Top: Rockland, Maine; Crisfield, Maryland; Surfside Beach, South Carolina. Bottom: Punta Gorda, Florida; Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; Crescent City, California. Photos: Susan Bell (CC BY 2.0), David Broad (CC BY 3.0), BullDawg2021 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Isles Yacht Club (CC BY 2.0), mjhbower (CC BY-SA 2.0), hakkun (CC BY-SA 3.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Retiring near the water is a dream for a lot of us. The problem is the price. In the typical small American coastal town, the typical home is now worth close to $590,000, and in the famous beach towns it’s often well over a million.
But not everywhere. There are still harbor towns, bay towns and quiet beach towns where a typical home costs a lot less, where you can watch the boats come in, walk a pier at sunset and still have money left over for the rest of retirement.
Please note that some of the imagery in this article may have been enhanced with the assistance of AI.
How We Picked
We started with CoreLogic’s neighborhood indexes, which rate every census tract in the country from 1 to 100 using data from the Census, the FBI and local police, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and more. We rolled those tract scores up to the towns they belong to and used CoreLogic’s nautical score to find the ones on the coast. We kept towns of roughly 2,000 to 40,000 people, using Census Bureau 2024 estimates, which left 468 small coastal towns. Their typical home value, according to Zillow, is about $590,000.
Next, we matched each town to Zillow’s Home Value Index for August 2026 and kept only towns where the typical home was worth under $375,000. That left 121. Then we checked every finalist on the map. Each one sits on the ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, or a saltwater bay, sound or lagoon that opens onto them. Lake and river towns didn’t make the cut.
Each town’s score blends six CoreLogic measures. Retirement friendliness counts most (40%). It’s CoreLogic’s own mix of peace and quiet, low crime, educated seniors and a range of housing. Quiet streets, walkability and local shops and restaurants count 15% each, light traffic 10% and culture 5%. That score makes up three quarters of the final ranking. The last quarter is affordability: how far the town’s typical home value sits below that $590,000 coastal norm.
To spread the list around the country, no state gets more than three towns, except Florida, which gets five for its long coastline, and no more than two come from the same metro area (three along the short Mississippi coast). Finally, we researched every town for what matters day to day: the nearest hospital with an emergency room, what the waterfront is really like, and the honest drawbacks, which on the coast usually means storms and insurance.
Each town’s chart shows its six CoreLogic scores in gold. The black tick marks the median for all 468 small US coastal towns we scored.
Here they are, counting down to the top pick.
25. Crescent City, California
Photos: hakkun (CC BY-SA 3.0), Ellin Beltz (Public domain), Ellin Beltz (Public domain), Bobjgalindo (CC BY-SA 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Crescent City sits on the Pacific in California’s far northwest corner, about 20 miles south of the Oregon line. The nearest sizable city, Medford, Oregon, is about two hours inland. The harbor is a working fishing port where sea lions lounge on the docks. Battery Point Lighthouse stands on a tidal island you can walk to at low tide, and redwood parks are minutes away.
The typical home in Crescent City is worth about $362,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Crescent City scores 72 for easy driving and 53 for quiet on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Sutter Coast Hospital, with a 24-hour emergency department, is in town. The trade-offs are isolation, about 58 inches of rain a year and real tsunami risk. A 2011 tsunami wrecked much of the harbor. It suits retirees who want rugged coast and big trees.
Typical home value: $361,606 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 6,209 · Retirement score: 41 · Final score: 43.6
24. Kenai, Alaska
Photos: Stefan Aßmann (CC BY-SA 3.0), Joseph (CC BY-SA 2.0), Stefan Aßmann (CC BY-SA 3.0), Brian (CC BY 2.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Kenai sits on a bluff above Cook Inlet, where the Kenai River meets salt water on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. Anchorage is about 158 road miles away, roughly three hours by car. On clear days, the volcanoes across the inlet fill the skyline. Beluga Whale Lookout on the bluff is a good spot to watch for belugas, and Old Town holds a Russian Orthodox church built in the 1890s.
The typical home in Kenai is worth about $331,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Kenai scores 73 for quiet and 79 for easy driving on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. The nearest full hospital is Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, about 20 minutes away. The trade-off is winter, which is long, dark and snowy, with about 64 inches of snow a season. It suits retirees who love fishing and wide open country.
