Best School Districts in Florida to Buy A Home

The National Association of Realtors® released a survey recently that stated 24% of home buyers said school quality was important to them while looking for their new home. Luckily, Florida is a top-tier state for education, ranked no. 3 in the nation by US News and World Report. Over the decades, the state has made significant strides in accountability, reading, math, and graduation rates.

Still, schools in Florida vary significantly, so if you have a child, you must find one that will suit their needs. Florida’s public school districts are tied to their counties. Since there are 66 counties, 66 school districts serve 2.8 million children. That doesn’t include the many private school options parents have. There are no municipal or charter school districts.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and interrupted educational quality in 2020, Florida’s Department of Education (FDOE) paused releasing school districs grades and data and made it optional for 2021. It resumed in 2022.

We looked at its 2022 released data on college performance readiness, state testing results, and graduation rates for our evaluation. We also looked at data from independent evaluators and resources like Niche.com.

According to this data and independent feedback, here are the best FL school districts to buy a single-family home.

St Johns County

The St. Johns County  School District has Florida’s top-ranked high school and several highly rated elementary, middle, and charter schools. The school district has never earned less than an “A” rating since 2010, even as it served over 55,000 students a year across 49 schools.

St Johns operates:

• 18 Elementary schools grades K-5

• 7 K-8 academies

• 7 Middle schools grades 6-8s

• 8 High schools grades 9-12

• 1 Technical College

• 2 K-12 alternative schools

• 3 Charter Schools

• 2 Juvenile Justice Facilities

Its graduation rate was 95 percent, and its average SAT score is also the region’ highest at 1140. The student-teacher ratio breaks down by grade, with PK-3 at 1:14 and grades 9-12 at 1:19. Its test scores are frequently the best or near the top across reading, math, science, and EOC in all grade levels.

The high schools operate a diverse selection of specialized academies. For example, Bertram Trail High has a Design Academy, while Nease High has an Academy of Hospitality and Tourism. Students get a jump start in all kinds of industries, from biotechnology, architecture, healthcare, aerospace, IT, Law, culinary arts courses, and much more.

St. Johns County is home to three prestigious acceleration academies that offer advanced academic programs for high-achieving students. Allen D. Nease High School and Pedro Menendez High School both offer the opportunity to enroll in the renowned International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, designed to challenge students with a globally recognized and rigorous curriculum throughout. Meanwhile, St. Augustine High School offers the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program.

Located in the northeast corner of Florida, just south of Jacksonville, St. Johns County is one of the state’s fastest-growing areas and one of its most affluent: the median household income here is $83,803, and the poverty rate is 8.1%. Around 292,000 people live in St. Johns County. SmartAsset ranked it the eighth wealthiest county in Florida based on median home values and per capita income.

Cities in St. Johns include St. Augustine, Butler Beach, Flagler Estates, Nocatee, Ponte Vedra Beach, and Sawgrass.

Sarasota County

The Sarasota County School District is Florida’s second-ranked high school and has several highly rated elementary, middle, and charter schools. Like St. Johns County, its state grade has never been below an “A.” Parents and students frequently review Sarasota County schools positively, highlighting their satisfaction with the quality of education and the supportive environment.

Sarasota operates:

• 22 K-5 elementary schools

• 1 K-8 academy

• 4 Middle schools grades 6-8c

• 7 High schools grades 9-12

• 2 Technical and Adult Education Centers

• 2 Special Schools for Exceptional Students

• 2 Special Programs with special teachers

• 13 Charter Schools

Sarasota’s graduation rate was 93.4 percent, and its average SAT score was 1220. Its test scores in reading, math, science, and EOC were consistently high in all grade levels. The student-teacher ratio averaged 1:15, and 42,600 students were enrolled.

Secondary schools offer unique programs like the Advanced Placement Capstone Diploma Program and the Florida Virtual School for Exceptional Students. Pine View School for the Gifted is consistently a top-ranked school in the state, and it’s free as a charter school. Its elementary and middle schools were the state’s no. 3 and the high school no. 2 on the 2022 US News and World Report rankings. The high school also ranked no. 24 nationally.

