Nearly 80 percent of homebuyers would choose a good school district over a dream home, skimping on amenities like a big backyard or updated kitchen, according to a new realtor.com survey.

Published on Tuesday, the survey found that 78 percent of homebuyers favored a great school district over the perfect home. Among those polled, 19 percent said they would give up a garage in favor of a stellar school district, while 18 percent would go without a large backyard.

“Most buyers understand that they may not be able to find a home that covers every single item on their wish list,” realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale said in a prepared statement. “But our survey shows that school districts are an area where many buyers aren’t willing to compromise. For many buyers, ‘location, location, location,’ means ‘schools, schools, schools.’”

Unsurprisingly, buyers aged 55 years or older were less likely to choose between a good school district and other amenities, with 42 percent insisting they would make no such compromise. Only 21 percent of buyers between the ages of 35 and 54 said they would make no such compromise and just 17 percent of buyers aged 18-34 said the same, according to the survey.

Seventy-three percent of buyers said good school districts were important in their home search. When familial status and age were put into the picture, families with children (91 percent) and those aged 18–34 (86 percent) were the most likely to say good schools were a must-have.

So, what makes a good school? More than half of all homebuyers (59 percent) said exemplary test scores are the top factor, followed by accelerated programs (53 percent), arts and music (49 percent), diversity (43 percent) and before- and after-school programs (41 percent).

Buyers aged 18-34 years old were more likely to value a school’s diversity (49 percent), while buyers aged 55-plus placed greater importance on accelerated programs (62 percent).

Email Marian McPherson.

 

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×