Public schools in Minnesota's Wright County community of Delano ranked No. 1 in the nation in Forbes magazine's recent survey "Best Schools for Your Housing Buck."

The magazine concluded that the majority of high-performing schools in communities with affordable housing are in Ohio, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

It used a complex system involving databases focused on school test scores and home values to calculate the ratings. "This doesn't mean that there aren't great schools elsewhere, but in most cases you'll have to pay to put your kids in them," wrote magazine editor Daniel Fisher.

Delano has a population of just over 5,500. "If you walked through downtown Delano and met young parents and asked them why they moved here, they'd say the school district," Delano Superintendent Matt Schoen said in a news release.

For more information, go to www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2013/09/26/midwest-dominates-2013-best-schools-for-your-housing-buck/.

PAMELA MILLER