NEW YORK, NY — If you want a place that feels like a getaway without the nonstop resort price tag, a new roundup points to 20 U.S. beach towns with broad appeal and relatively lower typical home values than many famous coastal destinations.
The list spans the Atlantic, Gulf Coast, and Long Island Sound, mixing classic boardwalk cities, quieter shoreline communities, and places with museums, festivals, and outdoor recreation.
Florida dominates the list with beach access and entertainment
Florida claims the largest share of the towns highlighted, including Daytona Beach, Deerfield Beach, Hallandale Beach, Pinellas Park, Palm Coast, Largo, Pompano Beach, Delray Beach, Clearwater, Bradenton, St. Petersburg, Ormond Beach, Oakland Park, Riviera Beach, West Palm Beach, and Navarre.
Many of those cities pair shoreline access with extra attractions such as arts districts, aquarium visits, racing, state parks, and strong restaurant scenes. Typical home values in the group range from the mid-$200,000s to just over $400,000.
Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast cities add boards, museums, and golf
Outside Florida, the list includes Atlantic City, Myrtle Beach, West Haven, and Galveston. Each offers a different version of beach living, from Atlantic City’s boardwalk and casino scene to Myrtle Beach’s 60 miles of sand and 90 golf courses.
West Haven is noted for the longest stretch of public beaches in Connecticut and proximity to New York City, while Galveston stands out as Texas’s only seaside city in the roundup, with beaches, museums, galleries, and restaurants along the Gulf.
Smaller communities offer quieter coastal living
Several of the towns are pitched as lower-key alternatives to bigger beach destinations. Deerfield Beach, Hallandale Beach, and Oakland Park are all described as smaller communities with easy access to South Florida beaches and nearby metro areas.
Navarre, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, is presented as a tranquil option with white sand, clear water, and nearby refuges and conservation centers. Ormond Beach and Bradenton also lean into a mix of calmer shoreline access and cultural sites.
What the typical home values show
The roundup includes typical home values for each town, with Atlantic City listed at $215,691 and Daytona Beach at $250,051 near the low end. Other examples include Myrtle Beach at $323,271, Clearwater at $343,374, St. Petersburg at $354,241, and West Palm Beach at $405,069.
Navarre closes the list at $418,327. Taken together, the figures show that even in popular coastal markets, some beach towns still offer a more reachable entry point than the nation’s most expensive waterfront areas.
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