Yahoo Finance The Best School District in Every State and How Much It Costs To Live There
For many Americans, choosing where to live is heavily influenced by the quality of the school districts in the area. In many cases, the areas with the top schools are also expensive places to live. But this relationship — along with the total absolute cost — can vary wildly from state to state.
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Trying to research information on the best school districts in every state, along with finding out the relevant costs in each surrounding area, would be an extremely time-consuming process for parents. To aid in this endeavor, GOBankingRates crunched numbers from a variety of sources and cross-referenced the data to assemble a clear picture.
Niche.com provided data on the best schools in America for 2024, based on factors ranging from SAT and ACT scores to the teacher-to-student ratio. Living costs were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, while home values and mortgage information were gathered from Zillow and the Federal Reserve. Livability scores, as provided by AreaVibes, were also factored into the overall equation.
Results from the GOBankingRates analysis are provided below, in alphabetical order. For each state, the top school district is listed, along with the monthly cost of living, including a mortgage, for each city.
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Alabama: Homewood City Schools in Homewood
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $5,036
Homewood has a below-average cost of living and a decent teacher-student ratio of 17:1. However, livability is only about average relative to its peers, with a score of 77, dragging the city’s overall score to slightly below the middle of the pack.
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Alaska: Petersburg Borough School District in Petersburg
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,591
Alaska has a notoriously high cost of living, but Petersburg is different, with an average monthly cost of just $3,591. Student-teacher ratios are exemplary, at just 11:1. Livability in the city is below average among those in the survey, however, which drags the city down to an overall ranking of No. 25.
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Arizona: Chandler Unified School District No. 80 in Chandler
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $5,078
Student expenses are relatively low in Chandler, at just $10,803 per year on average. Teacher salaries are low, however, at just over $60,000 per year, and the student-teacher ratio is high at 19:1.
Arkansas: Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,884
Average student expenses are the lowest of any of the top districts in the whole country at Haas Hall Academy, and by a wide margin, coming in at just $5,588 annually per student. Teacher salaries, however, are the lowest in the survey, at just $31,466 per year, and median household incomes are just $56,881.
California: Palo Alto Unified School District in Palo Alto
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $22,221
In the Palo Alto Unified School District, everything is high. Average teacher salaries are $150,550, median household incomes are $214,118, and average home values are the tops in the nation, at $3,388,022. Average monthly household expenses are nearly double those of Westport, Connecticut, at $22,221 vs. $12,258. Even the average SAT score is high at Palo Alto, coming in at 1420 out of 1600.
Colorado: Cheyenne Mountain School District No. 12 in Colorado Springs
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $4,700
Colorado Springs is known for its beautiful location and lifestyle, giving it a livability score of 80. Incomes and teacher salaries are not the best, but low costs help keep the city in the top half of the overall rankings.
Connecticut: Westport School District in Westport
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $12,258
Westport has one of the lowest livability scores in the survey, at 65. This might be surprising in light of the fact that the city has the highest median household income in the survey by far, at $242,868. But living costs and average student expenses are high. Test scores are good, however, and the student-teacher ratio of 11:1 is among the best in the country.
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Delaware: Appoquinimink School District in Odessa
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,750
Livability scores are relatively low in Odessa, but this is countered by a decent student-teacher ratio of 16:1 and a very low cost of living, at just $3,750 per month on average. However, test scores of 1170 out of 1600 for the SAT and just 26 out of 36 on the ACT keep Odessa and the Appoquinimink School District near the bottom of the rankings.
District of Columbia: Washington Latin Public Charter Schools
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $6,689
The nation’s capital has the second-highest cost of living, excluding mortgages, of any city in the survey with the exception of Honolulu. But student-teacher ratios are excellent at the Washington Latin Public Charter Schools, coming in at just 11:1. Average ACT scores are good, averaging 30 out of 36, but average SAT scores are a bit behind some of its peers, at 1200 out of 1600.
Florida: Sarasota County Schools in Sarasota
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $4,810
Median household incomes are a bit behind in Sarasota, at $68,870 annually, but costs are correspondingly low as well. The city sports a good livability score of 79.
Georgia: Buford City Schools in Buford
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $4,292
The cost of living is low in Buford, but so too are incomes, with the median household coming in at just $68,165. ACT scores at Buford City Schools are a bit behind its top-tier peers, at an average of 27 out of 36, and the city itself has a livability score of only 68. All-in-all, these factors rank Buford No. 47 overall in the GBR survey.