Typical home value: $331,313 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 7,770 · Retirement score: 58 · Final score: 45.6
23. Brunswick, Georgia
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Brunswick is a working port city on the Georgia coast, about 75 minutes north of Jacksonville via I-95. It sits on tidal rivers and marsh behind St. Simons and Jekyll islands, so the water here is a sheltered harbor rather than open beach. Mary Ross Waterfront Park has a Liberty Ship memorial and a farmers market, and the Old Town district keeps its historic squares shaded by live oaks.
The typical home in Brunswick is worth about $255,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Brunswick scores 79 for easy driving and 61 for quiet on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Southeast Georgia Health System’s Brunswick Campus is in town. The honest trade-off is that it is Georgia’s lowest-lying city, with real flood and hurricane exposure, and the area has four Superfund sites. It suits retirees who want island beaches nearby without island prices.
Typical home value: $254,613 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 15,520 · Retirement score: 47 · Final score: 48.9
22. Georgetown, South Carolina
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Georgetown sits on the South Carolina coast where four rivers meet to form Winyah Bay, about an hour and fifteen minutes north of Charleston on US 17. The bay is a tidal, brackish estuary that opens to the Atlantic at its far end. The four-block Harborwalk runs behind Front Street’s shops along the harbor. The Rice Museum and the Kaminski House Museum cover the town’s long history.
The typical home in Georgetown is worth about $252,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Georgetown scores 79 for quiet and 78 for easy driving on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital is right in town. The trade-offs are storm exposure, since Hurricane Hugo flooded the town in 1989, and a thinner job base since International Paper announced the closing of its Georgetown mill in 2024. It suits retirees who want history and boating on a budget.
Typical home value: $251,667 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 8,821 · Retirement score: 50 · Final score: 49.3
21. Coos Bay, Oregon
Photos: Sheila Sund (CC BY 2.0), Themom51 (CC BY-SA 3.0), Themom51 (CC BY-SA 3.0), Sheila Sund (CC BY 2.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Coos Bay is a port city on the southern Oregon coast, set on a tidal estuary where the Coos River meets the Pacific. Eugene is about two hours and 20 minutes inland. A boardwalk runs along the working waterfront downtown, near the Coos History Museum. A short drive west brings you to the gardens and sea cliffs at Shore Acres and the cove at Sunset Bay.
The typical home in Coos Bay is worth about $326,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Coos Bay scores 72 for quiet and 75 for easy driving on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Bay Area Hospital, the largest on the Oregon coast, is in town. The trade-off is rain, close to 65 inches a year, plus a port economy with modest wages. It suits retirees who want real healthcare and wild coastline.
Typical home value: $326,136 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 15,801 · Retirement score: 57 · Final score: 51.4
20. Chincoteague, Virginia
Photo: Mbinebri / Matthew Binebrink (CC BY-SA 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Chincoteague covers its own small island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, about two hours north of Norfolk by way of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. The town looks out on Chincoteague Channel and Chincoteague Bay, while Assateague Island stands between it and the open Atlantic. Across a short bridge, the national wildlife refuge offers 15 miles of trails, a broad beach and the Assateague Lighthouse. The famous pony swim comes every July.
The typical home in Chincoteague is worth about $371,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Chincoteague scores 67 for retirement friendliness and 80 for quiet on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. The nearest hospital is Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital in Onancock, about 45 to 50 minutes away. The island sits low, and a 1962 storm left the whole town underwater, so budget for flood insurance. It suits birders and boaters who like quiet winters.
Typical home value: $370,594 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 3,279 · Retirement score: 67 · Final score: 51.7
19. Westport, Washington
Photos: Grassman (CC BY 3.0), Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA 4.0), Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA 4.0), Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Westport sits on a sandy peninsula where Grays Harbor meets the Pacific on Washington’s coast. Tacoma is about two hours east. The town is built around a busy marina, the largest on the outer Northwest coast, with charter fishing boats and fresh seafood. A boardwalk runs along the dunes at Westport Light State Park, and the 1898 Grays Harbor Lighthouse is the tallest on the Washington coast.
