Home buyers and renters with families want to know that the neighborhood where they’re about to settle in and start paying either a mortgage or a lease has one thing in particular: good schools. Rental and for-sale properties in areas with below-average schools simply don’t net as much in returns for the investors behind the homes, which is why the savviest investors seek out assets in areas with good schools.

HouseCanary offers school ranking information through our data services, giving investors the ability to see at a glance which homes are in good school districts and which homes are located in districts with below-average school performance. Here’s a quick explanation about how our school rankings are determined and deployed.

How does HouseCanary calculate school rankings?

Our school ranking system uses data from GreatSchools.org, a leading school ratings and information company, which rates schools numerically from 1 to 100 based on the school’s percentile ranking within the state. For example, a school ranking of 5 indicates that the school is in the 5th percentile for quality in the state, whereas a school ranking of 95 indicates that the school is in the 95th percentile for quality in the state.

We include all public schools in our ranking system. Charter schools and some private schools do not always make the pertinent data publicly available, which is why they are sometimes excluded from our school rankings.

Our percentile rankings categorize schools as follows:

• 1st-39th percentile: Below average
• 40th-60th percentile: Average
• 61st-89th percentile: Above average
• 90th-100th percentile: Among the best schools in the state

We determine which schools (elementary, middle, and high schools) are closest to the subject property and show the value ranges for each of these schools.

What data does HouseCanary use to determine rankings?

The GreatSchools.org summary rating aggregates test scores, student progress, academic progress, equity, college readiness, and advanced courses ratings, in addition to flags for discipline and attendance issues. The weighting for these metrics is adjusted according to the school level (for example, college readiness is more critical at the high school level than the elementary school level).

GreatSchools.org provides a full description of its rating methodology online.

Where can I find HouseCanary school rankings?

School ratings are available through the HouseCanary Analytics Platform. Our Analytics Platform users can obtain school rankings for local elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools by running property addresses through Data Explorer.

If you’d like to learn more about HouseCanary school rankings — or you’d like to sign up for HouseCanary Analytics Platform — contact your Client Services representative or a sales associate today.