Hawaii: Hawaii Department of Education in Honolulu
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $10,041
Honolulu has the highest ex-mortgage monthly cost of living of any city in the GBR survey. The Hawaii Department of Education also posts the lowest average SAT scores of any of the top school, at 1150 out of 1600. ACT scores are also the lowest in the survey, at just 23 out of 36 on average. Overall, the city and school district rank just 42nd in the study.
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Idaho: McCall-Donnelly School District in McCall
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $5,920
Monthly costs are low in McCall, at just $1,427 per month excluding mortgages. So too are average student expenses, at $11,698 per month. But incomes are also low, at under $60,000 per month.
Illinois: Adlai E. Stevenson High School District No. 125 in Lincolnshire
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $5,477
Test scores are good on average at Adlai E. Stevenson High School District No. 125, coming in at 1360 out of 1600 for the SAT and 31 out of 36 for the ACT. While monthly costs — especially those excluding mortgage payments — are low, the $37,088 annual student expense is the fourth-highest in the entire survey.
Indiana: West Lafayette Community School Corporation in West Lafayette
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,741
Those living in West Lafayette have the lowest median household income of any city in the study, at $30,317. Teachers, however, make more than double that salary, at $62,500 per year, and the city’s livability score is the best in the entire study.
Iowa: Pleasant Valley Community School District in Bettendorf
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,872
The Pleasant Valley Community School District boasts very high SAT scores, with an average of 1370 out of 1600. ACT scores fall a bit behind, however, averaging 28 out of 36. Average costs are generally low, including student expenses at $11,847 per year.
Kansas: Blue Valley Unified School District (Overland Park)
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $4,636
High monthly costs outside of mortgage expenses are one of the few black marks that drag Overland Park down to a No. 18 overall ranking. The city and the Blue Valley Unified School District score well in terms of livability (79), average SAT scores (1370), student-teacher ratios (14:1) and annual student expenses ($14,566).
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Kentucky: Beechwood Independent Schools in Fort Mitchell
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,815
The livability index in Fort Mitchell is off the charts, at an impressive 86. Overall living expenses are low, and annual student costs are just $11,273. Relatively low household incomes, at just $74,830, and a high student-teacher ratio of 20:1 help hold down the city’s ranking to No. 17.
Pictured: Louisville, Kentucky
Louisiana: Zachary Community Public Schools in Zachary
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,366
Home values in Louisiana are among the lowest in the nation, which helps keep overall monthly costs well below average in the state. A relatively high student-teacher ratio of 18:1 and a low livability score of 66 help drag down Zachary’s overall ranking to No. 46.
Pictured: New Orleans
Maine: Yarmouth Schools in Yarmouth
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $6,055
Although mortgage costs and home values are high in Yarmouth, so too is its livability score. Non-mortgage expenses are low at just $1,558 per month, while the student-teacher ratio is an exemplary 12:1.
Pictured: Portland, Maine
Maryland: Howard County Public Schools in Ellicott City
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $6,400
The Howard County Public Schools in Ellicott City have one of the lowest student-teacher ratios in the country, at just 13:1. Median household incomes are high, at nearly $150,000, and the monthly cost of living is low enough to help the city earn a No. 12 ranking in the study.
Massachusetts: Hopkinton Public Schools in Hopkinton
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $7,573
The city of Hopkinton and its public schools just narrowly missed the No. 1 spot in the survey, coming in at No. 2. Livability scores, while good, are not at the top of the chart, but high test scores, average incomes and relatively affordable monthly expenses all contribute to its high ranking.
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Michigan: Novi Community School District in Novi
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $4,930
Good household incomes, high livability, and low average monthly student expenses of $13,953 help push Novi to the No. 3 ranking in the survey. Only a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 17:1 and higher than normal ex-mortgage costs of $2,048 per month keep Novi out of the top spot.
Minnesota: Wayzata Public Schools in Plymouth
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $5,001
Wayzata Public Schools in Plymouth have among the highest average SAT scores, at 1400 out of 1600. Average ACT scores are also high, at 30 out of 36. Good livability scores and median household incomes of over $130,000 all combine to put Plymouth at No. 4 in the rankings.
Mississippi: Biloxi Public School District in Biloxi
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,094
Median household incomes are low in Biloxi, at $55,775, but so too are monthly expenses, at just $3,094. Low average teacher salaries, at just over $50,00 annually, and relatively poor SAT and ACT average scores of 1170 and 25 push Biloxi down to No. 49 in the survey.
Missouri: Ladue School District in St. Louis
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $2,841
If your a strict numbers person when it comes to schools, Ladue School District might be the best in the country in your eyes. Ladue tops every school district in the country in terms of average SAT scores, which come in at 1460 out of 1600. The city also has the lowest average cost of living of any in the study, at just $2,841 per month, thanks in part to a very low average monthly mortgage of $966.