The typical home in Westport is worth about $316,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Westport scores 70 for quiet on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. The nearest hospital is Harbor Regional Health Community Hospital in Aberdeen, about 30 minutes away. Winters are long, wet and windy, and the town sits in a tsunami zone. It suits retirees who fish, walk the beach and like a working harbor.
Typical home value: $315,577 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 2,341 · Retirement score: 58 · Final score: 52.1
18. Rockport, Texas
Photos: Larry D. Moore (CC BY 4.0), BrianGrunberger (CC BY-SA 4.0), BrianGrunberger (CC BY-SA 4.0), G. Lamar (CC BY 2.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Rockport sits on the Live Oak Peninsula between Aransas Bay and Copano Bay on the Texas coast, about 40 minutes north of Corpus Christi. The water is sheltered bay, good for fishing and boating. Rockport Beach Park has pavilions and boat ramps, and the Texas Maritime Museum is near the harbor. In winter, whooping cranes gather at the nearby Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.
The typical home in Rockport is worth about $306,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Rockport scores 68 for retirement friendliness and 78 for quiet on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. The town has a 24-hour freestanding ER, but the nearest full hospitals are in Corpus Christi, roughly 45 minutes away. Hurricane Harvey hit here in 2017, so insurance costs matter. It suits anglers, birders and artists.
Typical home value: $305,868 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 11,069 · Retirement score: 68 · Final score: 53.3
17. North Bend, Oregon
Photo: Gary Halvorson (CC BY 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
North Bend sits on Oregon’s south coast, wrapped on three sides by Coos Bay, a tidal estuary that opens to the Pacific. Eugene is about two hours and 20 minutes inland. The town has a public boat ramp on the bay and the long McCullough Bridge on Highway 101. The Oregon Dunes start just across that bridge, and the coast’s only commercial airport is here.
The typical home in North Bend is worth about $359,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. North Bend scores 65 for retirement friendliness and 78 for easy driving on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Bay Area Hospital, a Level III trauma center, is about five minutes away in Coos Bay. The trade-off is rain, close to 65 inches a year. It suits retirees who like mild, gray weather and outdoor time.
Typical home value: $359,472 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 10,049 · Retirement score: 65 · Final score: 53.6
16. Pass Christian, Mississippi
Photo: Jennifer Smits (Public domain) · via Wikimedia Commons
Pass Christian sits on a peninsula between the Mississippi Sound and the Bay of St. Louis, west of Gulfport and a little over an hour from New Orleans. Scenic Drive runs along a low bluff above the beach, lined with historic homes. The town harbor is the center of things, with charter fishing, sunset cruises and seafood. War Memorial Park sits under big live oaks.
The typical home in Pass Christian is worth about $307,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. It scores 71 for quiet and 84 for easy driving on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. The nearest ER is at Ochsner Medical Center – Hancock in Bay St. Louis, about 15 minutes. The trade-off is storm risk. Katrina damaged nearly every home in town in 2005, and insurance is costly. It suits retirees who want a quiet harbor town.
Typical home value: $306,754 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 6,429 · Retirement score: 69 · Final score: 54.1
15. Palacios, Texas
Photos: Matamaniac (CC BY-SA 4.0), Nicolas Henderson (CC BY 2.0), Larry D. Moore (CC BY 4.0), Patrick Feller (CC BY 2.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Palacios is a shrimping town on Tres Palacios Bay, an arm of Matagorda Bay on the middle Texas coast. Houston is about two hours and 10 minutes away. The waterfront is calm bay water rather than surf, with a long seawall drive, an open-air pavilion and a fishing pier. Birders come for the winter counts, which once topped 250 species, and the City by the Sea Museum covers local history.
The typical home in Palacios is worth about $198,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Palacios scores 88 for quiet and 93 for easy driving on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Palacios Community Medical Center, a small critical access hospital with a 24-hour ER, is right in town. Hurricanes are the real risk here, so price windstorm and flood insurance first. It suits retirees who fish, watch birds and like a slow pace.
