You’ve found a house with the ensuite bathroom, double garage and backyard pool and that’s everything a family could need – for now. 

Fast forward a few short years and the kids will be spending most of their time at school. In what will prove to be an investment for the future, families can stay ahead of the game by looking to buy or rent within school zones to ensure a place in some of the country’s most sought-after schools.

A new report reveals house price growth across Aussie capital city school catchment zones – and the smart buyers know exactly how to find them first. 

Domain’s 2020 School Zones Report shows that some school catchment zones have seen house prices increase by up to 35 per cent and reveals the 10 primary and secondary school zones that have seen the highest price growth year on year.

While reports of house price growth is usually based on cities and suburbs, a look at school catchment zones shows new price trends that can help parents or investors search for property in proximity to local schools.

Domain’s Search by School feature is valuable to all parents, showing properties for sale or lease within a school’s catchment area, often a critical factor in the decision-making process for house hunters.

The feature allows homebuyers to search by school name and then displays all available properties in that catchment.

Perth took out the top spot on both primary and secondary school catchment zones according to the report, but Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane schools dominated the national top 10 lists.

Domain’s Senior Research Analyst, Dr Nicola Powell, said the boundary of public school catchment zones can have a huge influence on property decisions and a positive effect on prices.

“The highest growth rates were across a variety of price points illustrating the importance of education at all budgets,” she said. “This highlights the effect falling into a particular school catchment zone can potentially have on property price.

“School catchment zones have always been a crucial factor when deciding where to purchase [or rent] a home. The ability to work remotely could place additional emphasis on the importance of school catchments.”

Based on the 2020 School Zones Report, these are the suburbs that are rising fastest in demand:

1. Como & Applecross, WA

Riverside suburbs of Como and Applecross have seen significant growth, with Como Primary School and Applecross Senior High School attracting home buyers within the school zones. There’s been a 35.6 per cent increase in the median house price at Como compared to the previous year.

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2. Dudley Park, WA

Dudley Park Primary School, south of Mandurah, has lured new families to the suburb, with house prices rising by 30.8 per cent.

3. Bald Hills, QLD

Bald Hills State School is central to the Bald Hills area of Brisbane, where house prices have jumped by 29.2 per cent. 

4. Newport, NSW

The northern beaches suburb of Newport has always been sought after for property, but demand is even greater in the Newport Public School catchment, with only 12 properties available for sale and the median house price at $2M. Nearby Avalon, which surrounds the Avalon Public School, also rates a mention in the top 10 of the school zones report.

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5. Elwood, VIC

Nestled by the bay and less than 10km to the Melbourne CBD, Elwood’s primary school is the drawcard here, with properties within the school’s zone increasing by more than 27 per cent year on year.

6. Armadale & Mount Nasura, WA

At the top of the secondary catchments list, Armadale and Mount Nasura have seen growth of 32.7 per cent in the past year and both fall within the Armadale Senior High School local intake area.

7. Bowen Mountain, NSW

The large Colo High School catchment contains the suburbs of Bowen Mountain, North Richmond and Kurrajong at the foothills of the Blue Mountains.

8. Willoughby, NSW

Willoughby Girls High School is in an area that’s seen a 28.6 per cent increase in house prices, bringing the median house price to $3.1M.

9. Eynesbury & Brookfield, VIC

There’s a 28 per cent price growth in the Staughton College zone in Melbourne’s west, which also contains an 18-hole golf course, historic homesteads and hectares of forests.

10. Ipswich & Eastern Heights, QLD

Ipswich Central State School’s catchment has a more affordable median house price of $365,000 but has jumped 27 per cent in a year.

The 2020 Domain School Zone Report combines Domain’s exclusive search by school catchment and house price property data to reveal the primary and secondary government school catchment zones that have experienced the highest house price growth rates over the last 12 months.

So, you want to compare prices of suburbs close to you? Try Domain's Search by School feature to see what's on offer.

Feature image: Getty.