Courtesy of District, Measured.

When the Prince of Petworth proprietor of local blog PoPville announced earlier this month he had left his titular neighborhood in search of better schools, it prompted both responses about what we should call him now and the state of the District’s school reform plans. It also almost certainly means that he is spending a lot more for money for his house.

That real estate is more expensive in places where kids can get a better education is hardly a secret, but new graphs from the District’s Office of Revenue Analysis show just how closely they are correlated.

Looking just at three-bedrooms, homes in neighborhoods with the very best elementary schools (defined as a student body where 80 percent or more are proficient or advanced in reading) typically cost over $800,000. The authors note: “and that is just the median price and does not incorporate post-purchase improvements to homes.” Areas where 60 to 80 percent of students are proficient or advanced in reading still see prices in the $600,000 to $1 million range.

Only once you look at school zones that have fewer than 60 percent of proficient or advanced students in reading do you find median prices under $600,000. With only two exceptions, zones with a median 3-bedroom home price of under $500,000 all had schools with a proficiency rate under 50 percent.

(Courtesy of District, Measured)