Moving to a new city can be quite challenging and scary at times. Especially if you do not know anyone in the neighbourhood, don’t know how close necessities are like grocery stores and hospitals, and don’t know if there are quality schools nearby.

These are all very important things to know about a neighbourhood before you move there. Some of these factors could even make or break your decision as to whether or not you move there. The house may be gorgeous and for a great price, but these 3 data points are essential to know before your move.

Walking Score 

A walking score is a score out of 100 and it is based on how easily accessible amenities are near the property you are viewing. If a grocery store is a 3-minute walk from the home, then the walking score will be quite high, but if it requires a car, then it will be lower. 

This is useful when looking for properties because if you don’t have a car, then knowing that everything is within walking distance will be helpful. A walking score has 5 different levels and it goes as follows: 

• 90-100: Daily errands that you don’t need a car for 
• 70-89: Most errands are within walking distance
• 50-69: Some errands can be done without a car 
• 25-49: Most errands require a car 
• 0-24: Almost all errands require a car 

These can be found when you choose a property you are interested in and click the description. In this tab, you will see a description of the property you are currently viewing and then the walking score, transit score and bike score. 

Transit Score

Let’s say that you don’t have a car and the property you are looking at does not have a great walk score, but it does have public transit; this is where the transit score will come in handy. The transit score has 5 tiers similar to the walking score and is rated out of 100. The rankings go as follows: 

• 90-100: Amazing public transit that covers many areas
• 70-89: Transit is convenient for most trips 
• 50-69: There are many transit options available when needed
• 25-49: Only a few transit options are available
• 0-24: It is possible to get on a bus

The transit scores can be found next to the walk score which is under a property, in the description tab. Many people like to see the transit system because, whether it be for their schooling, job or errands, knowing if the region you live in allows you to get around or not is vital information. 

School Zones

Understanding school zones is very helpful when families are moving and they want to settle down in an area where their children can attend a credible school with a good reputation. This feature on Zoocasa’s website shows homes for sale in each school boundary so home buyers can see where each school zone lies. Zoocasa also rates the school zone out of 4 which is based on Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) scores. 

EQAO tests show how well the students at the school are grasping concepts in reading, writing and math which reflects the quality of the teaching material. Parents want their children to go to a school that possesses quality teaching so this is a great way to see listings in school zones with quality schools. 

School zones can be found when you search a city on Zoocasa’s website and then hit map view. From there, on the right side, there will be a graduation hat icon. Click that and from there you can show home listings in that area and filter by elementary, secondary, public, catholic, and language schools.

Zoocasa (Tyson Hill, November 4,2023)