The media and tech giants shaping our perception of the world are mostly clustered on the coasts—New York, San Francisco, LA. That means the news we get, including real estate reporting, comes with a heavy dose of coastal bias. The problem? The U.S. housing market isn’t a uniform industry. It’s a collection of micro-markets, each with its own dynamics and characteristics. Even breaking it down by state or region can often be misleading.
If you really want to understand what’s happening in your market—whether it’s where you live or where you’re looking to buy— drill into school district sales data. Why? Because school districts operate like micro-economies within cities, telling you more about demand, price resilience, and long-term value than any national headline ever could. Want to know if a market is heating up or cooling off? Follow the top districts. Where homes are selling—and at what price—is one of the best real-time indicators of local real estate trends. Additionally, tracking trends like cumulative days on market as well as months of inventory will serve as an aid to paint a more complete picture of what is going on in any particular micro market.
How do you find the top schools in your area? Check standardized test scores, graduation rates, and college acceptance rates. Websites like GreatSchools.org and Niche.com offer school rankings and reviews. How much impact can a school district really have? Studies have shown that homes in top-rated school districts can sell for anywhere from 10% to 30% more than similar homes in lower-performing districts. In some areas, the difference can be even greater. This premium reflects the benefits of living in a district with strong schools.