Typical home value: $197,894 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 4,373 · Retirement score: 55 · Final score: 54.6
14. Port Lavaca, Texas
Photos: Adavyd (CC BY-SA 4.0), Adavyd (CC BY-SA 4.0), Adavyd (CC BY-SA 4.0), Adavyd (CC BY-SA 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Port Lavaca is the seat of Calhoun County on the middle Texas coast, about an hour and 40 minutes northeast of Corpus Christi. It sits on Lavaca Bay, an arm of Matagorda Bay. Lighthouse Beach has a 2,200-foot boardwalk over a bird sanctuary. Lighted piers there and at Bayfront Peninsula Park are good for redfish and speckled trout.
The typical home in Port Lavaca is worth about $189,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. It scores 88 for easy driving on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Memorial Medical Center, a small hospital with an ER, is right in town. Big chemical and aluminum plants operate nearby, and Harvey brought a six-foot storm surge in 2017. It suits anglers and birders on a tight budget.
Typical home value: $189,334 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 11,299 · Retirement score: 55 · Final score: 54.7
13. Swansboro, North Carolina
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Swansboro is a small waterfront town on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, about an hour and 15 minutes north of Wilmington. It sits where the White Oak River meets the Intracoastal Waterway. Across the water is Hammocks Beach State Park, where a seasonal ferry runs out to undeveloped Bear Island. The historic downtown faces the water, and the Mullet Festival has filled it each October since 1954.
The typical home in Swansboro is worth about $356,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Swansboro scores 77 for retirement friendliness and 74 for quiet on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. The nearest hospital is Onslow Memorial in Jacksonville, about 30 minutes away. Hurricane season is the main worry, and flood insurance adds up. It suits people who want a small harbor town with an empty beach nearby.
Typical home value: $355,882 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 4,165 · Retirement score: 77 · Final score: 55.5
12. Daphne, Alabama
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Daphne sits on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay in south Alabama, about 20 minutes from Mobile across the bay on I-10. The shoreline is bay front rather than open beach. May Day Park has a pier and boat launch, and Village Point Park Preserve has trails through an estuary. Daphne calls itself the Jubilee City, for the summer nights when crabs and shrimp crowd the shallows.
The typical home in Daphne is worth about $328,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Daphne scores 84 for easy driving and 76 for retirement friendliness on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Thomas Hospital in Fairhope is about five miles south, with larger hospitals in Mobile. It is a growing, car-dependent suburb, and Gulf hurricanes make insurance a real cost. It suits retirees who want city services close to the water.
Typical home value: $328,052 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 30,751 · Retirement score: 76 · Final score: 56.8
11. Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Photos: Anably (CC BY-SA 4.0), Zach123abc (CC BY-SA 3.0), Jud McCranie (CC BY-SA 4.0), Anably (CC BY-SA 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Ocean Springs sits on the east side of Biloxi Bay, across the bridge from Biloxi and about 50 minutes west of Mobile, Alabama. Front Beach faces the bay and the Mississippi Sound, with Fort Maurepas Park and its d’Iberville statue along the shore. Downtown’s oak-lined streets hold the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. The Davis Bayou area of Gulf Islands National Seashore is on the east side of town.
The typical home in Ocean Springs is worth about $272,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. It scores 72 for retirement friendliness and 83 for easy driving on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Ocean Springs Hospital has a 24-hour ER in town. The trade-off is hurricane exposure, which keeps insurance high. Katrina destroyed the old Biloxi Bay Bridge in 2005. It suits retirees who want an arts town with everyday services close by.
Typical home value: $272,484 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 18,954 · Retirement score: 72 · Final score: 57.2
10. Ocean Shores, Washington
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Ocean Shores sits on a sandy peninsula on Washington’s outer coast, about two hours southwest of Tacoma. The Pacific is on one side and Grays Harbor on the other. The ocean beaches are wide and flat, and locals dig for razor clams in season. The North Jetty marks the harbor entrance, and the Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area draws shorebirds and birders.
The typical home in Ocean Shores is worth about $340,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. It scores 91 for quiet and 84 for retirement friendliness on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. The nearest ER is Harbor Regional Health’s Community Hospital in Aberdeen, about 35 minutes away. Expect around 75 inches of rain a year, and the low peninsula carries real tsunami risk. It suits people who like quiet beaches and gray skies.