Montana: Bozeman High School District in Bozeman
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $6,700
Bozeman has a top-notch livability score of 87, but median household incomes of $74,113 and high annual student costs of $28,143 knock its overall score down to No. 20. High average mortgage costs of $4,598 also hurt the overall affordability of the city.
Nebraska: Millard Public Schools in Omaha
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,159
Omaha has a good quality of living, with an index of 82, and its total monthly expenses are among the lowest on the country. In addition to affordable homes, the average ex-mortgage monthly costs in the city are just $1,605. Overall, Omaha and its Millard Public Schools score No. 16 in the survey, a ranking that could jump if median incomes, teacher salaries and ACT scores were to rise.
Nevada: Douglas County School District in Minden
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $5,433
Minden has low ex-mortgage monthly costs of just $1,619, and students in the Douglas County School District can expect to pay only $12,687 per year in expenses. However, low teacher salaries and low average test scores of 1250 on the SAT and 26 on the ACT keep Minden and the Douglas County School District in the lower half of the rankings, coming in at No. 33 overall.
New Hampshire: SAU 70 in Hanover
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $7,425
Hanover and its SAU 70 school district have a lot going for them, including a livability score of 80, a great student-teacher ratio of 11:1 and extremely low ex-mortgage costs of just $1,420 per month. SAT and ACT scores are high as well, averaging 1360 and 30. High home prices boost the overall monthly cost of living, and annual student expenses reach $25,355, keeping the city and school district just outside of the top 10.
New Jersey: Northern Valley Regional High School District in Demarest
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $8,434
The Northern Valley Regional High School District has the distinction of having the lowest student-teacher ratio of any of the top districts across the country, with just 10 students for every teacher. But average student expenses are the highest in the nation, at $47,184 per year.
Pictured: Newark, New Jersey
New Mexico: Rio Rancho Public Schools in Rio Rancho
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,447
Considering the low pay that teachers earn, Rio Rancho is doing an exemplary job of educating students. The average teacher salary is just $17,292 per year, barely half that of second-lowest Haas Hall Academy in Arkansas, which comes in at $31,466.
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New York: Jericho Union Free School District in Jericho
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $8,731
The Jericho Union Free School District has a lot going for it. Not only are the teachers paid the highest of any district, at an average of $163,957, Jericho also boasts average ACT scores of 32, which ties them with two other districts for top scores in the nation.
North Carolina: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in Chapel Hill
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $5,806
Chapel Hill scores highly in the overall survey rankings, coming in at No. 6. A great student-teacher ratio of 13:1 and a high livability index (85) help lift the city in the rankings.
North Dakota: Kindred Public School District in Kindred
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,546
The Kindred Public School District has one of the lowest student-teacher ratios in the country, at just 12:1. The overall cost of living is also quite low, with total costs ex-mortgage averaging just $1,496 per month and annual student expenses running just $13,238. Household incomes of less than $100,000, low teacher salaries and a livability score of just 69 hold Kindred to an overall ranking of just No. 38.
Pictured: North Dakota Capitol in Bismarck
Ohio: Indian Hill Exempted Village School District in Cincinnati
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,307
Cincinnati has a very low median household income of $49,191, but living expenses are commensurately lower. Student expenses, however, are a bit high, at $20,790 annually. A good student-teacher ratio of 14:1 and solid SAT and ACT scores help keep Cincinnati and the Indian Hill Exempted Village School District in the middle of the pack.
Oklahoma: Jenks Public Schools in Jenks
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,495
Low costs, including monthly expenses of $11,675, aren’t enough to keep Jenks and its public schools from a better ranking than No. 41. Low average teacher salaries of about $50,000, average ACT scores of 26 and a below-average livability score of 69 all hurt Jenks’ ranking.
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Oregon: Lake Oswego School District in Lake Oswego
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $7,691
Lake Oswego is a top-20 option on the back of its high livability score of 83, good SAT and ACT scores, and high median household income of $127,252. High annual student costs of $29,361 and ex-mortgage monthly expenses of $2,180 prevent a top-10 ranking.
Pennsylvania: North Allegheny School District in Pittsburgh
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $2,902
The average cost of living in Pittsburgh is the second-lowest of any city in the survey, at just $2,902 per month. However, average teacher salaries are quite high, at $94,670, and SAT scores average 1320.
Rhode Island: Barrington Public Schools in Barrington
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $5,625
Barrington and its public schools garner an average ranking of No. 29. Its high median household income and teacher salaries, at $145,028 and $92,624, are countered by a low livability score of 70 and average ACT scores of 29.
