The six most affordable US beach towns for homebuyers in 2025

Daily Mail​

5 hours ago

'Beach home' is a term that most would equate with unaffordability.
But, there are a number of under-the-radar spots where ocean side homes are considered affordable.
From the shores of Mississippi to the cool waters of the Pacific Northwest, these are the best-value beach towns in America for 2025.
A dozen US beach towns still offer median home prices well below the national average — with some starting as low as $165,000, reports Realtor.com. All of the median sale prices are as of April 2025.
1. Pascagoula, Mississippi
The number one budget-friendly seaside escape this year is Pascagoula, Mississippi, where the median list price is $165,610.
A two-bedroom home just blocks from Buffett Beach — named after the late singer Jimmy Buffett, who was born here — is listed at $139,900.
The city even named its main public beach after the 'Margaritaville' singer, and hosted him in 2015 for a concert and bridge dedication.
In addition to Buffet Beach and Buffet Bridge, Pascagoula features plenty of other attractions including a public fishing pier and a nine-hole regulation golf course.
Known as 'Mississippi's Flagship City,' this Gulf Coast town has the Pascagoula Country Club, Petit Bois Island, and the famed La Pointe-Krebs House.
A short ride away is Petit Bois Island, a federally protected wilderness area.
'Pascagoula has made a concerted effort to revive its downtown district over the last decade. We're seeing the payoff at work,' says local realtor Jacqueline Ready.
'There are gorgeous waterfront and water-view homes, both historic and new build. The ancient oaks are just stunning, rivaling Savannah. It's absolutely a success story.'
2. Deerfield Beach, Florida
The second most affordable town is Deerfield Beach, Florida, where the median list price is $211,000.
Just north of Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach gives its 87,000 residents easy access to an award-winning 'Blue Wave' beach and a massive fishing pier.
A two-bedroom condo minutes from the surf is currently listed at $214,900.
The famed Florida Renaissance Festival takes place here annually.
The coastal location boasts a wide range of water sports and activities, and is also home to an impressive fishing pier, boardwalk and arboretum.
There is also Deerfield Island Park, a county-run nature refuge accessible only by free boat rides from the mainland, available every weekend.
The town ranked well primarily due to the city's abundance of moderately priced condos.
3. Atlantic City, New Jersey
New Jersey's shores made the list, with Atlantic City coming in at number three.
It's not all smoky casinos and gambling — Atlantic City is also one of the most affordable spots to buy a beachfront home on the East Coast with an average home price of $242,000.
One brand-new two-bedroom condo is listed for $235,000, steps from the city's iconic wooden boardwalk and public beaches.
Flanked by the city's boardwalk, the beach is among the region's best in the summer, and often plays venue to concerts and other gatherings year-round.
The city's famous footpath is also filled with dining and shopping options — making it a crown jewel of the Jersey Shore.
4. Port Richey, Florida
Port Richey, Florida, is number four, with a median list price of $255,000.
With just 3,500 residents, this suburb of Tampa offers low property taxes, affordable homes (like a two-bedroom home for $254,900), and proximity to parks and nature preserves.
Filled with marinas, docks and parks, there's shopping, golfing and waterfront restaurants.
The town's historic Main Street gives it a small town feel.
Johnny Cash owned a home in the town until 2002.
5. Port Lavaca, Texas
Port Lavaca, Texas, is number five with an average home price of $292,000.
Halfway along the Texas Gulf Coast, Port Lavaca draws nature lovers and bird watchers thanks to its location along a major migratory bird flight path.
A waterfront, fully furnished, four-bedroom house is currently listed for $324,000.
History lovers can visit the La Salle Monument or Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse, while others relax at Magnolia Beach or enjoy the parks.
Port Lacava, Texas is filled with natural wildlife and white sandy beaches
6. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The median list price of a home in Myrtle Beach is $299,000.
Myrtle Beach has an abundance of affordable condos and cottages.
A two-bedroom cottage near the beach is on the market for $299,950.
Set in the midst of an uninterrupted 60-mile stretch of beaches, the town also offers an abundance of amusements like Ripley's Aquarium, the Hollywood Wax Museum, and a 187-foot tall Ferris wheel known as the SkyWheel.
Myrtle Beach also boasts a board walk, one that offers impressive views of this scenic segment of South Carolina's Grand Strand.
More affordable beach towns across the US
7. Ocean Springs, MS – $302,500
8. Corpus Christi, TX – $310,000
9. Surfside Beach, SC – $310,925
10. Long Beach, WA – $403,188
11. Ocean Shores, WA – $409,900
12. Ocean City, MD – $454,500
(Median list price in April 2025)
Meanwhile, elsewhere across the US, people are ditching their vacation homes at a rapid rate.
Fresh fears of a housing market crash — and a shrinking pool of renters — are making sellers uneasy.
The number of people buying second homes has plunged to its lowest level since records began, and is under a third of what it was during the pandemic boom.
A toxic mix of sky-high mortgage rates, soaring maintenance costs, and a widespread return-to-office push is fueling the trend.
In 2024, just 86,604 mortgages were issued for second homes across the United States.
That's a 5 percent drop from the year before and down dramatically from 258,289 in 2021.
At the height of the pandemic, remote workers who could afford it were fleeing big cities in droves and buying up homes in sunny spots like Florida and California.
Those days are over.
Vacation homes (second homes) made up just 2.6 percent of all US mortgages last year, according to Redfin. That's half what it was in 2020.
Redfin began keeping records in 2018, when there were 175,644 second home mortgages in the US. They rose after that steadily until 2021 and have been falling since.
'Most people aren't buying vacation homes at all because mortgage rates and insurance costs — especially for waterfront properties — have skyrocketed,' said Lindsay Garcia, a Redfin Premier agent in Fort Lauderdale.