If you aspire to become a snowbird or daydream of beach strolls after work, you’re probably interested in relocating to a beach town — the question just may be, which coast?
Whether you’re considering the Atlantic, Pacific or Gulf Coast, of the 150 top cities in the U.S., these coastal spots where locals love spending time on the beach offer beautiful weather and mild climates.
These 20 places are ranked according to the order in which they appear on the overall Best Places to Live in 2024-2025 list, which factors in each area’s affordability, quality of life, job market, morning commute and access to quality health care, among other details.
[Read: The 25 Best Affordable Places to Live in the U.S. in 2024-2025]
The best places in the U.S. to live by the beach are:
20. Los Angeles
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 130 Population: 3,932,433 Median Home Price: $869,305 Median Household Income: $84,891
Los Angeles attracts people for many reasons, but its proximity to Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Malibu and other coastal destinations certainly helps. Home to nearly 4 million people, Los Angeles is the third most desirable city on the Best Places to Live list and offers residents the second best health care options in the country. But the City of Angels receives low marks for air quality and ranks second to last for value, with LA residents spending nearly 38% of their median household incomes on living expenses. While parts of inner Los Angeles are known for their stifling temperatures in summer, the areas along the beach benefit from the cooler breeze coming off the ocean.
19. Salisbury, Maryland
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 126 Population: 42,234 Median Home Price: $205,914 Median Household Income: $61,241
A short drive from Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean is the quiet, little city of Salisbury on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Situated in the Mid-Atlantic, Salisbury experiences warm, humid summers and potential nor’easters or the occasional hurricane in the fall. Salisbury University students inject a certain amount of youth to the area, especially close to campus. The city overall is a melting pot of college students, retirees and families who might all be seen together enjoying a Saturday night at a microbrewery or watching a minor league baseball game.
18. Miami
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 123 Population: 461,672 Median Home Price: $448,531 Median Household Income: $64,587
Miami has long been known as a South Florida hot spot that attracts vacationers with its golden beaches and sizzling nightlife. The Magic City is famous for its Latin vibes, art galleries and foodie scene, but living in Miami comes at a high price. It’s the third most expensive place to live among the 150 top U.S. cities, following Los Angeles and Hartford, Connecticut.
17. Savannah, Georgia
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 106 Population: 161,899 Median Home Price: $242,250 Median Household Income: $63,213
Nestled on the salt marshes of coastal Georgia, Savannah continues to attract residents with its Spanish moss-draped buildings, thriving arts scene and mild winters. The coastal city faces the yearly threat of hurricanes from around July to October, although a low percentage of storms has made landfall, historically. The city located on the Savannah River has the added benefit of being just a short drive (or boat ride) away from islands with popular public beaches.
16. Daytona Beach, Florida
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 96 Population: 83,623 Median Home Price: $199,838 Median Household Income: $52,973
Famous for hosting the Daytona 500 NASCAR Cup Series motor race, Daytona Beach is also a popular destination for retirees. In fact, Daytona Beach is the fourth fastest-growing city on the Best Places to Live list by net migration. Daytona Beach offers affordability for retirees, but the city is not as great a value for working-age Americans when you consider the job market, which is comprised of mainly lower-paying hospitality jobs. Still, buying a home in Daytona Beach may be easier than in other parts of Florida. The median home price of $199,838 is below the national median price of $281,900, according to Zillow data.
