The best schools in Baltimore encircle the city, with pockets of higher-rated schools to the north and southwest. The best deals all seem to be found around the Towson area, just to the north of Baltimore. There are other areas with good schools, but Towson seems to offer the best combination of affordable rents and high rated schools.
As well as identifying good parts of town to look, we will use average property rent and school ratings to identify properties throughout the Baltimore area that are our picks to provide the best value for each grade level.
Viewing school ratings by neighborhood allows us to find the areas with superb overall schools, rather than just identifying one-off instances of an individually exemplary school. By this metric, Ruxton (near Towson) is the neighborhood in greater Baltimore that is closest to the best overall schools.
| Neighborhood Rank | Neighborhood | Neighborhood City and State | Avg. School Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruxton | Towson, MD | 9.0 |
| 2 | Kings Contrivance | Jessup, MD | 7.0 |
| 3 | Long Reach | Columbia, MD | 7.0 |
| 4 | North Laurel | Laurel, MD | 7.0 |
| 5 | Taylor Heights | Nottingham, MD | 6.7 |
| 6 | South Gate | Millersville, MD | 6.0 |
| 7 | Hickory Ridge | Columbia, MD | 5.8 |
| 8 | Downtown Columbia | Columbia, MD | 5.7 |
| 9 | Fairway Hills | Columbia, MD | 5.7 |
| 10 | Seven Oaks | Odenton, MD | 5.7 |
Having looked at the best overall neighborhoods near Baltimore, we now look to find the best individual apartment communities near the best schools at the elementary, middle and high school level. Click on any location circle in our interactive maps to pull up info on properties for that location.
Elementary schools
Located in a quiet neighborhood, Drumcastle tops our list of best value apartments for families with elementary-aged children.
| Value Rank | Property Name | Location | Average Rent | Average School Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drumcastle | Baltimore, MD | $915 | 9.0 |
| 2 | Harford Village South | Bel Air, MD | $1,044 | 10.0 |
| 3 | Wakefield Manor | Bel Air, MD | $1,075 | 9.0 |
| 4 | Park Crescent | Baltimore, MD | $1,079 | 9.0 |
| 5 | Hickory Hills Condominiums | Bel Air, MD | $1,128 | 9.0 |
| 6 | Cub Hill Apartments | Parkville, MD | $1,006 | 8.0 |
| 7 | Security Park Apartments | Windsor Mill, MD | $1,019 | 8.0 |
| 8 | Mays Chapel Village | Timonium, MD | $1,282 | 10.0 |
| 9 | Seasons at Bel Air | Bel Air, MD | $1,217 | 9.0 |
| 10 | Twin Ridge Apartments | Baltimore, MD | $1,353 | 10.0 |
Middle Schools
Reflection Knoll at 5 Corners offers access to excellent middle schools at a great price.
| Value Rank | Property Name | Location | Average Rent | Average School Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reflection Knoll at 5 Corners | Timonium, MD | $988 | 10.0 |
| 2 | Drumcastle | Baltimore, MD | $915 | 9.0 |
| 3 | Hartford Village South | Bel Air, MD | $1,044 | 10.0 |
| 4 | Wakefield Manor | Bel Air, MD | $1,075 | 10.0 |
| 5 | Hickory Hills Condominiums | Bel Air, MD | $1,128 | 10.0 |
| 6 | Rossbrooke Apartments at the Lakes | Cockeysville, MD | $1,018 | 9.0 |
| 7 | Perry Hall Apartments | Perry Hall, MD | $1,040 | 9.0 |
| 8 | Eagles Walk Apartment Homes | White Marsh, MD | $1,055 | 9.0 |
| 9 | Park Crescent | Baltimore, MD | $1,079 | 9.0 |
| 10 | Seasons at Bel Air | Bel Air, MD | $1,217 | 10.0 |
High Schools
The average school rating of high schools near Drumcastle is 8, offering residents an opportunity to live near these schools for less than $1,000 per month.
| Value Rank | Property Name | Location | Average Rent | Average School Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drumcastle | Baltimore, MD | $915 | 8.0 |
| 2 | Harford Village South | Bel Air, MD | $1,044 | 8.0 |
| 3 | Wakefield Manor | Bel Air, MD | $1,075 | 8.0 |
| 4 | Park Crescent | Baltimore, MD | $1,079 | 8.0 |
| 5 | Seasons at Bel Air | Bel Air, MD | $1,217 | 9.0 |
| 6 | Hickory Hills Condominiums | Bel Air, MD | $1,128 | 8.0 |
| 7 | Reflection Knoll at 5 Corners | Timonium, MD | $988 | 7.0 |
| 8 | Rossbrooke Apartments at the Lakes | Cockeysville, MD | $1,018 | 7.0 |
| 9 | Heritage Woods | Bel Air, MD | $1,381 | 9.0 |
| 10 | The Lakes | Cockeysville, MD | $1,104 | 7.0 |
Our number crunching also shows where parents can get the best return on their rental dollars, in terms of school rating. For parents interested in proximity regardless of price, we also include specific apartments that would fit that bill:
| Property Name | School Rating | City | Avg. Rent | Elementary Schools | Middle Schools | High Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Park at Winters Run | 10 | Bel Air | 1653 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Chatham Gardens | 9.67 | Ellicott City | 1600 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Oakmont Village Apartments | 9.67 | Ellicott City | 1978 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Orchard Park | 9.67 | Ellicott City | 2245 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Plum Tree | 9.67 | Ellicott City | 1618 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Townes at Pine Orchard | 9.67 | Ellicott City | 2472 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Harford Village South | 9.33 | Bel Air | 1044 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Heritage Woods | 9.33 | Bel Air | 1381 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Seasons at Bel Air | 9.33 | Bel Air | 1217 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Avanti Luxury | 9 | Bel Air | 1852 | 9 | 10 | 8 |
Jared is a Baton Rouge, La.-based freelance journalist focused on, in his words, "finding data, 'interviewing it' and then telling its story through interactive tools and traditional journalism." His past work includes analyzing pension shortfalls, looking at election results, tracking campaign finance contributions and analyzing educational and school system data. Some of his work has previously appeared on The Daily Advocate and unfundedmichigan.org.