Let’s talk about the top school district homes in the United States today. Not only Americans love school district homes, but we Chinese are also enthusiastic supporters of them! How expensive and challenging are school district homes in various states in the United States? Especially in communities where there are many Chinese residents, school district homes are highly sought after! Let’s take a look at the high-density areas with a large Chinese population across the country and explore the top-tier school districts and the local real estate market.
In this edition, we will cover areas including Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, as well as Texas and Florida.
Let’s start from the northwest in Seattle. One of the must-visit areas is the Bellevue School District, ranked number one in the state of Washington according to Niche 2025. The district has a significant Asian student population, with around 43.9% being of Asian descent. The Chinese community is very active, with a public Chinese immersion elementary school – Jing Mei.
Representative schools in this district include Newport High School, Interlake High School, International School, and Somerset Elementary School, all consistently high-performing schools.
In July 2025, the median sales price in Bellevue was around $1.525 million (a year-on-year increase of +1.7%), with an average listing period of about 20 days. The negotiation space has narrowed to about 98.4% of the listing price, leaving buyers with around two to three percentage points for bargaining. The market remains competitive but not as hot as it was in 2021-22.
It is common to see transactions ranging from three to seven million dollars in West Bellevue, showing an increase of 19.4% compared to the same period last year. The South Mercer Island area, with a substantial Chinese community, also has relatively high housing prices, mostly ranging from $1.8 million to $2.8 million. For those with budget constraints, options near Crossroads and Factoria include townhouses or smaller independent houses, offering the possibility of purchasing properties for under $1.5 million.
Moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, there is a large Chinese community with generally excellent school districts. In the Bay Area, the Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) is highly recommended, although it only consists of high schools. For K-8 grades, residents in Cupertino and parts of West Sunnyvale and West San Jose generally attend schools in the Cupertino Union School District (CUSD), while most residents in Sunnyvale attend schools in the Sunnyvale School District (Sunnyvale SD).
Overall, these school districts in Silicon Valley are highly sought after by many parents. However, for those considering relocating, it is essential to pay attention to which area you live in and which school your child can attend, to avoid the dilemma of attending the wrong school. Additionally, it is important to clarify the names of the school districts, such as the Fremont Union High School District, which is not located in the city of Fremont but spread across several cities in the South Bay. Another example is the Fremont Unified School District, which is indeed in Fremont City.
Palo Alto Unified School District in the Palo Alto area is also noteworthy, ranked as California’s top district by Niche 2024/2025, with approximately 41.2% of Asian students. The district covers the entire city of Palo Alto, which differs from most school districts in the United States, as they do not typically align with city boundaries. Only a small number of districts are synonymous with cities.
In Silicon Valley, housing prices in Cupertino and Sunnyvale are relatively high. In July this year, the median sales price in Cupertino was around $3.37 million, while in Sunnyvale, it was $2.08 million. On average, the selling prices were four to five percentage points higher than the listing prices.
In Palo Alto, the median sales price in July was about $3.8 million. Although prices are high, the average listing time is typically around 20 days, with a limited number of properties for sale, which has pushed up prices.
On to the Los Angeles metropolitan area, one of the recommended areas is the San Marino Unified School District, known for its small yet prestigious schools with a stable K-12 education and strong college admissions. San Marino High School is a standout high school in the district. As per Niche 2025, it ranks 14th in California and 59th nationwide. The mature Chinese community in the area has a significant Asian population.
Another notable district is the Arcadia Unified School District, known for its high average across all school levels and rich resources in clubs, music, and competitions. Arcadia High School is the flagship high school in the district. Niche 2025 ranks it as the 9th best district in California; the official announcement also states its consecutive position in the top 1% nationwide for three years.
In Northern Orange County, the Irvine Unified School District stands out as a high-quality district with strengths in STEM, humanities, and music. Representative high schools include University, Northwood, Portola, and Woodbridge. Niche 2025 ranks them among the best in both California and the United States.
Whether in San Marino, Arcadia, or Irvine, these districts are located in communities with mature Chinese populations. San Marino has approximately 69% Asian residents, Arcadia around 65%, and Irvine over 40%.
In San Marino, the median sales price is about $3 million, belonging to a very high-priced small-scale market, with a low transaction volume. However, the market is quite active, with properties typically selling within 30 days. In Arcadia, the median sales price was around $1.67 million in July, with an average listing time of approximately 50 days.
