# The best schools in the most affordable areas of California

Find California schools that combine strong reading and math results with tract-level housing costs that are much lower than most of the state.

## Methodology

This page looks for California schools that clear 70.0% reading proficiency and 60.0% math proficiency, and only keeps schools whose surrounding tract stays at or below $800,000 in median home value. Schools are then ranked by combined reading and math performance, with ACS 5-year tract medians for home value, rent, and owner costs used to keep the list in more affordable parts of California.

## Qualifying Schools

Total schools on this list: 130

## Top Districts

Districts must have at least 3 qualifying schools to appear here.

| Rank | District | Qualifying Schools | Comparable Schools | Qualifying Share | Median Home Value | Median Rent |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Clovis Unified | 12 | 49 | 24.5% | $596,900 | $2,468 |
| 2 | Folsom-Cordova Unified | 9 | 32 | 28.1% | $733,600 | $2,549 |
| 3 | Elk Grove Unified | 8 | 69 | 11.6% | $725,250 | $2,597 |

## Top Schools

| Rank | School | City | District | Median Home Value | Median Rent | Magnet / Selective | Reading | Math |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Richardson PREP HI Middle | San Bernardino | San Bernardino City Unified | $284,800 | $1,366 | Yes | 86.4% | 84.3% |
| 2 | William & Marian Ghidotti High | Grass Valley | Nevada Joint Union High | $562,700 | $1,279 | Yes | 100.0% | 88.9% |
| 3 | Union Street Charter | Arcata | Arcata Elementary | $557,000 | $1,167 | No | 85.4% | 85.4% |
| 4 | Hayfork High | Hayfork | Mountain Valley Unified | $279,500 | $873 | No | 85.0% | 70.0% |
| 5 | Riverview STEM Elementary | Rancho Cordova | Folsom-Cordova Unified | $457,800 | $1,371 | Yes | 88.5% | 87.4% |
| 6 | Bogus Elementary | Montague | Bogus Elementary | $234,500 | $897 | No | 78.6% | 71.4% |
| 7 | Middle College High | Stockton | Lodi Unified | $414,800 | $1,672 | Yes | 98.7% | 74.7% |
| 8 | Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation | Wilmington | Los Angeles Unified | $579,700 | $1,447 | No | 98.2% | 78.7% |
| 9 | University Preparatory High | Visalia | Tulare County Office of Education | $340,800 | $1,512 | No | 88.9% | 73.3% |
| 10 | Sixth Street Prep | Victorville | Victor Elementary | $262,300 | $1,212 | No | 79.2% | 70.0% |
| 11 | Elkhorn | Stockton | Lodi Unified | $604,200 | $1,750 | No | 95.3% | 89.5% |
| 12 | Sherman Thomas STEM Academy | Madera | Madera Unified | $387,900 | $1,467 | No | 85.3% | 73.3% |
| 13 | Manchester Gate | Fresno | Fresno Unified | $292,600 | $1,172 | Yes | 77.0% | 75.3% |
| 14 | West Campus | Sacramento | Sacramento City Unified | $376,700 | $1,799 | Yes | 93.1% | 72.5% |
| 15 | Stockton Early College Academy | Stockton | Stockton Unified | $394,100 | $1,088 | Yes | 93.5% | 61.7% |
| 16 | Grossmont Middle College High | El Cajon | Grossmont Union High | $552,800 | $1,870 | Yes | 93.3% | 86.7% |
| 17 | Garfield Elementary | Eureka | Garfield Elementary | $596,900 | $1,567 | No | 78.7% | 78.7% |
| 18 | Clay Elementary | Kingsburg | Clay Joint Elementary | $419,800 | $1,188 | No | 75.0% | 75.6% |
| 19 | Douglas City Elementary | Douglas City | Douglas City Elementary | $334,800 | $1,088 | No | 70.0% | 66.4% |
| 20 | Willowbrook Middle | Compton | Compton Unified | $622,000 | $1,470 | No | 88.7% | 66.9% |
