Here are the Phoenix ZIP codes with the most top-rated schools

For renting families with school children, living near a great school or living in a neighborhood with the most top-rated schools can be a decisive factor when searching for a new home.

To come to their aid, RENTCafé looked at the 30 largest U.S. cities which are most convenient for those who want to live near a top-rated elementary or middle school, defined here as having a GreatSchools.org rating of 8 or higher. 

Here are the highlights for Phoenix:

• Phoenix’s 85048 really stands out. Here we identified 11 top-rated schools, the highest number in any ZIP code in the country.

• At $1,219, the cost of renting in the area is expectedly higher than average, considering our reference point of $950 – the average rent across areas without an 8 or above rated school.

• Similarly, in ZIP code 85085, where all four schools are top rated, average rent prices clock in at $1,238.

• The more central ZIP code 85004 registers the highest rent costs in Phoenix, $1,727, with adjacent ZIP code 85003 close behind, with costs of $1,595. However, both of these ZIP codes only have one top rated school.

• Across the city, there are 47 great schools, accounting for 18% of the city’s total. 12 other large cities have a similar or higher share.

• At a national level, of the 382 ZIP codes with top-rated schools where rent data was available, 45% are priced lower than those without, and 55% are priced above.

Best urban zip codes for top-rated schools

Analyzing each city at the zip code level, 85048 in Phoenix ranks first with the most top-rated schools, with 11. 85048 includes part of Ahwatukee Foothills. Following is San Diego zip code 92129, in the Rancho Peñasquitos area, all of its 10 schools being top-rated, and Brooklyn’s 11215, Park Slope/Gowanus, with 9 highly-rated schools.