Earlier this week, Chicago Agent reported that four Chicagoland suburban public school systems are ranked among the top 100 public school systems in the nation. The study, which was courtesy of ranking/review website Niche, featured Kenilworth, Northfield, Lincolnshire and Green Oaks, which all ranked highly on Niche’s 2015 list; Kenilworth was ranked No. 38, Northfield at 42, Lincolnshire at 68 and Green Oaks at 78.
Chicago Agent examined Niche’s analysis more closely, and collected below the study’s top 20 Chicagoland areas with the best public schools:
- Kenilworth
- Northfield
- Lincolnshire
- Green Oaks
- Bannockburn
- Northbrook
- Winnetka
- Riverwoods
- Wilmette
- Barrington/South Barrington/Tower Lakes
- Kildeer
- Glencoe
- Hinsdale
- Vernon Hills
- Deerfield
- Willowbrook
- New Trier Township
- Lake Forest
- Ela Township
- Warrenville
Schools remain one of the top priorities consumers value when searching for a home. This year, NAR’s Generational Survey listed the quality of local schools as one of the key things homebuyers consider when looking for a home. Similarly, when looking back on previous home buying in 2014 , 14 percent of homeowners regretted not researching local schools more thoroughly.
In the Chicagoland area, many buyers are also willing to pay top-dollar for a home in a top-tier school district. In 2013, a survey by Redfin found that the median price for a home in a top-tier school district in the Chicagoland area was $257,500. That was much higher than the median price of a home in an average school district, which was $162,250.