The property premium Sydney families are paying for the right state school

Choosing the right school for your child can often come at a cost, but new data reveals just how much some parents are prepared to pay – and it has nothing to do with school fees.

Data from Cotality shows that the median value of homes in some Sydney catchment zones is significantly above that of properties immediately beyond their borders, suggesting families are prepared to pay a premium to ensure their child has a place at a specific school.

The report, which focused exclusively on high schools, compared property values within the catchment with those in the rest of the suburb based on data to June 2026.

Children living within state school catchment zones are guaranteed a place at those schools, according to the NSW Department of Education.

The divide was most obvious in the Randwick/Rose Bay and Killara/Lindfield zones, where median property values were $1 million greater inside the zone than properties beyond the boundary.

In the Rose Bay/Randwick catchment zone, for example, the median house value within the catchment was $4,339,810 compared with $2,783,174 outside the zone, while in Killara/Lindfield, the median value inside the zone was $3,805,422, while beyond the boundary it was $2,763,611.

Rose Bay Secondary College, Epping Boys High School and Killara High School remain among the highest ranking non-selective state schools in NSW for ATAR scores.

Demand from families is not news to Ray White Upper North Shore sales agent Jessica Cao, who works in Killara and Lindfield.

“I have been doing this for over 10 years, and it is always the case [that buyers want to be in the catchment area],” she said, adding that buyers often plan ahead.

“With a lot of the families, the kids are in later primary school years [when they buy],” she said. “It is a very family-oriented area and families stay for a long time.”

While for families of high school-aged children the focus is on the ATAR result, demand is also strong among parents of primary school children, although their reasons differ.

Elizabeth and Sam Newton admit they paid a $400,000 premium so that their son and daughter could live near Boronia Park Public School, which enjoys a reputation among locals as a close-knit community with a nurturing environment.

“We sold for $1.8m [outside the catchment] and bought [near the school] for $2.2 million eight years ago,” Elizabeth said.

“[We loved] the fact that the kids could grow up independent and have the freedom to walk to the school and the local shops. It’s pivotal to their development,” she said.