Typical home value: $340,305 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 7,731 · Retirement score: 84 · Final score: 58.8
9. Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Photos: mjhbower (CC BY-SA 2.0), Carol M. Highsmith (Public domain), Carol M. Highsmith (Public domain), Infrogmation of New Orleans (CC BY 2.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Bay St. Louis sits on the Mississippi Gulf Coast where the Bay of St. Louis meets the Mississippi Sound, about an hour from New Orleans. Old Town runs down to the water, with the harbor and beach a short walk from shops and galleries. A monthly Second Saturday Art Walk brings music to the streets. Amtrak trains to New Orleans and Mobile stop at the restored 1929 depot.
The typical home in Bay St. Louis is worth about $242,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Bay St. Louis scores 72 for both retirement friendliness and quiet on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Ochsner Medical Center – Hancock, with a 24-hour ER, is right in town. The trade-off is storm risk: Katrina came ashore just west of town in 2005, and insurance can be costly. It suits retirees who want an artsy small town.
Typical home value: $241,662 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 10,526 · Retirement score: 72 · Final score: 59.0
8. Cape Canaveral, Florida
Photos: Matt Benson mattgyver (CC0), Michael Rivera (CC BY-SA 4.0), Michael Rivera (CC BY-SA 4.0), Michael Rivera (CC BY-SA 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Cape Canaveral sits on a barrier island on Florida’s Space Coast, about an hour east of Orlando. The city faces the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Banana River lagoon on the other. Jetty Park, at the edge of town by Port Canaveral, has a long fishing pier where cruise ships pass close by. On the river side, Manatee Sanctuary Park offers walking paths and manatee sightings.
The typical home in Cape Canaveral is worth about $317,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Cape Canaveral scores 75 for retirement friendliness and 66 for quiet on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Cape Canaveral Hospital in nearby Cocoa Beach is about 10 minutes away. The catch is hurricane exposure on a low barrier island, so flood insurance runs high. It suits beach walkers and launch watchers.
Typical home value: $316,658 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 10,014 · Retirement score: 75 · Final score: 59.8
7. Punta Gorda, Florida
Photos: Isles Yacht Club (CC BY 2.0), PCHS-NJROTC (CC BY-SA 4.0), PCHS-NJROTC (CC BY-SA 4.0), PCHS-NJROTC (CC BY-SA 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Punta Gorda sits on Florida’s Gulf Coast, about 45 minutes north of Cape Coral. The city faces Charlotte Harbor, an arm of the Gulf, where the tidal Peace River meets it. A Harborwalk runs for miles along the water and links to a bike trail. Fishermen’s Village has shops, restaurants and a marina. Ponce de Leon Park adds a mangrove boardwalk and a free wildlife rescue center.
The typical home in Punta Gorda is worth about $333,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. It scores 88 for retirement friendliness and 83 for quiet on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. The downtown hospital closed after 2024 storm flooding, so the closest ER is HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte, about 15 minutes away. Hurricanes Charley and Ian both struck here, so price in insurance. It suits boaters who want a calm harbor town.
Typical home value: $332,696 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 20,416 · Retirement score: 88 · Final score: 60.0
6. Apalachicola, Florida
Photos: Diane Delaney (Public domain), The Bushranger (CC BY-SA 4.0), The Bushranger (CC BY-SA 4.0), The Bushranger (CC BY-SA 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Apalachicola sits on Florida’s Panhandle where the Apalachicola River meets Apalachicola Bay, about 90 minutes from Tallahassee. Old brick and tin warehouses line Water Street along the working waterfront. The John Gorrie Museum honors the local doctor who patented an ice machine in 1850. St. George Island, with its state park, beaches and lighthouse, is a short drive across the bay.
The typical home in Apalachicola is worth about $301,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Apalachicola scores 96 for quiet and 86 for retirement friendliness on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. George E. Weems Memorial Hospital is in town, but it is a small 25-bed hospital. The trade-off is isolation and hurricane exposure, and the oyster trade is still recovering. It suits retirees who want a quiet, historic bay town.
Typical home value: $301,398 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 2,461 · Retirement score: 86 · Final score: 61.6
5. Surfside Beach, South Carolina
Photos: BullDawg2021 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Jim (CC BY 2.0), WXchaser (CC BY-SA 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Surfside Beach sits on the Atlantic at the south end of South Carolina’s Grand Strand, just below Myrtle Beach and about an hour and 35 minutes from Wilmington, North Carolina. The town calls itself “The Family Beach.” Its new fishing pier opened in 2024 after Hurricane Matthew took the old one. Huntington Beach State Park and Brookgreen Gardens are about 20 minutes south.
