Working in Cranberry Township. (Pittsburgh, Butler: home, purchase, best schools)

[agscout]

Sounds like Cranberry township is the new hot place in the Pittsburgh area. I will be working there soon and I am looking for a place to live. Cost aside, where are the best schools and value for living? We are a large family (4 kids, all 13-2) and education is our top priority now. Additionally, soccer (premier and travel) are child activities (in addition to school activities). I am not really looking for a huge commute. I am extremely spoiled now in that I live 8 miles from work 10-15 min commute, but it seems like forever in that I do not have to pass work every time I leave the house. Any help is appreciated.

[greg42]

It certainly is a growing place. I wouldn't call it the hot new place. It's not that new and hot is really subjective. But new stuff (both residential and commercial) continues to be built there.

The value is better probably right in Cranberry Township or neighboring within Butler County due to lower property taxes. Cranberry is in Seneca Valley school district, which is now pretty large, but it's good. Next door Mars Area school district is smaller but still good; if that is preferable you can look in Adams Township which is effectively next door to Cranberry (also serves Mars and Valencia boroughs and Middlesex Township).

A couple of the tip top school districts in the area are over the border in more expensive Allegheny County, though. You could look in Marshall Township, in North Allegheny school district or Pine Township, in Pine-Richland school district, without having too long a commute. But, it could still easily end up more than 10-15 minutes depending upon location due to road configurations, etc. Although even staying in Cranberry you can have a few-mile commute that takes over 10 minutes with traffic issues and lights. Still, unless there's a specific program you want that comes from one of the Allegheny districts, it may not justify what is likely to be a significant difference in cost (not always, but likely).

Don't know anything about soccer in the area, except that it's out there.

[gameguy56]

Originally Posted by greg42

It certainly is a growing place. I wouldn't call it the hot new place. It's not that new and hot is really subjective. But new stuff (both residential and commercial) continues to be built there.

The value is better probably right in Cranberry Township or neighboring within Butler County due to lower property taxes. Cranberry is in Seneca Valley school district, which is now pretty large, but it's good. Next door Mars Area school district is smaller but still good; if that is preferable you can look in Adams Township which is effectively next door to Cranberry (also serves Mars and Valencia boroughs and Middlesex Township).

A couple of the tip top school districts in the area are over the border in more expensive Allegheny County, though. You could look in Marshall Township, in North Allegheny school district or Pine Township, in Pine-Richland school district, without having too long a commute. But, it could still easily end up more than 10-15 minutes depending upon location due to road configurations, etc. Although even staying in Cranberry you can have a few-mile commute that takes over 10 minutes with traffic issues and lights. Still, unless there's a specific program you want that comes from one of the Allegheny districts, it may not justify what is likely to be a significant difference in cost (not always, but likely).

Don't know anything about soccer in the area, except that it's out there.

Yeah, I would say that Allegheny County does have better schools, but it depends if you think it's worth the tax hit or not.

[rapchef2]

We bought in Mars borough last year because the property taxes are much, much lower. We felt Seneca was much too large a school district, and the only other option for us was Mars. The school district is fine, but still too big for my taste since we are accustomed to a smaller and more personal school. We heard from a lot of parents that Seneca Valley has more drug problems and is just a rougher school, but I can't say that from any personal experience. Mars is growing very fast, and the school seems to be handling the growth okay, but I think there are areas where the school may have a harder time adjusting to the growth. Also be aware that Mars has the same 1% additional income tax that Alleghany county has. We were unaware of this until tax time, so just a heads up to be prepared. If we could have stretched my husband's commute any further, I would have liked to look up towards Saxonburg, but I don't know anything about those schools.

[Bong477]

Most of the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh are pretty nice, its hard to go wrong with any of them.

Pine-Richland, North Allegheny, Seneca Valley, Hampton and Mars are all considered good school districts and living in them should keep your commute pretty reasonable. You'll pay significantly more in Allegheny County compared to Butler county for what are probably slightly better schools and being closer to the city.

[Retiredcoach]

I was faced with the choices that you are about to make for your family about 15 years ago. We planned to build in a very nice Adams Township/Mars community (had a lot deposit and home blueprints in place). We liked the fact that taxes were supposedly lower, but beyond that, we could not find another reason to want to move from North Allegheny.

We opted to purchase a home in North Allegheny School District, and never once regretted our decision. The schools within this district are nationally renowned for excellence (Blue Ribbon Schools throughout). The community amenities are second to none, including parks, 2 colleges, shopping, large library, shopping, extraordinarily safe in a location for easy commutes. In fact, Wexford (a post office that was erroneously designated as a small city by Sperlings) was named as one of the best places to live in the country a few years back, is shared by the Pine-Richland/North Allegheny Districts. When it comes to educational quality, North Allegheny has the awards to distinguish it from most schools in the northern area, but Pine-Richland and Hampton are making significant strides in their own rights. Seneca Valley and Mars are on a significantly lower tier when compared to these three districts in terms of perceived educational quality. For less than $6000 annually in property taxes, my 3 children have/are receiving a superior education in a nationally renowned school district within an extraordinary community (including youth athletic opportunities). We live in a 3100 square foot home (4300 square feet with the finished gameroom) on a 1+ level acre that is 31 years old. For us, our decision was a no brainer then and continues to be a no brainer as we review our choices. Good luck!!