Waianae and Wailuku are among the top five beach housing markets in the U.S., according to a new analysis.
California-based RealtyTrac sought to find the top 100 U.S. beach housing markets based on average temperature, percentage of sunny days, percentage of days with good air quality, and crime rates.
The top 100 were then filtered according to median value of single-family homes and condominiums, from lowest to highest. The median value in all top 20 markets is 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."
Hawaii accounted for 11 of the top 20 beach town housing markets, the most of any state, led by Waianae. An average temperature of 76 degrees, 74 percent sunny days, 100 percent days with good air quality and a crime grade of B boosted Waianae into the 100 best beach towns, and a relatively low median home value of $309,328 helped it rank No. 3 among the top 20.
Other Hawaii beach towns among the top 20 were Wailuku at No. 4, Kahului at No. 7, Kihei at No. 9 and Lahaina at No. 12 — all on Maui — and Ewa Beach at No. 8, Waipahu at No. 10, Honolulu at No. 13, Pearl City at No. 14, Kaneohe at No. 15 and Kailua at No. 18 — all on Oahu.
The top beach town, Hobe Sound, Fla., has a population of less than 15,000 and is 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 No. 1 on the list thanks to its low median estimated market value of $191,189 for homes and condos.
PRIME PLACES IN THE U.S. The top 20 markets were listed by RealtyTrac as follows:
1. Hobe Sound, Fla. 2. Naples, Fla. 3. Waianae, Oahu 4. Wailuku, Maui 5. Marco Island, Fla. 6. Los Osos, Calif. 7. Kahului, Maui 8. Ewa Beach, Oahu 9. Kihei, Maui 10. Waipahu, Oahu 11. Morro Bay, Calif. 12. Lahaina, Maui 13. Honolulu, Oahu 14. Pearl City, Oahu 15. Kaneohe, Oahu 16. Dana Point, Calif. 17. Seal Beach, Calif. 18. Kailua, Oahu 19. San Clemente, Calif. 20. Key Biscayne, Fla.
Source: RealtyTrac
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