10 Fantastic Family-Friendly Homes Near Top-Rated GTA Schools

By Josh Sherman | 6 minute read

For many Canadian families, living in the catchment area for a top-rated school is a real estate wishlist item.

Not only can it provide children with a leg up in their education, some research suggests a home’s proximity to a school has a positive correlation with home prices. 

Now that school is back in session, we decided to check the Wahi listings to see what kind of homes are available near some of the Greater Toronto Area’s best-rated schools. 

We consulted the Fraser Institute’s latest annual ranking of Ontario schools to identify the highest rated public elementary schools in 10 Greater Toronto Area cities. Then we used the filters on Wahi’s property portal to find homes with family-friendly attributes. For example, since recent Wahi research indicates Canadians prefer three-bedroom detached homes, we used this as our base criteria. In most cases, we favoured homes with finished basements, which is easy to do using Wahi’s search function. Check out the 10 homes in top-rated school zones below.

1. Ajax

School catchment: Alexander Graham Bell Public School
School ranking: 231

School rating: 8.3 

Neighbourhood: Westney Heights
Listing: 69 Harty Cres. 

Price: $1,199,900

Nestled on a wooded ravine lot, this four-bedroom detached home has everything a family needs to put down roots. Not only is the home a less-than-five-minute drive from the top-rated public elementary school in Ajax, but it also boasts a welcoming family room with a gas fireplace and views of the natural landscape out back. The expansive finished basement features an all-ages rec room, perfect for band practices, movie nights, or slumber parties, as well as ample storage space.

2. Brampton

School catchment: Castlemore Public School
School ranking: 516
School rating: 7.6

Neighbourhood:
Listing: 7 Dolomite Dr. 

Price: $1,898,000

If you’re looking to live in a brand new home near one of the top-rated schools in your city, this Brampton listing may be the one for you and your family. Recently completed within a new subdivision, at this 3,100-square-foot home there’s no need to contend with a previous owner’s questionable design tastes. 

It’s just a block away from a park and it’s not much farther to Castlemore Public School.

While new homes tend to come at a premium, this home’s basement has a separate entrance, so there’s possible rental potential to make up the difference on higher mortgage payments (though you’ll need to finish it first).

3. Burlington

School catchment: Alton Village Public School
School ranking: 262

School rating: 8.2

Neighbourhood: Alton Village

Listing: 3360 Roma Ave.

Price: $1,549,900

Located right around the corner from Alton Village Public School — which routinely climbs the annual Fraser Institute rankings — this four-bedroom home has the kind of features that many families consider must-haves and a whole lot more. 

The main floor’s open-concept design helps parents keep an eye on the kids and includes a family-room area and well-appointed kitchen (tucked under the granite island, you’ll find wine storage for after the kids are asleep). Impressively, there’s another family room on the second floor, where you’ll also find a laundry room. 

The totally private backyard is fenced in and — here’s the more we were referring to — boasts a heated in-ground swimming pool.

4. Markham

School catchment: Roy H. Crosby Public School
School ranking: 42
School rating: 9.5

Neighbourhood: Bullock
Listing: 12 Jolyn Crt.

Price: $1,500,000

This beige-brick four-bedroom home has the advantage of being proximate to a top-rated elementary school as well as one of the province’s leading high schools (Markville Secondary School). It’s being listed by the original owners, who have already updated the main-level bathrooms and floors.

Curl up with a book in the sun-soaked family room or share a meal in the bright-and-sizable kitchen and dining area, which overlooks a large back deck and the peaceful shaded backyard. The main floor has a separate laundry room for tackling domestic chores.

A partially finished walk-out basement also lets out onto the backyard.

5. Mississauga 

School catchment: Kenollie Public School 

School ranking: 29

School rating: 9.7

Neighbourhood: Mineola 

Listing: 267 Kenollie Ave.

