Top 10 Most Affordable Mountain Towns in the USA

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The village at Taos Ski Valley, NM. Credit: Taos Real Estate

Living in a mountain town is the best way to achieve the ski-bum dream, but unfortunately, mountain homes don’t tend to fit a ski-bum budget. Worry not though, magazine House Beautiful has listed the most affordable mountain towns in the USA to make that dream a reality.

Obviously, you’re not going to get that condo in Aspen, that house in Park City, or a cabin in Telluride, but each of these areas offers some epic skiing right on your doorstep. What matters most to you, a luxurious home with a three-car garage and sauna, or being able to shred right out of your front door?

10. Mammoth Lakes, CA – Average Home Cost: $438,686.

  • Nearest resort: Mammoth Mountain

9. Silverthorne, CO – Average Home Cost: $428,367.

  • Nearest resorts: Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin, Loveland, Copper

8. Taos, NM – Average Home Cost: $401,864.

  • Nearest resort: Taos Ski Valley

7. South Lake Tahoe, CA – Average Home Cost: $400,288

  • Nearest resorts: Heavenly, Kirkwood, Sierra-at-Tahoe

6. Durango, CO – Average Home Cost: $397,124

  • Nearest resort: Purgatory
Durango, CO.

5. Granby, CO – Average Home Cost: $354,721

  • Nearest resorts: Ski Granby Ranch, Winter Park

4. Big Bear, CA – Average Home Cost: $312,662

  • Nearest resorts: Big Bear Mountain Resort, Snow Summit

3. Maggie Valley, NC – Average Home Cost: $253,851

  • Nearest resort: Cataloochee Ski Area

2. Conway, NH – Average Home Cost: $237,708

  • Nearest resorts: Cranmore Mountain Resort, Attitash, Wildcat

1. Poconos, PA – Average Home Cost: $199,797

  • Nearest resorts: Blue Mountain Resort, Camelback Mountain, Big Boulder Ski Area

*House prices based on 2020 data.


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15 thoughts on “Top 10 Most Affordable Mountain Towns in the USA

  1. This list is ridiculous. Average home price in South Lake Tahoe $400,000??? Maybe in 2015. I haven’t been able to find anything under 400,000 for months now, so after living here for seven years we’re moving. I was looking for cheaper mountain towns to live in so I clicked on this and immediately scoffed when I saw SLT please future readers, take these suggestions with a huge grain of salt, and DON’T move to Tahoe. There is going to be a mass exodus of working class folks after these last few years we’ve had, and I’m not going to stick around that ghost town.

  2. According to realtor.com the median home price for Durango, CO is actually $739,000, so this number is way off. It is anything but affordable these days.

  3. These home prices are way off and far below any listings. Maybe 5+ years ago, these prices could make since but definitely not now.

  4. Rather than home purchase pricing, I believe that ‘ski-bum dreamers’ would be more interested in rent pricing–especially per-bedroom pricing. Rent pricing is more likely affected by availability of affordable units and local ordinances requiring businesses to subsidize/provide housing for employees.

    1. You can thank the “tree huggers” for the fact that there is still a Tahoe area worth living in….

  5. Hey John, you must be one of those new entitled city bags with a comment like that people like your self can’t make it in a real MT community you’re too stuck on yourself and your money John suck it

  6. I’m sorry, I thought this article was titled “most affordable”. $300k+ homes are NOT in median income range of affordable.

    1. If one thing costs 1 million dollars and another costs 2 million the first one is more affordable than the second. It doesn’t have to be affordable to you. The article is titled just fine, sorry you can’t afford to live in the mountains.

      1. No John the articles titled “The ten most AFFORDABLE mountain towns in the USA.” Sorry your such a clueless ass.

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