Sarasota is located on Florida’s Gulf Coast, about an hour south of the Tampa Bay Area. The county is home to about 447,000 people, with a median household income of $64,644 and a poverty rate of 8.7%. Based on median home values and per capita income, SmartAsset ranked it the ninth wealthiest county in Florida.

Sarasota County includes the cities of Sarasota, North Port, Venice, Longboat Key, Osprey, Lakewood Ranch, and Englewood.

Seminole County

The Seminole County school district is one of Florida’s largest, with over 67,000 students. It’s earned Premier National School District recognition and has several highly rated elementary, middle, and charter schools. Its state grade has been below an “A” only once, in 2016. It’s also one of the state’s most diverse school districts by demographics.

On average, 95% of students graduate, higher than the state average of 90%. The school district’s average SAT score is 1190. On average, there are 19 students per teacher.

Seminole operates:

• 37 K-5 elementary schools

• 12 middle school grades 6-8

• 9 High school grades 9-12

• 6 Special Centers

• 4 Charter Schools

• 1 Virtual School

The school district also offers programs of emphasis to help students focus on specific industries during their high school years. The success of Seminole County’s local schools contributes significantly to the district’s overall reputation and high rankings. Classes are offered in bioscience technology, culinary arts, aviation, renewable energy, forensic science, and more. It also runs Magnet school and Choice schools: six elementary, four middle schools, and five high schools. SCPS is ranked no. 1 for STEM public education and has a 66% pass rate on AP examinations.

US News and World Report ranks the charter Choices in Learning School as the no. 19 elementary school in the state out of over 4,000 schools.

Seminole County is located in central Florida, just outside of Orlando. Its population is about 470,000, with a median household income of $70,297 and a poverty rate of 8%. The cities in Seminole County are Sanford, Lake Mary, Altamonte Springs, Oviedo, Casselberry, Wekiwa Springs, and Geneva.

Okaloosa County

With a student body of 27,000, the Okaloosa County School District is Florida’s fastest-growing school district, with a rate of 6%. In 2022, the school district earned an “A” state grade, last earning a “B” in 2013. The FDOE named it an Academically High-Performing School District, one of 14 in the 2021-2022 school year.

It also has an impressive number of National Blue Ribbon Schools and was a School System of Distinction by worldwide evaluator Cognia. Its Okaloosa Stemm Center was the no. 1 middle school in Florida, according to US News and World Report in 2022.

Okaloosa County School District serves over 27,000 students across 58 schools. It operates:

• 23 Elementary schools

• 12 Middle schools grades 6-8

• 8 High schools grades 9-12

• 7 K-8/K-12 community schools

• 1 STEM Academy

• 5 Charter Schools

• 1 Technical College

• 1 Alternative School

The high school programs include continuing education options in a range of industries. Students can get a head start in advanced manufacturing, IT, healthcare, childcare, robotics, and other areas. Okaloosa County is known for its rigorous curriculum, which prepares students for success in various fields.

Okaloosa County is located in Florida’s panhandle, the state’s northwest region. The county has just over 213,000 people, with a median household income of $64,373 and a poverty rate of 10%.

Cities in Okaloosa County include Crestview, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Laurel Hill, Niceville, and Shalimar.

Collier County

The Collier County Public Schools District has a long history dating back to its founding in 1913. The district has carried an “A” state grade for five years as of 2022.

Collier County Public Schools serves about 48,000 students across 63 schools. It operates:

• 31 Elementary schools

• 10 Middle schools grades 6-8

• 8 High schools grades 9-12

• 1 K-12 community schools

• 9 Charter Schools

• 1 Alternative School

• 1 Virtual School programs

• 2 Technical Colleges

All schools are Cognia-accredited. High school students can focus on a range of industries through special educational programs. These include medical sciences, aviation, media and communications, law and government, and more. The school district also is proud of its 1:1 technology ratio, with over 54,000 networked computers.