In Irvine, the median sales price is close to $1.6 million, with a median sales time of 64 days, compared to 28 days the previous year, showing a significant softening in the local market, leading to price stability and longer sales periods.
Moving on to Texas, an emerging trend among the Chinese population there, although it remains less than in California. The main concentration of Chinese residents in Texas is in Houston, Dallas, and Austin. For a closer look at the school districts in these cities concerning the Chinese population.
Beginning with Houston, the Fort Bend Independent School District (Fort Bend ISD) was rated grade B (80 points) by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in 2025. Clements High School in the district has long been favored by Chinese parents. In Sugar Land within this district, the Asian population is highly concentrated, with the number surpassing that of white residents in recent years.
Another prominent district is the Katy Independent School District (Katy ISD), a large district with numerous school choices, rated grade A by TEA in 2025, leading many other districts. Seven Lakes High School in this district performed well on the latest rankings. Katy Asian Town is a focal point for the Chinese and Asian communities, well-located within the district.
In Sugar Land, the median sales price is around $500,000, with a price discrepancy of about 2.46% between recent listings and sales. The average selling time varies from 27 to 41 days, indicating a moderate level of competition in most communities, not an extreme rush to buy. In general, housing prices within the Fort Bend Independent School District range from entry-level areas in the $200,000 to $300,000 range to high-quality communities priced from $600,000 to $800,000.
In Katy City, the median sales price is approximately $340,000, a decrease of 10.7% compared to last year, with an average listing time of about 32 days, showing an increased supply this year and expanded negotiation space. However, in the Seven Lakes High School district, the median sales price in July was still above $550,000, with properties selling within two weeks, indicating a greater resistance to price decreases.
In Dallas, the Plano Independent School District (Plano ISD) is a well-established high-quality district with comprehensive resources for higher education, rated grade B (82 points) by the state education agency in 2025. The city has an Asian population of over 20%, with a mature Chinese community. Another notable district is the Coppell Independent School District (Coppell ISD), known for its small yet reputable schools. Niche consistently ranks it among the best districts in Texas, with an Asian population of around 29%.
Within the Plano Independent School District, looking at the Plano City area, the median sales price is approximately $530,000, showing slight growth compared to last year. The median listing time is around 45 days, and the selling prices are slightly lower than listing prices by one to two percentage points. Nearly 47% of listed properties have experienced price reductions, indicating a market with moderate competition and room for negotiation.
In the Coppell Independent School District focusing on Coppell City, the median sales price is close to $630,000, showing a decrease of 8.7% compared to last year. The median listing time is 32 days. The local market is considered “moderately competitive and negotiable,” with selling prices slightly down from last year, close to the listing price, and high-demand properties still selling quickly.
In Florida, starting with the southern part in Broward County, the Broward County Public Schools district features Cypress Bay High School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, both with impressive scores of 8 points. The area has a vibrant Chinese community with resources such as the Coral Springs Chinese Cultural Association and active Chinese schools.
Moving to the northern part of Central Florida, Seminole County Public Schools in Seminole County received an A grade again for the 2024-25 academic year and ranks among the top districts in the state. Hagerty High School with a score of 8 is a representative high school in the district. There are also two IB Diploma high schools, Seminole High School and Winter Springs High School, which offer a two-year college preparatory program.
In Broward County, the median sales price is around $440,000, a 2.4% decrease from last year. The average selling time is 92 days, with 2,273 sales in July. Prices for all types of properties in the county are declining, mainly impacted by the weakness in the apartment sector. Areas with desirable schools, such as Weston and Parkland, remain high-priced, but are also regressing from the previous years’ price increases.
In Seminole County, the overall median sales price is approximately $420,000, down by 2.4% from last year, with an average listing time of about 36 days and 608 sales in July. Lake Mary City has the highest median sales price of about $650,000, while other cities mostly fall below half a million. Some cities show price hikes, while others experience price drops. Districts with popular schools still exhibit greater price increases. Casselberry offers relatively higher value due to older homes, more apartments, and townhouses, maintaining conservative prices.
This wraps up the first part of our introduction to top school district homes. While purchasing homes in these districts may be costly, the benefits are numerous, including value retention, faster sales, ease of renting, and a higher quality, safer community. However, buying school district homes is not without risks. In the next segment, we will explore school district homes in the Eastern United States and provide tips on avoiding pitfalls.