The typical home in Surfside Beach is worth about $362,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Surfside Beach scores 90 for retirement friendliness on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet is about 15 minutes away. The trade-off is summer crowds and traffic, plus hurricane season. It suits retirees who want an ocean beach and pier with big-town shopping close by.
Typical home value: $362,259 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 4,368 · Retirement score: 90 · Final score: 61.8
4. Gulfport, Florida
Photos: capt_tain Tom (CC BY 2.0), Beyond My Ken (CC BY-SA 4.0), Beyond My Ken (CC BY-SA 4.0), Beyond My Ken (CC BY-SA 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Gulfport is a small arts town on Boca Ciega Bay that borders St. Petersburg, with downtown St. Pete about 20 minutes away. Its waterfront district has a bay beach, the free Williams Pier for fishing, and the 1930 Casino Ballroom, which still hosts dance nights. On Tuesdays, the Fresh Market fills Beach Boulevard with produce, crafts and live music.
The typical home in Gulfport is worth about $353,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Gulfport scores 76 for walkability and 77 for retirement friendliness on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital in South Pasadena is about 10 minutes away and has a 24-hour ER. The trade-off is storm surge, which hit the waterfront in 2024. It suits social retirees who like to walk to dinner and dance.
Typical home value: $353,115 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 11,645 · Retirement score: 77 · Final score: 62.6
3. Crisfield, Maryland
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Crisfield sits at the southern tip of Maryland’s Eastern Shore on Tangier Sound, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Salisbury is about 45 minutes away and Baltimore is under three hours. This is a crabbing town with a big public marina, ferries to Smith and Tangier islands, and Janes Island State Park, with about 30 miles of marsh water trails for kayaks.
The typical home in Crisfield is worth about $170,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Crisfield scores 85 for easy driving and 81 for quiet on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. TidalHealth McCready Pavilion in town has a 24-hour ER, but the nearest full hospital is in Salisbury. The trade-off is flooding, since the town sits barely above sea level. It suits retirees who want a low-cost, slow, watery life.
Typical home value: $169,626 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 2,531 · Retirement score: 80 · Final score: 66.0
2. South Pasadena, Florida
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South Pasadena is a small city on a peninsula in Boca Ciega Bay, on the west side of the St. Petersburg area. Downtown St. Pete is about 20 minutes away. Much of the town is condos and homes along the bay. The Corey Causeway runs straight across to the Gulf beaches of St. Pete Beach and Pass-a-Grille, and Gulfport’s waterfront is next door.
The typical home in South Pasadena is worth about $293,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. It scores 89 for vibrancy and 82 for retirement friendliness on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale. HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital is right in town and keeps a 24-hour ER. The trade-off is water: Hurricane Helene’s surge flooded the area in 2024, and flood insurance is costly. It suits retirees who want beach and city close at hand.
Typical home value: $292,966 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 5,280 · Retirement score: 82 · Final score: 67.1
1. Rockland, Maine
Photos: Susan Bell (CC BY 2.0), Crispins C. Crispian (CC BY-SA 4.0), Crispins C. Crispian (CC BY-SA 4.0), Crispins C. Crispian (CC BY-SA 4.0) · via Wikimedia Commons
Rockland is a working harbor town on the west shore of Penobscot Bay in Midcoast Maine, about an hour and 45 minutes up Route 1 from Portland. The waterfront still has fishing boats, windjammers and state ferries to Vinalhaven and North Haven. You can walk the granite breakwater, close to a mile long, out to its lighthouse, then see Wyeth paintings at the Farnsworth Art Museum.
The typical home in Rockland is worth about $345,000, according to Zillow’s August 2026 figures. Rockland scores 95 for retirement friendliness on CoreLogic’s 1-to-100 scale, and 75 for quiet. MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in neighboring Rockport is about 10 minutes away and runs a 24-hour ER. The trade-off is a long, cold, snowy winter. It suits retirees who want a real harbor town with art and four true seasons.
