8%

No. 4: Franklin Lakes, N.J.

Population: 11,576

Education Quality Score: 93.83

Median Home Price: $939,920

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 1.74%

Unemployment Rate: 7.2%

No. 5: Potomac, Md.

Population: 45,860

Education Quality Score: 93.28

Median Home Price: $906,430

Property Taxes as a % of Home Value: 0.73%

Unemployment Rate: 5.1%

To generate our ranking, Forbes worked with GreatSchools to analyze 17,377 cities and towns from 49 states and the District of Columbia, using a combination of the most recently available K-12 public school student enrollment and test score data, along with 2009 median home price and population data. (Because there is no single state-wide standardized test issued in Nebraska, cities from Nebraska were not eligible for consideration.)

We narrowed the list by eliminating areas in which there was insufficient data for analysis, such as small towns with populations under 10,000 or fewer than five K-12 public schools. Since we wanted to highlight those areas where home values were most likely to hold up we dropped towns with unemployment rates higher than 9.3%, last year’s national average.

The remaining areas were divided into five median home price categories and then ranked within each home price category based on school performance. School performance was determined by state standardized test scores and the most recent National Assessment for Educational Progress data--the only nationwide test administered to a randomly-selected group of students in every state. NAEP exams are conducted periodically in mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography and U.S. history.

http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/05/best-schools-for-your-housing-buck-business-beltway-greatschools.html