A large majority of Americans dream of owning real estate near the beach, but waterfront home prices make this aspiration out of reach for many.
To find out which ocean-side cities have the lowest housing costs today, the team at Realtor.com analyzed pricing data all across the country in order to come up with their Most Affordable Beach Towns in America list.
The beach towns that made the ranking this year all have median home listing prices under $450,000 and offer prospective buyers a number of options including condos, which are typically priced lower than single-family homes and contributed to the lower median list prices.
While the list includes some usual suspects on Mississippi’s Gulf Shore, the West Coast made an appearance with two showings for the first time and Cape Cod enthusiasts also might get lucky in the Northeast.
According to Realtor.com, the most affordable beach towns in 2024 include:
| Rank | City | Median List Price |
| 1 | Pascagoula, Mississippi | $164,900 |
| 2 | Atlantic City, New Jersey | $239,000 |
| 3 | Deerfield Beach, Florida | $239,950 |
| 4 | Dennis Port, Massachusetts | $277,500 |
| 5 | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | $299,500 |
| 6 | Corpus Christi, Texas | $315,000 |
| 7 | Sunset Beach, North Carolina | $340,000 |
| 8 | Grand Isle, Louisiana | $375,000 |
| 9 | Newport, Oregon | $399,950 |
| 10 | Ocean Shores, Washington | $425,000 |
| Based on data as of March 2024 | ||
"Water lovers on a budget may want to check out No. 1 ranked Pascagoula, Mississippi. It's located off of 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 Keith Griffith, journalist at Realtor.com. "Pascagoula is also home to Chevron's largest refinery and Ingalls Shipbuilding, which is Mississippi's largest manufacturing employer, indicating the great mix between work and play that makes the beach town an attractive place to live."
