Moms who have raised kids in Koreatown know this well. When looking for a home, the first things you consider are how many rooms it has, how much the rent is, and how close it is to a Korean market.

But when your child reaches school age, the school becomes more important than the house.

If you mistakenly enter the wrong address, you could end up being assigned to a different school across the street instead of the one nearby, which can be quite stressful.

However, there is a public elementary school right next to Koreatown that has received a perfect score of 10 from GreatSchools.

It is the Third Street Elementary School, which is well-known in the 3rd district.

At first, you might think, "Wait, a LAUSD public school has a score of 10?"

I also find myself checking the scores again. There can be significant differences between schools even within the same LAUSD district.

Third Street Elementary School has quite good academic performance. About 87% of students are proficient in English, and over 90% are proficient in math.

This means it's not just a school that Koreans are interested in because it's near Koreatown; it's a school with good academic achievement.

Interestingly, the nearby Wilshire Park Elementary School is not a bad school either.

This school, built with a $600 million investment, has a GreatSchools score of 8 and a B rating from Niche. It's quite decent, but next to a school with a score of 10, it suddenly seems average.

It's funny how people's feelings work. An 8 is good, but if the kid next door brings home a 10, suddenly our kid's score feels disappointing.

That's why the address is really important when looking at LA school districts. You can't just assume, "This is near Koreatown, so it should be similar."

A few blocks can make a difference in which school you are assigned to.

If you find a house you like, it's best not to just trust the school information listed on real estate sites, but to double-check the assigned school for that address with LAUSD.

Overall in LA, the Korean population isn't that high, but it's a different story when you get closer to Koreatown.

In some areas, the Korean population is quite high, especially in the 90020 area, where it can reach about 30%.

The average home value around Wilshire Park Elementary School is about $1.07 million. You might think, "Do I really need to buy a million-dollar house just because of one elementary school?"

However, thinking that buying a house in a good school district will guarantee a profit is also risky. Homes in good school districts are often already priced high.

If you buy for investment, even if you get good rent, the high purchase price might lead to lower-than-expected returns. When you factor in HOA fees, property taxes, and insurance, the situation changes.

So, I think if you're moving to LA for your child's school, it's better to rent and experience the neighborhood first rather than jumping into buying a house right away.

And just because a school has a GreatSchools score of 10 doesn't mean it's the best school for every child.

The score is just one of many criteria for comparing schools. You also need to consider the actual school environment, programs, and the child's personality.

Still, the fact that there is a public elementary school with a GreatSchools score of 10 near Koreatown is quite appealing to Korean parents.