When families relocate to Scottsdale and Greater Phoenix, they often begin by asking me about neighborhoods, commute times and homes.
But some families start somewhere else entirely:
BASIS.
I have worked with families relocating to Arizona for Intel and with physicians moving here for positions at our major hospitals who put their children on BASIS waitlists before we ever begin looking at houses.
Some have said to me very directly:
“We will live wherever we can get our kids into BASIS.”
After helping families relocate throughout Greater Phoenix for more than two decades, I have seen firsthand how strongly a school choice can influence a real estate search.
For some families relocating to Arizona, BASIS is the starting point. The house comes second.
The newly released 2026–2027 U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings help explain why.
The 2026–2027 U.S. News rankings placed 13 BASIS Charter Schools campuses among the Top 100 charter high schools in the United States.
Even more impressive, 12 BASIS campuses ranked among the Top 100 public high schools overall in America.
Arizona was particularly well represented.
According to the rankings, 13 Arizona public high schools made the national Top 100, including 11 BASIS campuses.
The Arizona schools in the national Top 100 are:
For families researching the best high schools in Arizona, that is a significant national showing.
U.S. News evaluated more than 27,000 public high schools for its 2026–2027 rankings and nationally ranked 17,945 schools using data from the 2023–2024 academic year.
For families considering a move to Scottsdale, the numbers are particularly noteworthy.
BASIS Scottsdale ranked:
That STEM ranking is especially significant.
Five BASIS campuses were ranked among the Top 10 STEM high schools in America:
For a state attracting professionals in medicine, semiconductor manufacturing, technology, engineering and other highly specialized industries, those educational options matter.
And I see that connection at the kitchen table with relocating families.
National rankings tell you how a school performs on paper.
My perspective comes from watching how families actually make relocation decisions.
A family relocating for a position with Intel may initially think they need to live close to work.
A physician moving to Greater Phoenix for one of our hospitals may arrive with Scottsdale, Paradise Valley or another community already in mind.
Then we start talking about their children.
If BASIS is a priority, the entire search can shift.
I have had clients put their children on BASIS waitlists before they begin house hunting. Instead of choosing a house and then figuring out the school, they wait to see what school opportunities may become available and allow that information to influence where we search for homes.
That can change:
This is why relocation is rarely as simple as drawing a radius around an employer.
The best location is the one that makes the family's entire life work.
For many relocating families, I think the answer is: research the schools before narrowing the home search.
That doesn't mean every family should choose BASIS or any other particular school.
It means you should understand your educational options before falling in love with a house.
Arizona gives families several different paths to investigate, including:
That is different from some parts of the country where families begin and end their school search with the neighborhood school assigned to a particular address.
When relocating to Scottsdale or Greater Phoenix, school research and real estate research often need to happen at the same time.
No.
This is an important distinction for relocating parents to understand.
BASIS Charter Schools are tuition-free public charter schools and do not operate like a traditional neighborhood school where purchasing a home inside a particular attendance boundary automatically guarantees placement.
According to BASIS Charter Schools, the schools are open to all students and do not require entrance exams. Families should review the current BASIS enrollment process, application dates, lottery procedures and availability directly with BASIS before making a housing decision based upon a particular campus.
I encourage relocation clients to do that early.
In fact, some of my clients have started the BASIS application or waitlist process before they even start touring homes with me.
Once we understand the possible school locations, we can evaluate the housing options around them.
BASIS Scottsdale is located in North Scottsdale at 10400 N. 128th Street, Scottsdale, Arizona.
But when a family tells me they want to be near BASIS Scottsdale, I don't simply search for the closest house.
We look at the bigger picture.
Where will the parents work?
What will the morning and afternoon drive look like?
Do they want a gated community?
Are they looking for a larger homesite?
Do they want a golf community?
How important is proximity to shopping, restaurants, hiking and activities?
Will one parent be commuting toward Phoenix, the Scottsdale medical corridor or another part of the Valley?
Those questions matter because a relocation that looks easy on a map may feel very different during the morning school and work commute.
The same conversation happens in the East Valley.
BASIS Chandler ranked #38 nationally and #3 among STEM high schools in the country in the 2026–2027 U.S. News rankings.
That makes it particularly relevant for families researching Chandler homes, Intel relocations and East Valley schools.
A family moving for Intel might naturally begin by searching Chandler real estate close to the employment campuses.
But when school preferences enter the conversation, we may also compare areas of Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Ahwatukee and other nearby communities depending on the family's priorities.