Typical home value: $344,864 (Zillow, August 2026) · Population: 7,060 · Retirement score: 95 · Final score: 67.5
The Full Ranking
CoreLogic scores run from 1 to 100, and higher is better on every measure. The final score blends the CoreLogic score (75%) with affordability compared with other small coastal towns (25%).
| Rank | Town | State | Typical home | Pop. | Final score | Retirement | Quiet | Walkable | Vibrant | Easy driving | Cultured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockland | ME | $344,864 | 7,060 | 67.5 | 95 | 75 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 49 |
| 2 | South Pasadena | FL | $292,966 | 5,280 | 67.1 | 82 | 48 | 73 | 89 | 65 | 39 |
| 3 | Crisfield | MD | $169,626 | 2,531 | 66.0 | 80 | 81 | 37 | 26 | 85 | 38 |
| 4 | Gulfport | FL | $353,115 | 11,645 | 62.6 | 77 | 60 | 76 | 61 | 65 | 63 |
| 5 | Surfside Beach | SC | $362,259 | 4,368 | 61.8 | 90 | 55 | 32 | 71 | 74 | 46 |
| 6 | Apalachicola | FL | $301,398 | 2,461 | 61.6 | 86 | 96 | 20 | 26 | 76 | 47 |
| 7 | Punta Gorda | FL | $332,696 | 20,416 | 60.0 | 88 | 83 | 22 | 33 | 75 | 41 |
| 8 | Cape Canaveral | FL | $316,658 | 10,014 | 59.8 | 75 | 66 | 44 | 51 | 78 | 45 |
| 9 | Bay St. Louis | MS | $241,662 | 10,526 | 59.0 | 72 | 72 | 28 | 38 | 71 | 47 |
| 10 | Ocean Shores | WA | $340,305 | 7,731 | 58.8 | 84 | 91 | 21 | 41 | 61 | 27 |
| 11 | Ocean Springs | MS | $272,484 | 18,954 | 57.2 | 72 | 56 | 29 | 38 | 83 | 51 |
| 12 | Daphne | AL | $328,052 | 30,751 | 56.8 | 76 | 56 | 28 | 45 | 84 | 58 |
| 13 | Swansboro | NC | $355,882 | 4,165 | 55.5 | 77 | 74 | 16 | 39 | 77 | 59 |
| 14 | Port Lavaca | TX | $189,334 | 11,299 | 54.7 | 55 | 61 | 26 | 38 | 88 | 22 |
| 15 | Palacios | TX | $197,894 | 4,373 | 54.6 | 55 | 88 | 13 | 17 | 93 | 35 |
| 16 | Pass Christian | MS | $306,754 | 6,429 | 54.1 | 69 | 71 | 22 | 26 | 84 | 47 |
| 17 | North Bend | OR | $359,472 | 10,049 | 53.6 | 65 | 63 | 42 | 44 | 78 | 45 |
| 18 | Rockport | TX | $305,868 | 11,069 | 53.3 | 68 | 78 | 19 | 27 | 74 | 33 |
| 19 | Westport | WA | $315,577 | 2,341 | 52.1 | 58 | 70 | 44 | 42 | 58 | 34 |
| 20 | Chincoteague | VA | $370,594 | 3,279 | 51.7 | 67 | 80 | 30 | 24 | 79 | 30 |
| 21 | Coos Bay | OR | $326,136 | 15,801 | 51.4 | 57 | 72 | 38 | 35 | 75 | 32 |
| 22 | Georgetown | SC | $251,667 | 8,821 | 49.3 | 50 | 79 | 17 | 22 | 78 | 20 |
| 23 | Brunswick | GA | $254,613 | 15,520 | 48.9 | 47 | 61 | 23 | 39 | 79 | 24 |
| 24 | Kenai | AK | $331,313 | 7,770 | 45.6 | 58 | 73 | 2 | 17 | 79 | 29 |
| 25 | Crescent City | CA | $361,606 | 6,209 | 43.6 | 41 | 53 | 38 | 43 | 72 | 28 |
Sources: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, single-family homes and condos, August 2026); CoreLogic neighborhood indexes (March 2025), rolled up from census tracts to towns; population from US Census Bureau 2024 estimates; hospital and town details from hospital, city and park websites. Home values and insurance costs change, so check current listings and get an insurance quote before you buy.