| 21 | Colonel Joseph C. Rodriguez PREP Academy | San Bernardino | San Bernardino City Unified | $416,000 | $1,707 | Yes | 83.5% | 66.9% |
| 22 | Oxnard Middle College High | Oxnard | Oxnard Union High | $342,900 | $2,133 | Yes | 92.5% | 60.0% |
| 23 | University Preparatory | Victorville | Victor Valley Union High | $416,000 | $2,085 | Yes | 91.0% | 70.4% |
| 24 | Twin Rivers Charter | Yuba City | Yuba City Unified | $454,300 | $1,420 | No | 73.8% | 71.6% |
| 25 | Academy of the Redwoods | Eureka | Fortuna Union High | $440,800 | $1,825 | No | 81.1% | 70.3% |
| 26 | Middle College High | San Bernardino | San Bernardino City Unified | $349,100 | $1,454 | No | 72.4% | 62.1% |
| 27 | Design Science Middle College High | Fresno | Fresno Unified | $350,000 | $1,353 | Yes | 77.2% | 61.4% |
| 28 | William Land Elementary | Sacramento | Sacramento City Unified | $598,100 | $1,413 | No | 74.6% | 67.7% |
| 29 | A. G. Cook Elementary | Garden Grove | Garden Grove Unified | $711,700 | $2,172 | No | 86.9% | 76.4% |
| 30 | Riverside STEM Academy | Riverside | Riverside Unified | $526,400 | $1,953 | Yes | 82.7% | 78.0% |
| 31 | Chicago Park Community Charter | Grass Valley | Chicago Park Elementary | $583,100 | $1,236 | No | 75.0% | 66.7% |
| 32 | PUC Milagro Charter | Los Angeles | Los Angeles Unified | $687,100 | $1,908 | No | 81.6% | 80.2% |
| 33 | Sierra View Elementary | Chico | Chico Unified | $500,200 | $1,860 | No | 74.8% | 72.9% |
| 34 | Petaluma Accelerated Charter | Petaluma | Petaluma Joint Union High | $793,800 | $2,191 | Yes | 86.2% | 83.5% |
| 35 | Burnt Ranch Elementary | Burnt Ranch | Burnt Ranch Elementary | $318,200 | $2,013 | No | 73.6% | 64.2% |
| 36 | Round Valley Elementary | Bishop | Round Valley Joint Elementary | $591,100 | $1,366 | No | 74.2% | 64.5% |
| 37 | Granada Hills Charter | Granada Hills | Los Angeles Unified | $476,900 | $1,741 | No | 78.3% | 61.0% |
| 38 | Technology High | Rohnert Park | Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified | $574,100 | $1,831 | No | 92.0% | 69.0% |
| 39 | Crocker/Riverside Elementary | Sacramento | Sacramento City Unified | $641,800 | $1,844 | No | 79.7% | 80.8% |
| 40 | Irvine International Academy | Irvine | Orange County Department of Education | $553,100 | $2,603 | No | 77.6% | 75.0% |
| 41 | Accelerated Achievement Academy | Hollister | Hollister | $756,800 | $2,299 | Yes | 92.2% | 85.6% |
| 42 | Middle College High | Los Angeles | Los Angeles Unified | $631,500 | $1,572 | Yes | 90.2% | 69.6% |
| 43 | Inland Leaders Charter | Yucaipa | Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified | $464,500 | $1,449 | No | 73.0% | 64.7% |
| 44 | Jacoby Creek | Bayside | Jacoby Creek Elementary | $602,100 | $1,780 | No | 75.4% | 65.4% |
| 45 | Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary | Sacramento | Sacramento City Unified | $727,900 | $1,842 | No | 83.8% | 77.2% |
| 46 | Clovis North High | Fresno | Clovis Unified | $494,800 | $2,468 | No | 91.3% | 67.3% |
| 47 | Buena Terra Elementary | Buena Park | Centralia Elementary | $779,600 | $2,350 | No | 74.7% | 77.1% |
| 48 | Liberty Elementary | Fresno | Clovis Unified | $682,500 | $2,517 | No | 84.8% | 77.5% |
| 49 | Woods (Harold L.) Elementary | Clovis | Clovis Unified | $596,900 | $2,296 | No | 82.3% | 75.8% |
| 50 | Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep Elementary | Sacramento | Natomas Unified | $585,100 | $1,245 | No | 73.4% | 67.3% |

## Canonical URL

https://caschooltrends.com/research/best-schools-in-the-most-affordable-areas-of-california