• State schools with strict enrolment catchment zones are pushing up demand for local homes in Adelaide suburbs such as Kensington, Norwood, Payneham, St Peters and Unley. 

• Sending children to leading state schools such as Marryatville High School, Glenunga International High Schooland Unley High School can free up tens of thousands of dollars annually to buy homes in sought-after Adelaide suburbs. 

• In Adelaide, suburbs within the zones of leading state primary and secondary schools with competitive NAPLAN ratings will likely boom over the next five years.

Adelaide SA (20 January 2023) With Adelaide’s suburbs recording record house price growth across the pandemic, people are looking at ways to cut back on their spending, while still focusing on the best for their children.

According to a leading SA real estate expert, some parents are going to extra lengths for their children is by buying a property in a catchment of a great state school in highly desirable locations. 

 “Evidence from the Raine & Horne property network shows that more parents in Adelaide are adding ‘proximity to a good state school’ to their wish list of family home features,” says James Trimble, General Manager of Raine & Horne.

Mr Trimble’s comments support recent industry research showing that 7% of South Australian families have already switched to public schooling to help combat rising living costs[i] and higher private school fees.

“More buyers are baulking at paying $60,000 a year for a family of three to go to a leading private school when they can send their children to highly rated state schools such as Marryatville High School,  Glenunga International High School[ii] and Unley High School.

Marryatville High School, for example, services the inner east suburbs of Kensington, Norwood, Payneham, and St Peters. 

“The $50,000 - $60,000 that choosing a quality state school frees up allows buyers to move closer to the city and into suburbs such as Norwood, where the median three-bedroom house price is $1.25 million,” Mr Trimble said.

 “The buyers can move into a beautiful house, enjoy the trappings of a great lifestyle and proximity to work, while their children can still receive an outstanding education from a leading state school by living in the right zone.”

NAPLAN driven property boom

Mr Trimble continued, “We often define boom suburbs as those where rental yield is rising, which indicates strong demand for rental accommodation in the area. Or areas with a rising population and apparent signs of gentrification, such as high renovation activity and an uptick in shops, cafes and local businesses opening. 

“In Adelaide, suburbs within the zones of leading state primary and secondary schools with competitive NAPLAN ratings[iii] will also likely boom over the next five years.

“While the demand for properties located in the catchments of quality state schools is not necessarily a new trend, it seems that since the introduction of the ‘My School’ website[iv], it is now easier for parents to compare the performance and progress of schools across Adelaide. 

“As a result, properties located within the tightly-held catchment areas of state schools scoring high academic rankings are in demand with buyers.”

Mr Trimble said demand for high school zones was driven by strong academic performance and increasing cost of living pressure, such as higher mortgage repayments and private school fees. 

“Undoubtedly, buyers are targeting zones for schools such as Unley High School, Glenunga International High School, and Marryatville High School. 

“Moreover, buyers who find the right home near the school of their choice tend to bid more enthusiastically for a property.”

[i] https://www.finder.com.au/families-exit-private-schools-2023

[ii] https://mychoiceschools.com.au/south-australia/norwood-payneham-st-peters/marryatville/marryatville-high-school/

[iii] https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/faqs/naplan--general

[iv] https://www.myschool.edu.au/