There is a family. They have decided to move from Texas to Cincinnati. Their child was about to enter middle school. The couple decided to prioritize the school over the house.

First, they narrowed down their options. The schools frequently mentioned among parents in Cincinnati are Seven Hills School and Cincinnati Country Day School. Seven Hills was ranked first in the Greater Cincinnati area for private K-12 schools, college preparatory high schools, and STEM high schools in Niche's 2025 ratings. The tuition is $34,650 per year. The college matriculation rate is 27.53 percent for the top 50 colleges, 14.04 percent for the top 25, and 3.93 percent for Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT.

They also looked into Cincinnati Country Day School, located in Indian Hill. The tuition is $35,480 per year, similar to Seven Hills. One hundred percent of graduates go on to four-year colleges. However, the top-tier matriculation rates are lower, with 9.21 percent for the top 50 colleges, 9.47 percent for the top 25, and 5.26 percent for Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT. Although the tuition is similar for both schools, there is a difference in the top-tier matriculation rates. However, since the number of graduates is not large, the acceptance rates can fluctuate significantly with just a few more or fewer acceptances in a given year. These figures change slightly each year, so it is advisable to check with the admissions offices for the latest data before making a final decision. They also checked the academic calendar. Both Seven Hills and Country Day opened applications in the fall of the previous year and closed them in winter. The new school year starts in September. Since they were moving during the school year from Korea, they needed to coordinate the timing of their transfer with the admissions office first.

Next was the house. Home prices in Indian Hill fluctuated significantly. Due to the low volume of transactions, the median sale price could rise or fall dramatically within a month. Therefore, they used Zillow's home value estimates as a reference. As of April 30 of this year, the typical home value was $1,664,597, and the median listing price was $1,900,650. This data is from the Classic Living Homes market report.

The budget did not match. So they also looked into Mason and West Chester Township. There were new constructions available in the $300,000 to $500,000 range. The overall median price in Cincinnati was $296,000 based on the last three months. With increased development and corporate investment in the Over-the-Rhine area, the overall prices in the city were also on the rise.

Ultimately, this family decided to set their budget based on the tuition level of Country Day but to look for a house in Mason instead of Indian Hill. The commuting distance would increase, but the budget difference was significant. In Ohio, property tax rates vary greatly by county, so after narrowing down the candidate areas, they still needed to check the property tax rates for each county separately. Getting a mortgage pre-approval can also be advantageous during negotiations when making an actual offer.

Some families also consider renting first. Since there are not many rental properties available in Indian Hill, if they want to rent, they might look at nearby areas like Mason or West Chester Township, which have more new rental listings. If approaching as an investment, it should be noted that areas with low transaction volumes like Indian Hill have a low vacancy risk but may be difficult to time for selling. They applied for campus tours at both schools to visit in person. They were able to verify bus routes and after-school programs that are hard to gauge from website statistics alone.

As in this case, when choosing a school and a home, it is important not to compare only tuition but also to check the top-tier matriculation rates, neighborhood prices, and property taxes in order. Finding an area that satisfies both the school district and budget, as this family did, is not easy, but comparing each item separately can make the decision much easier. This is not investment or legal advice, and it is recommended to consult with professionals before making any actual contracts.