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.

McGrath Hunters Hill sales agent Matt Ward said that interest in the school had increased among local families in recent years.

“People were not talking about it five to 10 years ago, but in the past year or two, good news travels fast and people are spreading a positive message about that school,” he said.

In areas such as Hunters Hill, where parents regularly opt for private schooling when their children reach high school, a school-friendly address is more complex than catchment zones.

“If you live in Sydney, 95 per cent of people would have a car, but at the same time, particularly [for students] in high school, people live busy lives, and if you can have kids getting on the bus to get to school [that’s an advantage],” Ward said.

Cao said that for some families, a catchment-zone property allows them to sell for a premium when the time comes, as well as providing a “back-up” state school.

Cotality quantitative analyst Irene Kang said that while the report found the difference in values remained even after the influence of proximity to the coastline or waterways was removed, other factors such as accessibility to public transport could not be discounted.

However, buying into an area for its catchment zone has risks too.

Catchment areas can change over time, a spokesperson for the Education Department said, and they are informed by factors such as new housing activity and demographic changes as well as enrolment projections and planned housing development.

Cotality’s executive research director, Tim Lawless, said that school catchment areas are not considered a strong driver of price growth because they are subject to change.

“Changing rules and regulations are a risk in the property market,” he said. “If the school zone is changing, it will have a marginal impact along the boundary.”

For the Newtons, the school commute is about to get a little longer. The family is moving to a waterfront property to further their 10-year-old daughter’s interest in sailing, a sport the whole family is passionate about. They have put their home on the market.

“I told friends I am not leaving this house unless it is for waterfront or in a coffin because the [local school] community is incredible,” Elizabeth said.