South Carolina: Fort Mill School District in Fort Mill
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $4,565
Fort Mill and its school district score high enough to land just outside the top 10, at No. 11. A good student-teacher ratio of 14:1, median household incomes of over $128,000 and low ex-mortgage expenses of just $1,588 all contribute to the high score. Average teacher salaries, however, are a bit low, at $57,079.
South Dakota: Brandon Valley School District in Brandon
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $4,069
The Brandon Valley School District has very low annual student expenses at $9,276 per year, a great livability score and average incomes above $100,000 per year. Put it all together and Brandon ranks No. 5 overall in the GBR study.
Tennessee: Maryville City Schools in Maryville
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,945
Overall costs are low in Maryville, with annual student expenses averaging just $11,224. But median household incomes are relatively low, at $74,610, and the livability score hits just 70. Average ACT scores (28) at the Maryville City Schools are a bit lower than other top-tier schools.
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Texas: Eanes Independent School District in Austin
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $5,273
The Eanes Independent School District has fairly high average student expenses of $26,715. However, the low overall costs and high livability score in Austin are enough to raise the city to an overall ranking of No. 15.
Utah: Success Academy in Cedar City
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $4,099
Of the 51 top school districts on this list, Cedar City’s Success Academy ranks dead last, based primarily on its skewed student-teacher ratio. With 46 students for every teacher, Success Academy has more than twice as many students per teacher as the next-lowest districts, Rio Rancho in New Mexico and Beechwood Independent in Kentucky, which have 20:1 ratios.
Vermont: Norwich School District in Norwich
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $6,124
The Norwich School District is the smallest in the survey, with just 339 enrolled students. This likely plays a role in the high average student expense of $37,410 per year. High incomes and a moderate cost of living in Norwich, however, pull the city up to an overall ranking of No. 23.
Virginia: Falls Church City Public Schools in Falls Church
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $6,545
In terms of overall rankings, Falls Church and its City Public Schools reached the No. 1 spot based on high scores across the board. Livability is near the tops in the nation, costs are reasonable, incomes are high, and test scores are well above average.
Washington: Bellevue School District in Bellevue
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $11,044
It’s expensive to live in Bellevue, with monthly costs averaging over $11,000. But incomes are high, with the median household pulling in close to $150,000 per year. In the school district, students achieve high average scores of 1370 out of 1600 on the SAT and 31 out of 36 on the ACT.
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West Virginia: Monongalia County Schools in Morgantown
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,663
West Virginia is a low-income state overall, and Morgantown is no exception, with a median household income of $41,103. However, the city and its county schools score about in the middle of the pack overall on the back of a 14:1 student-teacher ratio, low monthly costs and annual student expenses of just $13,939.
Wisconsin: Elmbrook School District in Brookfield
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $4,311
The Elmbrook School District has a decent student-teacher ratio of 15:1, and average annual student expenses are not bad, relatively speaking, at just $14,303. Combined with incomes of over $120,000 per year and a low monthly cost of living, Brookfield ends up with an overall ranking of No. 9.
Wyoming: Sheridan County School District No. 1 in Ranchester
Monthly Total Cost of Living (Expenses + Mortgage): $3,983
Sheridan School District No. 1 in Ranchester has the lowest livability ranking of any city in the survey, at just 62. However, it boasts a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13:1.
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed school districts across the United states to find the best school district in every state. Using Niche.com’s 2024 Best Schools in America, GOBankingRates found the top-rated school district in the kindergarten through 12th grade. For each school district the [1] SAT scores, [2] ACT scores, [3] name of school district, [4] city school district falls in, [5] number of students, [6] teacher to student ratio, [7] average teacher salary and [8] average expenses for student all sourced from Niche.com’s 2024 Best School Districts in America. For each city one of the school districts fall in, the cost-of-living indexes were found, including [1] grocery cost-of-living index, [2] healthcare cost-of-living index, [3] utilities cost-of-living index, [4] transportation cost-of-living index, [5] miscellaneous cost-of-living index all sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces. The cost-of-living indexes were multiplied by their average national expenditure costs sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey to find the average cost of living across expenditures. The average home value for a single family home in December 2023 was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index and, assuming a 10% down payment and using the national 30-year fixed rate mortgage, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Research, the average mortgage can be calculated for each city. The mortgage was added to the expenditure costs to find the total monthly cost of living for each city. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes. The livability index was scored, the median income was scored, the teacher-student ratio was scored, and the total cost of living was scored, with all scores being summed and sorted to show the best school districts in every state and how much it costs to live there. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Feb. 20, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Best School District in Every State and How Much It Costs To Live There