15. Port St. Lucie, Florida
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 83 Population: 220,637 Median Home Price: $293,943 Median Household Income: $75,874
On the eastern coast of Florida, the city of Port St. Lucie doesn’t have beachfront, but it’s within a half-hour or less of Hutchinson Island and Jensen Beach. There’s also the St. Lucie River, used by residents for boating and fishing. With its distance from the hustle and bustle of nearby cities like Orlando and Miami, many people seem happy to make Port St. Lucie a long-term stop. This laid-back city grew by 4.93% between 2021 and 20220 due to net migration, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
14. Corpus Christi, Texas
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 77 Population: 322,397 Median Home Price: $201,452 Median Household Income: $73,327
Situated on the Gulf of Mexico, Corpus Christi brings plenty of tourists who venture out to Padre and Mustang islands, which create the outer coastline. With the beaches and nearby islands attracting many vacationers, the tourism and hospitality industries are a major part of the local economy. Corpus Christi has a median home price of $201,452 (below the national average of $281,900) that contributes to it placing 55th for value — the highest on this list. It’s not all about tourism, however: The city’s largest employer is the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, where naval pilot training and other duties take place.
13. Santa Barbara, California
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 71 Population: 98,267 Median Home Price: $1,327,170 Median Household Income: $118,858
You may like the climate of Southern California, but not the crowds in Los Angeles. Just a little way up the coast, Santa Barbara enjoys a nearly perfect year-round climate, making it ideal for outdoor activities and drawing tourists worldwide. Along the beachfront, residents can stroll out onto Stearns Wharf, an historic wooden pier dotted with shops and restaurants offering plenty of seaside options for living and relaxing.
[Why Naples, Florida, Is the Best Place to Live in 2024-2025]
12. Jacksonville, Florida
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 56 Metro Population: 977,267 Median Home Price: $247,487 Median Household Income: $72,564
Jacksonville‘s seat on the Atlantic coast lures many who wish to live near the beach. Popular shorelines include Amelia Island and Ponte Vedra — both of which are known for their golf courses. Jacksonville isn’t a cheap place to live but it’s more affordable than some other seaside Florida cities. Jacksonville is tied together by bridges, crossing rivers to unite residents in the downtown area with nearby beaches.
11. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 51 Population: 54,075 Median Home Price: $289,054 Median Household Income: $57,807
With mild weather and sprawling beaches, Myrtle Beach is the 11th fastest-growing city on the Best Places to Live list and ranks No. 2 for desirability, behind only Colorado Springs, Colorado. Myrtle Beach has nearly 60 miles of shoreline that runs along the Grand Strand. In addition to its coveted coastline, the Myrtle Beach area is peppered with golf courses, many of which were designed by golf greats like Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Arnold Palmer. Residents also have access to an array of restaurants — Myrtle Beach ranks No. 1 for its number of restaurants and drinking establishments per 100,000 people.
10. Melbourne, Florida
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 49 Population: 103,275 Median Home Price: $273,529 Median Household Income: $73,252
Located on Florida’s Space Coast, Melbourne residents spend sunny days beachside or on the water by jet ski or boat. Melbourne offers the third most affordable housing on this list, behind Virginia Beach and Jacksonville. Along with year-round warm weather and ample public beaches, the Melbourne metro area is home to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. If you’re interested in playing a bigger role than just watching rockets launch into space, plenty of aerospace employers (as well as other large companies in the health care and manufacturing fields) are located in the area.
9. San Diego
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 46 Population: 1,404,745 Median Home Price: $807,264 Median Household Income: $109,765
Sand-, sun- and surf-loving San Diegans love often spend their weekends at the beach, where boating, beach volleyball and sunbathing are common activities. Beyond impressive beaches, San Diego ranks high for desirability and quality of life, with high salaries and high home prices to match.
8. Fort Myers, Florida
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 37 Population: 109,595 Median Home Price: $273,214 Median Household Income: $71,154
Fort Myers is the fastest-growing of the 150 major cities in this year’s Best Places to Live analysis, seeing a population increase of 6.73% between 2021 and 2022 due to net migration. Its proximity to Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach makes this city a gateway for shelling, snorkeling and sunbathing. With year-round warmth, uniquely Floridian flora and waterways, the City of Palms is home to a vibrant downtown and outdoor activities like hiking, paddling, boating, fishing and much more.
