Buying a vacation home is the in thing to do since the pandemic. The National Association of REALTORS® reported last week that vacation home sales have posted double-digit growth over the past year, climbing 57% annually in 2020.
But vacation homes can be pricey. Realtor.com®’s research team analyzed 1,300 towns nationwide to pinpoint the best affordable beach towns, offering not only easy ocean access but plenty of activities too. Most of the locations are smaller areas along the East Coast.
“The pandemic did drive more buyers to want fresh air and wide-open spaces,” Brad Hunter, president of Hunter Housing Economics, a housing market research and consulting firm, told realtor.com®. “I expect the strength in demand to persist long after the pandemic is a distant memory.”
Realtor.com® identified some of the following towns as the most affordable beach towns for 2021:
1. Atlantic City, N.J.
- Median home list price: $145,000
2. Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- Median home list price: $237,000
3. Daytona Beach, Fla.
- Median home list price: $239,000
4. Rockland, Maine
- Median home list price: $250,000
5. Swansboro, N.C.
- Median home list price: $310,000
6. Chincoteague Island, Va.
- Median home list price: $389,000
7. Long Beach, Wash.
- Median home list price: $399,000
View the full list of most affordable beach towns in 2021 at realtor.com®.