Price: $5,299,850

If there’s a downside to this 7,700-square-foot custom home that’s chock-full of amenities, it’s that the kids might not want to go back to school after a summer spent lazing around the Muskoka-inspired backyard’s in-ground pool and hot tub or binge-watching Netflix in the basement theatre. However, when the kids are back in school, they’ll be attending one of the highest-rated in the province — and it’s right down the road.

The modern home office could double as a study room with style, while the in-house gym could come in handy for securing a spot on the varsity team.

6. Oakville

School catchment: W H Morden Public School

School ranking: 53

School rating: 9.3
Neighbourhood: West Oakville
Listing: 363 Walton St.

Price: $2,550,000

Moving to a top suburban school zone doesn’t have to mean you have to sacrifice style. Described as a dwelling with “modern farmhouse charm infused with Mediterranean influences,” this four-bedroom detached home is no cookie-cutter McMansion. 

It epitomizes family-friendly living, with a layout that lends itself to multi-generational living as well as the potential for a live-in nanny. The main floor has an impressive chef’s kitchen and dining area alongside a generous family room.

Above, you’ll find the bedrooms and lofted nanny suite with its own kitchen. Below, the finished basement includes a third kitchen and can easily function as its own suite, whether for the in-laws or a potential mortgage-helper.

7. Pickering

School catchment: Gandatsetiagon Public School

School ranking: 130

School rating: 8.7
Neighbourhood: Liverpool
Listing: 2112 Lynn Heights Dr.

Price: $1,068,800

This charming three-bedroom back-split in Pickering has undergone extensive renovations over the past five years. Through the course of the work, all three bathrooms were done and a gleaming new kitchen was installed.

While the home’s three bedrooms should meet most needs, there’s the potential to carve out a fourth in the large family room towards the back. The home is tucked away on a leafy residential enclave and is walking distance to several parks. 

8. Toronto

School catchment: Rosedale Junior Public School

School ranking: 1

School rating: 10

Neighbourhood: Rosedale

Listing: 33 Rosedale Rd.

Price: $7,380,000

If you want to live in the province’s most-acclaimed school zone — and also one of the most prestigious neighbourhoods in all of Toronto — be prepared to pay a premium. For a hefty several-million-dollar price tag, you can bid on a unique six-bedroom home that’s just a stone’s throw from a perfect-scoring school. 

While Rosedale is known for more austere historic homes, 33 Rosedale Rd.’s main floor should appeal to somewhat more contemporary tastes with a redone kitchen and wall-to-wall windows. The self-contained primary suite has its own sitting room and dressing rooms so parents can get a bit of privacy, and the lower level should entertain for hours with an indoor pool and games room.

9. Whitby

School catchment: Jack Miner Public School

School ranking: 42

School rating: 9.5

Neighbourhood: Williamsburg

Listing: 22 Woodhaven Cres.

Price: $1,779,900

One reason people move to the suburbs is to seek more space. This updated detached home, which has four second-floor bedrooms, certainly provides that. The property encompasses a 70-by-162-foot in a sought-after subdivision.

The fully loaded basement, which adds a fifth bedroom to the mix, has something for everyone: rec room, gym area, games room, three-piece bathroom, and — for the adults — a wet bar.

The listing write up, which describes the backyard as an “oasis,” doesn’t seem like an exaggeration. Here you’ll find a kidney-shaped pool, multi-level deck, and a gazebo that would be at home at an all-inclusive getaway.

10. Vaughan

An address in a top-rated school catchment area is just the beginning with this home. It’s hard to imagine a more family-friendly location. The four-bedroom single-family abode sits directly opposite Hillside Park, and its nearby tonnes of commercial amenities, making errands a breeze.

The double-height foyer provides a warm introduction to the main floor, where there’s a modern kitchen and dining area as well as an airy family room. Parents who can work remotely will appreciate the home office, and the basement is more than suitable for entertaining either guests or letting the little ones run wild (some supervision required!).