7. Tampa, Florida
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 35 Population: 515,872 Median Home Price: $358,489 Median Household Income: $81,303
Tampa offers residents a laid-back beach lifestyle and the amenities of a large metropolitan area, contributing to its rank of the 12th most desirable city on the Best Places to Live list. Living in Tampa is like being on vacation all year. Located north of the bay, Tampa has a hip social scene and a thriving Hispanic community and is notable for Ybor City, once known as “the Cigar Capital of the World.” Having grown its population by 3.58% due to net migration in 2022, Tampa is the 13th fastest growing of the 150 top U.S. cities.
6. Honolulu
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 32 Population: 408,930 Median Home Price: $869,639 Median Household Income: $103,096
Home to the famous Waikiki Beach, Honolulu features a number of excellent beaches for swimming, surfing, sunning and exploring, which rank it as the sixth most desirable city. The capital of Hawaii, which encompasses the southeastern half of the island of Oahu, ranks No. 4 for quality of life, bolstered by its high marks for air quality and well-being based on the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index.
5. Pensacola, Florida
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 31 Population: 93,735 Median Home Price: $226,249 Median Household Income: $66,853
Surrounded by white sand beaches, rivers and lush forests, Pensacola offers outlets for outdoor enthusiasts willing to endure the hot summers and hurricane season. Like many Florida cities, Pensacola ranks low for high risk of natural disasters and resilience to those that could occur, according to FEMA’s National Risk Index. Despite the risk, Pensacola is the 11th most desirable city on the Best Places to Live list, with a large number of establishments and the fourth lowest crime rate in the nation.
4. Charleston, South Carolina
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 13 Population: 175,795 Median Home Price: $510,515 Median Household Income: $92,032
Charleston is a southern-style city within striking distance of a handful of beaches, including Sullivan’s Island and Folly Beach. Southern hospitality radiates from its award-winning dining establishments, and the Charleston charm and warm weather leave many feeling like Chucktown would be an ideal place to live. Its strong job market ranks No. 5 on the overall Best Places to Live list.
3. Sarasota, Florida
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 11 Population: 82,472 Median Home Price: $430,652 Median Household Income: $80,922
Sarasota has a unique charm, beachy atmosphere and burgeoning food scene that’s attracting young professionals as well as retirees. Of the 150 cities on the Best Places to Live list, Sarasota has the fourth strongest job market due to a low unemployment rate of 3.66% and 12th highest salary. With low crime and lots of establishments, there are plenty of perks that have led Sarasota to rank as the seventh most desirable city and 10th fastest growing city on the Best Places to Live list. But residents must be prepared for extreme weather, as Sarasota ranks eighth worst on FEMA’s National Risk Index for its high exposure to natural disasters and low resilience to those that could occur.
2. Virginia Beach, Virginia
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 8 Population: 460,069 Median Home Price: $358,477 Median Household Income: $96,805
With glorious ocean views, beautiful waterfront homes and award-winning restaurants, Virginia Beach is a vacation destination that’s also worthy of being called home. Virginia’s largest city has 38 miles of coastline providing family- and pet-friendly beaches. Notably, Virginia Beach ranks as the best coastal city for affordable housing, and lowest cost of living, as residents spend just 24.88% of their income on living expenses. Virginia Beach also ranks high for quality of life, placing at No. 8 on the overall Best Places to Live list.
1. Naples, Florida
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 1 Population: 122,578 Median Home Price: $577,796 Median Household Income: $98,120
Naples ranks No. 1 on the Best Places to Live list, with high marks for desirability and quality of life. Located in southwest Florida, Naples has nearly nine miles of white sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. The city is long known as a preferred retirement spot for seasonal snowbirds, as its population’s median age is over 53. Although it’s pricey and often congested during the winter months, it retains a unique Floridian charm that continues to attract residents — particularly those on the higher end of the age spectrum.
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The Best Places to Live By the Beach in the U.S. in 2024-2025 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 09/06/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
