RealtyTrac has released a special report on the best beach town housing markets based on home values, weather, air quality and crime rates. For the report, RealtyTrac first selected the top 100 best beach towns based on four criteria: Average temperature, percent of sunny days, percentage of days with good air quality, and crime rates. The top 100 towns based on these criteria were then sorted by median value of single family homes and condos, from lowest to highest. The top 20 markets all had median home values below $1 million.
“Buying near the beach is one of the best ways to ensure a property will appreciate in value,” said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. “Whether buying for retirement, a vacation home or a primary residence, homes located in quality beach towns benefit from virtually unlimited demand and a finite supply of land to build on.”
Four of the top 20 beach town housing markets were in Florida, led by Hobe Sound, a town of less than 15,000 located in Martin County about halfway between West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie. Hobe Sound had an average temperature of 76 degrees, 64 percent sunny days, 98 percent of days with good air quality and a crime grade of A+. The town ranked number one on the list thanks to its low median estimated market value of homes and condos: $191,189.
Other Florida beach towns in the top 20 were Naples at number two and Marco Island at number five, both in Southwest Florida, and Key Biscayne south of Miami at number 20. Key Biscayne had a median property value of $922,002.
Hawaii accounted for 11 of the top 20 beach town housing markets, the most of any state, led by Waianae in Honolulu County on the island of Oahu. An average temperature of 76 degrees, 74 percent sunny days and 100 percent days with good air quality boosted Waianae into the 100 best beach towns, and a relatively low median home value of $309,328 helped it rank number three among the top 20.
Other Hawaii beach towns among the top 20 were Wailuku at number four, Kahului at number seven, Kihei at number nine, and Lahaina at number 12—all on the island of Maui—and Ewa Beach at number eight, Waipahu at number 10, Honolulu at number 13, Pearl City at number 14, Kaneohe at number 15, and Kailua at number 18—all on the island of Oahu.
Five California beach towns were in the top 20, led by Los Osos in San Luis Obispo County on the Central Coast of the state. The town of about 15,000 had an average temperature of 60 degrees, 78 percent sunny days, 100 percent good air quality days and an A crime rate grade. Its $418,403 median home value was the lowest among all California beach towns on the list and ranked it number six among the top 20.
Other California beach towns among the top 20 were Morro Bay at number 11, also on the state’s Central Coast, along with the Southern California towns of Dana Point at number 16, Seal Beach at number 17, and San Clemente at number 19.