Again, the home search follows the life.
Not the other way around.
Online home searches make real estate look simple.
Choose a price.
Choose the number of bedrooms.
Draw a circle on a map.
Start scrolling.
Relocation doesn't work that way.
A successful move to Scottsdale or Greater Phoenix requires understanding how schools, employment, commute patterns, neighborhoods and lifestyle intersect.
I have been helping families buy and sell homes in Arizona since 2004, and relocation has become a major part of our business. Over the years, I have helped families moving for corporate positions, physicians and medical professionals, executives, second-home buyers and families simply choosing Arizona for their next chapter.
One lesson continues to repeat itself:
The house cannot be separated from the life you are trying to build around it.
For families with children, school choice may be one of the most important pieces of that decision.
A school ranking doesn't tell a family where they should live.
And no ranking can tell you whether a particular school is the right fit for an individual child.
But the national recognition of Arizona's schools is relevant to the relocation conversation.
Arizona placed 13 public high schools among America's Top 100 in the 2026–2027 U.S. News rankings.
BASIS Charter Schools placed 12 campuses among the Top 100 public high schools nationally and 13 campuses among the Top 100 charter high schools.
BASIS Scottsdale ranked #51 nationally and #5 nationally for STEM.
Those are facts families researching a move to Arizona are likely to encounter.
What the rankings don't show is what I see in practice:
Some relocating families care so much about access to BASIS that they begin the school process before they begin the real estate process.
They put their children on the waitlist.
Then they call me about the house.
That is why one of the most important pieces of advice I can give a family relocating to Scottsdale or Greater Phoenix is this:
Before you fall in love with a home, understand the life surrounding it.
Research the schools.
Understand your commute.
Learn the differences between Scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert and the surrounding communities.
Determine which things are truly non-negotiable for your family.
Then start looking at houses.
A beautiful home in the wrong location can make everyday life difficult.
The right community can make Arizona feel like home remarkably quickly.
And sometimes, the decision about where to live begins with a school waitlist long before the first front door ever opens.
Yes. BASIS Scottsdale was ranked #51 among public high schools nationally in the 2026–2027 U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings. It also ranked #7 in Arizona, #9 among U.S. charter high schools and #5 nationally for STEM.
In the 2026–2027 U.S. News rankings, 12 BASIS campuses ranked among the Top 100 public high schools overall, while 13 BASIS campuses ranked among the Top 100 charter high schools.
Thirteen Arizona public high schools ranked among the Top 100 nationally in the 2026–2027 U.S. News Best High Schools rankings.
BASIS Scottsdale is a tuition-free public charter school.
No. Buying a home near BASIS Scottsdale does not guarantee enrollment. Families should verify current application, enrollment, lottery and waitlist procedures directly with BASIS Charter Schools.
For families where education is a major priority, researching schools before narrowing the home search can be extremely helpful. School choice may affect which Scottsdale or Greater Phoenix communities best fit a family's commute and daily lifestyle.
In my own relocation practice, I have worked with families moving for Intel and physicians relocating for hospital positions who made BASIS a major factor in deciding where they would live. Some placed their children on BASIS waitlists before beginning their home search and told me they would consider living wherever their children could attend BASIS.
The answer depends on more than distance from the campus. Families should also evaluate work locations, commute times, housing preferences, budget and lifestyle. North Scottsdale offers a wide range of communities, from family-oriented neighborhoods to gated, golf and luxury communities.
Colleen Olson, CLHMS | CRS, has been helping families buy and sell real estate throughout Scottsdale and Greater Phoenix since 2004. Colleen and her son Connor Olson specialize in Scottsdale luxury real estate, corporate and physician relocation, second homes and helping buyers understand the meaningful differences between Arizona communities before choosing a home.
Colleen is the creator of Say Yes To This Address® and has helped 726+ families representing more than $412 million in career real estate sales.
For buyers considering a move to Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert or the surrounding Greater Phoenix area, the goal is not simply to find a house.
It is to find the part of Arizona where your life works—and then find the house that belongs in it.
Ranking information in this article is based on the U.S. News & World Report 2026–2027 Best High Schools rankings, released August 18, 2026, and the August 18, 2026 BASIS Charter Schools ranking announcement. Families should independently verify current school rankings, enrollment procedures, attendance information and availability directly with the appropriate school or school system before making educational or real estate decisions.
11333 N SCOTTSDALE RD STE 100 SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85254
11333 N SCOTTSDALE RD STE 100 SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85254