State by state: Aussie school zones that pushed house prices up 40%

Property prices aroud school catchment zones have skyrocketed. (Source: Getty)

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New data has laid bare the role Aussie parents have played in the boiling-hot property market, with house prices near key school catchments as much as 45 per cent higher today than they were 12 months ago.

Domain’s latest School Zones Report revealed that huge demand for homes close to primary and high schools have resulted in eye-watering property prices that in some suburbs exceed $2 million.

High schools had a bigger impact on house prices this year than primary schools, while the reverse was the case in 2020.

Property values in nearly every secondary school catchment zone (94 per cent) and primary school catchment zone (84 per cent) saw annual increases.

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Homes near Barrenjoey High School, based in Sydney’s ritzy Northern Beaches, took the nation’s top spot for the highest price rise with a median price of $2,802,500, or 45 per cent higher than the year prior.

Meanwhile, properties surrounding Burraneer Bay Public School in the southern suburbs of Sydney are now valued around $2.1 million, representing a 44.8 per cent rise from this time last year.

Burraneer Bay, Port Hacking, NSW Australia. (Source: Getty) (PETER HARRISON via Getty Images)

Domain chief of research and economics Dr Nicola Powell said lifestyle factors and proximity to education institutions were major factors for parents and investors alike in the decision-making process.

“It’s astonishing to see that starting on a high base of house prices, some school catchment zones are achieving 10 to 20 per cent more than the suburb they are located in,” Powell said.

“It shows that Australians are prepared to pay for easy access to public schools.”

The Domain report reveals insights into one factor among several that have contributed to astronomical house prices over the last several months.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have had the opposite effect of dampening house prices, with experts predicting that property values – already at all time highs – have further yet to go.

• READ MORE: Prices, lockdowns, competition: 3 spring property predictions revealed

State by state, here’s a breakdown of the school catchment zones that have led to the greatest house price increases:

NATIONAL

Schools are ranked by the annual house price growth of the school catchment. LEFT: Primary schools; RIGHT: secondary schools. (Source: Domain)

NSW

NSW: Schools ranked by the annual house price growth of the school catchment. LEFT: primary schools; RIGHT: secondary schools. (Source: Domain School Zone Report 2021.)

VICTORIA

VICTORIA: Schools ranked by the annual house price growth of the school catchment. LEFT: primary schools; RIGHT: secondary schools. (Source: Domain School Zone Report 2021.)

QUEENSLAND

QUEENSLAND: Schools ranked by the annual house price growth of the school catchment. LEFT: Primary schools; RIGHT: Secondary schools. (Source: Domain School Zone Report 2021)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Schools ranked by the annual house price growth of the school catchment. LEFT: Primary schools; RIGHT: Secondary schools. (Source: Domain School Zone Report 2021)

ACT

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY: Schools ranked by the annual house price growth of the school catchment. LEFT: Primary schools; RIGHT: Secondary schools. (Source: Domain School Zone Report 2021)

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Schools ranked by the annual house price growth of the school catchment. LEFT: Primary schools; RIGHT: Secondary schools. (Source: Domain School Zone Report 2021)

TASMANIA

TASMANIA: Schools ranked by the annual house price growth of the school catchment. LEFT: Primary schools; RIGHT: Secondary schools. (Source: Domain School Zone Report 2021)

NORTHERN TERRITORY

NORTHERN TERRITORY: Schools ranked by the annual house price growth of the school catchment. LEFT: Primary schools; RIGHT: Secondary schools. (Source: Domain School Zone Report 2021)

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