$480K buys a 4-room flat within 1km of Singapore's most oversubscribed primary school
The 1km race feels like a game for the wealthy. The data says otherwise. Of Singapore's 50 most-wanted primary schools, 46 have HDB flats inside the 1km priority zone, and the cheapest sit far below what the prestige catchments command.
The value plays: high demand, low price
These schools all balloted at Phase 2C 2025 — real, measured demand — yet their nearby 4-room flats are among the cheapest of any popular catchment. Ranked by typical 4-room resale price within 1km, cheapest first. The ballot ratio is applicants per vacancy.
The cheapest doors in
Forget the median for a moment. These are the single lowest-priced resale blocks sitting inside the 1km zone of a sought-after school — the cheapest individual address that still buys you priority.
| # | Block | Within 1km of | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blk 191 Boon Lay Drive | Rulang | $207,500 |
| 2 | Blk 7 Telok Blangah Crescent | Radin Mas | $207,500 |
| 3 | Blk 113 Bedok North Street 2 | Red Swastika | $212,500 |
| 4 | Blk 55 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh | Pei Chun Public | $212,500 |
| 5 | Blk 438 Yishun Avenue 11 | Northland | $215,500 |
| 6 | Blk 438 Yishun Avenue 11 | North View | $215,500 |
| 7 | Blk 28 Jalan Bahagia | Hong Wen | $225,000 |
| 8 | Blk 38 Bedok South Road | Temasek | $225,000 |
Median resale price for the block across all its recorded transactions. A specific unit's price varies with floor, flat type, and remaining lease.
The prestige ceiling
The other end of the curve. Where a brand-name school sits inside a mature, high-value estate, the 1km flats price accordingly — up to 2.0× the cheapest catchment. The GEP and SAP tags below mark Gifted-offering and Special Assistance Plan schools.
| # | School | Profile | 4-room within 1km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry Park | GEP | $825,000 |
| 2 | Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) | 1.67× ballot | $760,444 |
| 3 | Pei Hwa Presbyterian | SAP | $702,750 |
| 4 | Maris Stella High School (Primary) | 2× ballot | $685,000 |
| 5 | Catholic High | GEP · SAP | $635,000 |
| 6 | Kong Hwa | SAP | $618,000 |
| 7 | Radin Mas | 2.04× ballot | $618,000 |
| 8 | Angsana | 2.83× ballot | $597,500 |
18 of the popular schools carry a GEP or SAP tag. The cheapest GEP/SAP catchment within 1km is Rosyth School at $428,000.
The 3 you can't buy your way into
For most popular schools, an HDB flat can put you inside the 1km zone. For these 3, it can't — there are no HDB blocks within 1km, so private property or the 1–2km band is the only route to a distance-priority advantage.
No HDB within 1km. Nearest options begin in the 1–2km band, where the cheapest block is $350,000.
No HDB within 1km. Nearest options begin in the 1–2km band, where the cheapest block is $237,500.
No HDB within 1km. Nearest options begin in the 1–2km band, where the cheapest block is $314,000.
Full detail on each: which primary schools have no HDB within 1km.
About this analysis
Methodology
We take 50 of Singapore's most oversubscribed and brand-name primary schools and, for each, find every HDB block within 1km of the school (straight-line distance from the MOE postal-code coordinate). Each block's per-flat-type median is computed from its own recorded transactions. "Typical 4-room" is the median of those block-level 4-room medians across the catchment. Ballot ratios are applicants per vacancy at Phase 2C of the 2025 P1 exercise, for Singapore Citizens within 1km (the most competitive open band), compiled by p1registration.sg from MOE registration data. One caveat worth knowing: Phase 2C is the final, open phase — brand-name schools fill many seats earlier through alumni and affiliation (Phases 2A/2B), so a 2C ratio understates their overall demand, and a few are even undersubscribed at 2C (CHIJ Katong and Zhonghua had more 1km places than applicants in 2025). Phase 2C demand is dominated by nearby families, which is exactly why heartland schools in fast-growing BTO towns top this list. "Value" ranks ballot ratio against the typical 4-room price. Prices are from data.gov.sg, refreshed monthly; ballot figures are a 2025 snapshot and shift year to year. This is data journalism, not admissions or financial advice. See our methodology page and the per-school detail under HDB homes near popular schools.
Frequently asked questions
Which oversubscribed primary school has the cheapest HDB flats within 1km?
Wellington Primary School in Sembawang has the lowest typical 4-room resale price within 1km at $413,500, despite balloting at 2.6x at Phase 2C 2025. Chongfu School ($420,000, 3.45x) is next.
What is the cheapest HDB flat you can buy within 1km of a popular primary school?
The single cheapest is Block 191 Boon Lay Drive at $207,500 median, inside the 1km zone of Rulang Primary School. Several other sought-after catchments have entry blocks under $225K.
Are flats near top primary schools more expensive?
Not uniformly. Typical 4-room prices within 1km of these 50 schools range from $413,500 to $825,000 — a gap of 2.0x. The most affordable catchments are heartland schools in Yishun, Jurong, Bedok and Sembawang; the dearest cluster around Bukit Timah and the mature central estates.
Which is the most expensive primary school catchment?
Henry Park Primary School has the highest typical 4-room price within 1km at $825,000. Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) ($760,444) is second. These catchments combine prestige schools with mature, high-value estates.
Can I buy an HDB flat within 1km of any primary school?
No. 3 of the 50 most-wanted schools have zero HDB blocks within 1km — Anglo-Chinese School (Junior), Anglo-Chinese School (Primary), Singapore Chinese Girls' Primary School — so an HDB flat cannot secure 1km admission priority for them. The nearest HDB options sit in the 1–2km band.
How is "value" defined here?
Demand-per-dollar: a school's Phase 2C 2025 ballot ratio (applicants per vacancy) divided by the typical 4-room resale price within 1km. A high ballot ratio paired with cheap nearby flats means strong demand you can afford to live beside. Princess Elizabeth Primary School leads, balloting 5.8x with 4-room flats around $480,000.
Find the homes near your school
See every HDB block within 1km of a popular primary school, mapped and priced.