Towns with good Schools in Bay Area

[Wile E. Coyote]

My Ex and I bought a townhouse, 1,100 square feet 2 br, 2 ba in 1990 for $180k in Dublin. I looked it up a few months ago and it was up to $895k. ....looking up your old address...

[Vision67]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

The combination of affordable and good schools seems like an oxymoron to me. I went to Lafayette schools, rated among the best, but the median home there is $2.9 million now. Where our kids went to school was Castro Valley, much more affordable but schools not quite as good, median home price at $1.1 million now. For homes at $600k you are limited to cities like Vallejo, schools rated at 1-6, most at 3.

My daughter's family moved to Lafayette 4 years ago at the beginning of the pandemic. Her motivation was to find better schools because her second grade daughter was being bullied in their South San Francisco neighborhood elementary school because she was "too smart."

That has worked out wonderfully. The school in Lafayette is fantastic. It's just unfortunate that the houses nearby are so darned expensive.

But if the alternative is paying for private schools, perhaps it's worth it!

[AnythingOutdoors]

Originally Posted by Dad01

Really ? People are moving to Central Valley? Feels like the armpit here ,but I do see what you are saying.

I find the "armpit of California" thing highly elitist and out of touch. Yes, a lot of Bay Area families are moving to the Central Valley where they can buy a reasonable house for $500k with decent to great schools. The Sacramento area in particular is booming. Close enough to the Bay Area for hybrid-remote work, with good restaurants and downtown. For those that like the mountains, Central Valley cities are also much closer to skiing/fishing/hiking in the Sierras without dealing with weekend traffic headaches on 80 or 580 getting to/from the Bay Area. Yet they are also close enough to the coast for day trips to the beach. The climate is not as mild as the coast, but believe it or not, lots of people prefer hot dry summers over cold damp and overcast (depending, of course, on the specific micro climate).

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Dad01

currently I'm in central valley and schools there are 9s and we got our 4 bed/3 bath 2k sq ft house for 460k
Our families are in the bay area so we are looking to see if we can get something there with good schools even if its a little more expensive. However I feel like a similar house there will be atleast 1.2 million ? or am I over estimating the price

In order to get something under $1 mill, you'd have to stretch the definition of "Bay Area". You might be able to find something in Gilroy, a former agricultural community gradually morphing into a Silicon Valley exurb. It's in south Santa Clara County, south of the Bay. Honestly, it sounds like you already have an ideal situation for your money.

edit: I just checked RE listings in Gilroy, OP. The developers have already hit the place big time, catering to the techie crowd, tearing down old farmhouses or buying up empty farmland and building mansions. There are homes in the $800-$950K range, but that's twice your budget. You're about 10 years too late for Gilroy, it looks like.

You could look in Tracy, another ag community growing into an "affordable" Bay Area exurb, east of the Bay. Served by commuter train service to Bay Area cities. What kind of work do you do, or do you work from home? I don't know anything about the schools in Tracy, though.


I really think you're already in your sweet spot. You could look around outside of Sacramento (also served by train service to East Bay towns). That's all I've got for suggestions.

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

In order to get something under $1 mill, you'd have to stretch the definition of "Bay Area". You might be able to find something in Gilroy, a former agricultural community gradually morphing into a Silicon Valley exurb. It's in south Santa Clara County, south of the Bay. Honestly, it sounds like you already have an ideal situation for your money.

edit: I just checked RE listings in Gilroy, OP. The developers have already hit the place big time, catering to the techie crowd, tearing down old farmhouses or buying up empty farmland and building mansions. There are homes in the $800-$950K range, but that's twice your budget. You're about 10 years too late for Gilroy, it looks like.

You could look in Tracy, another ag community growing into an "affordable" Bay Area exurb, east of the Bay. Served by commuter train service to Bay Area cities. What kind of work do you do, or do you work from home? I don't know anything about the schools in Tracy, though.


I really think you're already in your sweet spot. You could look around outside of Sacramento (also served by train service to East Bay towns). That's all I've got for suggestions.

Not sure if those stretch cities have many good school districts. That would also be an important criterion for the OP.

[Dad01]

Originally Posted by AnythingOutdoors

I find the "armpit of California" thing highly elitist and out of touch. Yes, a lot of Bay Area families are moving to the Central Valley where they can buy a reasonable house for $500k with decent to great schools. The Sacramento area in particular is booming. Close enough to the Bay Area for hybrid-remote work, with good restaurants and downtown. For those that like the mountains, Central Valley cities are also much closer to skiing/fishing/hiking in the Sierras without dealing with weekend traffic headaches on 80 or 580 getting to/from the Bay Area. Yet they are also close enough to the coast for day trips to the beach. The climate is not as mild as the coast, but believe it or not, lots of people prefer hot dry summers over cold damp and overcast (depending, of course, on the specific micro climate).

I hear you, clovis /fresno is underrated

I used armpit because in comparison with bay area thats what the general impression is

[Dad01]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

In order to get something under $1 mill, you'd have to stretch the definition of "Bay Area". You might be able to find something in Gilroy, a former agricultural community gradually morphing into a Silicon Valley exurb. It's in south Santa Clara County, south of the Bay. Honestly, it sounds like you already have an ideal situation for your money.

edit: I just checked RE listings in Gilroy, OP. The developers have already hit the place big time, catering to the techie crowd, tearing down old farmhouses or buying up empty farmland and building mansions. There are homes in the $800-$950K range, but that's twice your budget. You're about 10 years too late for Gilroy, it looks like.

You could look in Tracy, another ag community growing into an "affordable" Bay Area exurb, east of the Bay. Served by commuter train service to Bay Area cities. What kind of work do you do, or do you work from home? I don't know anything about the schools in Tracy, though.


I really think you're already in your sweet spot. You could look around outside of Sacramento (also served by train service to East Bay towns). That's all I've got for suggestions.

Like mentioned above the good schools is the big limiting factor

No I cannot work from home unfortunately

It took me a long time to decide on Flovis and thats why I bought here , maybe I should suck it up and make the 2.5 hrs drive couple of times a month

[evening sun]

Originally Posted by AnythingOutdoors

I find the "armpit of California" thing highly elitist and out of touch. Yes, a lot of Bay Area families are moving to the Central Valley where they can buy a reasonable house for $500k with decent to great schools. The Sacramento area in particular is booming. Close enough to the Bay Area for hybrid-remote work, with good restaurants and downtown. For those that like the mountains, Central Valley cities are also much closer to skiing/fishing/hiking in the Sierras without dealing with weekend traffic headaches on 80 or 580 getting to/from the Bay Area. Yet they are also close enough to the coast for day trips to the beach. The climate is not as mild as the coast, but believe it or not, lots of people prefer hot dry summers over cold damp and overcast (depending, of course, on the specific micro climate).

I agree, we left the Bay Area about 8 years ago & love it in the North State.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by roadwarrior101

Not sure if those stretch cities have many good school districts. That would also be an important criterion for the OP.

You're right, which is why one of the first posters on the thread said "cheap" and "good schools" is an oxymoron in the Bay Area. The fact that in order to get anything within even roughly twice his price point, he'd have to go way out into the boonies, is quite a reality check for the OP. I don't think you can even find a 3 br. condo anywhere for the OP's price.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Dad01

Like mentioned above the good schools is the big limiting factor

No I cannot work from home unfortunately

It took me a long time to decide on Flovis and thats why I bought here , maybe I should suck it up and make the 2.5 hrs drive couple of times a month

. Wow. 2.5 hrs. drive each way? Have you looked at RE prices in Merced and Modesto? That would at least shave some time off your commute. IDK about the schools, though.