Mark Twain famously quipped, “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.” Nowhere is that more true than waterfront towns in the U.S.
It’s gotten harder to find good bargains in coastal towns over the last two decades. But charming, overlooked oceanside living still exists — if you look closely enough.
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A few even offer more affordable homes than the national average of $367,711, according to Zillow.
Here are five U.S. coastal towns you should keep your eye on, according to real estate agents, if you plan on buying property within the next five years.
Fort Pierce, FL
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Median home price: $280,631
Coastal towns in South Florida have exploded in popularity over the last 60 years. Jeff Lichtenstein, real estate broker at Echo Fine Properties, has seen that explosion firsthand.
“Much of South Florida is now developed, as growth has shot up from Miami to Boca Raton to Jupiter, and now into the Treasure Coast,” he noted. “But Fort Pierce has a lot of room for growth and plenty of undeveloped land still available.”
In fact, Florida saw so much price growth since the pandemic that it overshot the local fundamentals. Prices in much of Florida have corrected over the last year, and Fort Pierce properties have dipped 3.4%, making this coastal town especially affordable.
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Rockport, Texas
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Median home price: $318,094
Another low-cost coastal gem, Rockport brags about its ranking in “The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America” by magazine Americans for the Arts. As a Texas realtor, Levi Rodgers urges buyers to look for up-and-coming beach towns like Rockport.
“Search for operating waterfronts with financed upgrades to infrastructure, changing zoning or proximity to deepwater ports and ferry terminals — these tend to ignite development before the market realizes it,” Rodgers said.
He also notes that many waterfront towns start tightening up on Airbnb regulations as they become more popular with tourists.
“When short-term rentals are restricted, long-term values rise as inventory constrains,” Rodgers added.
Stuart, Florida
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Median home price: $392,721
Lichtenstein also likes Stuart, nestled between Jupiter Island and Port Saint Lucie.
“It’s a charming town with a true middle-of-the-country USA feel to it,” he described. “It retains plenty of mom-and-pop stores and establishments. Right off the Intracoastal and the ocean, there is boating and more reasonable housing compared to some of the southern towns on the east and west coast.”