Beaches are now starting to reopen much to the delight of those looking to put their feet in the sand. Some may be looking to relocate to a community close to the water. WalletHub just released a report on 2020’s Best Beach Towns to live in.
To determine the most livable beach side communities, WalletHub compared 191 cities across 63 key metrics. The data set ranges from housing costs to share of for-sale waterfront homes to quality of beach water. This study divides beach towns into two categories, those by the ocean and those by lakes.
Top 10 Ocean Beach Towns
- Naples, FL
- Lahaina, HI
- Boca Raton, FL
- Newport Beach, CA
- Santa Monica, CA
- Sarasota, FL
- Kailua, HI
- Carlsbad, CA
- Encinitas, CA
- Vero Beach, FL
Top 10 Lake Beach Towns
- Traverse City, MI
- Folsom, CA
- Redmond, WA
- Holland, MI
- Cornelius, NC
- Kirkland, WA
- Mercer Island, WA
- Rocky River, OH
- Davidson, NC
- Pewaukee, WI
Best vs. Worst
Ocean Beach Cities:
Port Lavaca, Texas, has the lowest median home price as a share of income, 1.75, which is 8.7 times lower than in Coronado, California, the city with the highest at 15.14.
Wailuku, Hawaii, has the lowest median annual property taxes, 0.15 percent, which is 19.9 times lower than in Shirley, New York, the city with the highest at 2.98 percent.
Miami Beach, Coral Gables & Key Biscayne, Florida, all share the fewest disaster declarations (since 1953), 15, which is 4.9 times fewer than in Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Palos Verdes Estates and Malibu, California, the cities with the most at 74.
Long Beach, New York, has the fewest property crimes per 1,000 residents, 2.37, which is 44.5 times lower than in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the city with the most at 105.47.
Lake Beach Cities:
Alpena, Michigan, has the lowest median home price as a share of income, 2.02, which is four times lower than in South Lake Tahoe, California, the city with the highest at 8.05.
Morgan City, Louisiana, has the lowest median annual property taxes, 0.26 percent, which is 14.7 times lower than in Zion, Illinois, the city with the highest at 3.83 percent.
Traverse City and Alpena, Michigan, have the fewest disaster declarations (since 1953), five each, which is 11.6 times fewer than in Lake Elsinore, California, which has the most at 58.
Bay Village, Ohio, has the fewest property crimes per 1,000 residents, 3.05, which is 34.6 times lower than in Branson, Missouri, the city with the most at 105.62.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-beach-towns-to-live-in/36567/
—Jennifer Swartvagher
Featured photo: Elizeu Dias on Unsplash
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