Suburbs to live in to be close to Melbourne’s best state and selective schools revealed

It comes as some parents are buying tiny, one-bedroom apartments where they sleep on the couch and give their child the bedroom, in order to get them into the right school.

New research from PRD Real Estate revealed the suburbs school goers need to live in to get the best public education the city has to offer based on 2024’s NAPLAN results — and where is most affordable.

The real estate agency also unveiled Melbourne’s most inexpensive suburb’s to live in the vicinity of the top selective schools.

But to get a house in the zone for any of Melbourne’s best primary schools, you’ll still need a more than $1m budget.

The research shows that Mitcham’s $1.15m median house price is the lowest in any of Melbourne’s top performing school catchments, and could get your kids into highly regarded Vermont Primary.

Alternatively, a typical unit costs $635,000 in Doncaster and Glen Waverley, where prospective unit or townhouse hunters can send their children to sought after Beverley Hills Primary, Doncaster Gardens Primary or Wheelers Hill Primary.

For secondary school goers, Werribee’s median house price is $617,000, which is nearby to selective secondary school Suzanne Cory High School.

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And a $400,000 Carlton median unit is moments away from prestigious Melbourne High School.

But in other areas, home values have fallen dramatically with Seabrook, close to Suzanne Cory High School, recording a 54.7 per cent median house price decline in the past 12 months.

PRD Real Estate chief economist Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo said there were pockets in Melbourne that had become more affordable for families who were wanting to provide their kids with the best education the city had to offer, unlike other capital cities.

“Particularly for Melbourne because the house prices have softened … it really has opened up the opportunity for people who really want to get into these areas to pounce now,” she said.

But this wouldn’t last long, Dr Mardiasmo noted, as across Melbourne the number of houses being listed for sale was relatively low — a blow for families who typically seek out this sort of home.

The three-bedroom townhouse is located in the East Doncaster Secondary College and Beverley Hills Primary School catchment areas. Picture: realestate.com.au

“That’s also going to cause some of those house prices to start tracking up quite a bit,” she added.

Barry Plant Doncaster East agent Robert Groeneveld, who manages listings in the sought-after East Doncaster Secondary College and Glen Waverley Secondary College catchment zones, said he had plenty of clients who made significant sacrifices to get into these areas.

“I sold a one-bedroom apartment on Doncaster Rd to a lady who said I’ll sleep on a couch and my son can have the bedroom and put a desk in there so he can study,” Mr Groeneveld said.

“We had a family sell their four-bedroom home in St Helena and moved to a two-bedroom apartment just to be in the East Doncaster school zone.”

And Buxton Bentleigh sales executive Chris Hassall said throughout his more than 20 years of real estate, there had been solid demand in the McKinnon Secondary College catchment area.

2B Smith St, Bentleigh, is for sale with a $2.4m-$2.5m price guide. Picture: realestate.com.au

“The school keeps getting better and literally bigger with the new campus … it’s as popular as ever,” Mr Hassall said.

“(Homebuyers) are more flexible and are more forgiving on their criteria … to make sure that box is ticked, that they get into the zone.

“They’ll go for location over accommodation.”

While budgets had stretched for many since interest rates increased, Elite Buyer Agents managing director Kim Easterbrook said education was typically at the top of the list for families looking to buy an abode.

“When push comes to shove, I think the education generally will come first and the house will come second,” Ms Easterbrook said.

“Some clients are willing to sacrifice maybe that second living area or the garage or the backyard space and the land size to get into the school catchment zones.”

Suburbs with the lowest median price in top primary school zones (house)

Suburbs with the lowest median price in top primary school zones (unit)

Suburbs with the lowest median price in top secondary and selective school zones (house)

Suburbs with the lowest median price in top secondary and selective school zones (unit)

This article first appeared on realestate.com.au and has been republished with permission.