Collier County is located in southwest Fla. on the state’s Gulf Coast. It has a population of 385,980 people, a median household income of $70,217, and a poverty rate of 10%. Based on median home values and per capita income, SmartAsset ranked it the second-wealthiest county in Florida.

The cities in Collier County are Marco Island, Naples, Immokalee, Ave Maria, and Big Cypress.

Clay County

Clay County School District has an “A” state grade and a 97% graduation rate. The Florida Department of Education has named it an academically high-performing school district. Unlike some districts which did not receive a grade in the recent assessments, academic performance in Clay County continues to excel. US News and World Report ranks Orange Park Elementary as the 11th-ranked elementary school in the state.

The district serves about 41,000 students across 51 schools. It operates:

• 27 Elementary schools grades K-5

• 6 Middle schools serving middle school students grades 6-8

• 6 High schools grades 9-12

• 1 Grades 6-12 community school

• 1 Adult education center

• 2 Alternative centers

• 4 Charter Schools

Clay County is located in northeast Florida, just southwest of Jacksonville. The county has a population of 222,361, with a median household income of $68,657 and a poverty rate of 9%.

Clay County School District served students living in Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Fleming Island, and Penney Farms.

Nassau County

The Nassau County School District is Florida’s oldest, founded in 1869. The district has an “A” state grade, having been a “B” school once in 2016. Its high schools have a 93% graduation rate.

Its purpose is to nurture a supportive community. The district serves about 20,000 students across 16 schools. Uniquely, it uses a single-feeder system based on geographic areas. This means two elementary schools feed directly into one middle school, and all the middle schools move up into the same high school.

It operates:

• 7 Elementary schools grades K-5

• 1 Intermediate school grades 3-5

• 1 Primary school grades PK-2

• 3 Middle schools grades 6-8

• 3 High schools grades 9-12

• 1 Middle-senior school grades 6-12

Nassau County is located in northeast Florida, north of Jacksonville, and on the Georgia border. The county has a population of about 94,000, with a median household income of $72,998 and a poverty rate of 8%. SmartAsset ranked it the tenth wealthiest county in Florida based on median home values and per capita income.

Cities in Nassau County include Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, Callahan, Yulee, and Hilliard.

Gilchrist County

Gilchrist County Schools has an “A” state grade and is one of Florida’s best school districts, having earned a “B” once in 2016. MSN once rated this the best school district in Florida.

One of the smaller districts on our list and among the state’s smallest, Gilchrist serves about 2,700 students across four schools. It has two elementary and two middle/high combined schools in Bell and Trenton.

Gilchrist County is located in north-central Florida, west of Gainesville. Highly agricultural, it’s a very rural part of Florida with a population of about 18,000. The median household income was $47,381, with a poverty rate of 15%.

Lafayette County

Lafayette County Schools is Florida’s smallest school district, founded in 1856. It has an “A” state grade and has held this distinction for four years.

The district serves about 1,100 students across three schools located in Mayo, FL. Parents and students frequently review Lafayette County schools positively, highlighting their satisfaction with the quality of education and the supportive environment. It operates one elementary school for grades K-5 and one combined middle-high school for grades 6-12.

Lafayette County is located in north Florida, west of Gainesville. It’s a highly rural area with a population of about 8,500, making it the second least-populated Florida county. It had a median household income of $51,734. The poverty rate was 20%. Local towns are Mayo and Branford.

Live in Florida’s Best Schools

So, what makes these districts so great? Some key factors are small class sizes, learning standards, passionate and dedicated teachers, parent and community involvement, high graduation rates, and strong test scores. These school districts are also located in zip codes with low crime rates, offering a safe environment and high median incomes.

That doesn’t mean you can’t find great schools in other districts. For example, Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, which did not make this list, have many of the state’s top-rated schools on the US News and World Report. It’s also the nation’s fourth-largest school system.

Do you have any favorite Florida school districts? Let us know in the comments!