Most Americans say they dream of owning a vacation home, according to a new realtor.com® survey, and many hope it’s near a beach. But beachside property often comes with a hefty price tag.
Realtor.com® found pockets across the country offering bargains on the beach in its list of America’s 10 most affordable beach towns, which analyzes median list prices for single-family homes and condos in coastal cities and towns nationwide. In the top five cities, waterfront property can be had for less than $300,000.
For example, in Pascagoula, Miss., a city of about 22,000 on the Gulf Shore that ranked number one on realtor.com®’s list, home buyers can snatch up a waterfront property for a median of $164,900. “It’s located off two major waterways—the Gulf of Mexico and the Pascagoula River—and offers a lot of fun outdoor activities, from fishing off the pier, to kayaking in its unimpeded river system, to an annual summer music festival,” says Ketih Griffith, a writer for realtor.com®.
Here are the housing markets that topped realtor.com®’s rankings (based on March listing data):
- Pascagoula, Miss.
Median list price: $164,900 - Atlantic City, N.J.
Median list price: $239,000 - Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Median list price: $239,950 - Dennis Port, Mass.
Median list price: $277,500 - Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Median list price: $299,500 - Corpus Christi, Texas
Median list price: $315,000 - Sunset Beach, N.C.
Median list price: $340,000 - Grand Isle, La.
Median list price: $375,000 - Newport, Ore.
Median list price: $399,950 - Ocean Shores, Wash.
Median list price: $425,000