Thursday, October 1, 2026
South Side High School’s recognition as the No. 1 high school on Long Island has prompted discussions among local real estate agents about how the ranking could factor into the Rockville Centre housing market.
South Side ranked No. 494 nationally among 17,945 schools included in the U.S. News & World Report rankings released Aug. 18. It also ranked No. 8 among 1,232 high schools in New York, and No. 35 in the New York metropolitan area.
Carol O’Leary, a branch manager with the Rockville Centre-based Coach Realtors, said the ranking could be useful for those in her line of work.
“It definitely helps in the marketing of our property,” O’Leary said. “And it’s something that is a big concern, not only to our new buyers coming in, but also to current homeowners. So it’s definitely a very positive thing to have.”
School districts, O’Leary added, are an important consideration for homebuyers, including first-time buyers and families with children.
“It’s very important, because it makes the town more desirable,” she said. “A lot of our homebuyers are first-time homebuyers, or they have kids, and a lot of people want to come here for that reason.”
Donna Einemann, a branch manager with Douglas Elliman Inc.’s Rockville Centre office, said that recognition such as the U.S. News ranking can attract the attention of prospective buyers.
“Accolades like a top ranking from U.S. News & World Report definitely catch the attention of buyers,”
Einemann said. “In today’s market, prospective purchasers do extensive research, and recognized academic achievements reinforce the overall desirability of Rockville Centre.”
Einemann said that schools are among the factors her buyers research when considering communities on Long Island. She added that buyers also research Rockville Centre’s extracurricular offerings, downtown, commuting options and community resources.
Both managers said the number of homes currently available for sale in the village remains limited. Strong demand, elevated average sales prices and low inventory, meaning fewer homes are available than there are buyers, continue to characterize the market, Einemann said.
“Positive milestones like the U.S. News & World Report ranking provide an added layer of confidence for buyers actively evaluating the South Shore,” she said, “helping keep Rockville Centre top of mind as we move into the fall market.”
Homes.com lists the average home price in Rockville Centre at about $865,000, with some single-family homes listed for as much as $3.35 million. The highest-priced listings are concentrated largely in the northern and northwestern sections of the village, particularly the Old Canterbury area, where several homes are listed for more than $1 million.
August is typically a slower month for real estate activity, O’Leary said, but she expects the market to pick up again. She also said that August typically includes a significant number of closings, as buyers seek to move into their homes before the school year begins.
There are three school districts associated with the village. Most residents live in the Rockville Centre district, but some 20 percent live in the Oceanside district, and a few streets fall within the Baldwin district.
O’Leary said that some buyers are specifically seeking homes in the Rockville Centre district when they look at properties in the village. But prospective buyers, Einemann said, typically begin by researching neighborhood characteristics, village amenities and the school district in its entirety rather than focusing on South Side High School.
“As buyers dig into their independent research and follow accolades like the U.S. News & World Report 2026-27 rankings, the South Side name quickly becomes recognizable after doing their research,” Einemann said.
“Long Island has a wide array of desirable towns, and a top ranking like this certainly broadens Rockville Centre’s visibility,” she said. “For prospective buyers comparing multiple communities across Nassau and Suffolk, high-profile recognitions often prompt them to expand their search radius and take a closer look at what the South Shore has to offer.”
O’Leary said that real estate agents can’t offer their own opinions about schools. Instead, she said, agents direct buyers to outside sources and encourage them to do their own research.
“We are the source of the source,” she said. “We encourage buyers to do their research, and then we can direct them to a recent publication to show the results of those types of indicators.”
