Best beach towns on the East Coast
Best beach towns on the East Coast
Summer vacation is mostly over across the U.S., with kids already headed back to school. So now is the perfect time to start planning next year's beach vacation.
Travelers were busy this summer. On Memorial Day weekend, largely considered the unofficial start of summer, the Transportation Security Administration screened 9.8 million people, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Trips abroad spiked in popularity as people made up for time lost during pandemic-era travel restrictions.
However, as inflation made travel more expensive, budget-conscious travelers cut costs by driving to their destinations and staying stateside. During the July 4th holiday, AAA projected 43.2 million people would travel by car, a new record.
Beach destinations are popular this year, according to a survey from vacation-rental platform Vacasa, and outdoor recreation remains a top priority. Not only are beaches a great place to unwind and create family bonding moments, but they also boost people's mental health.
So what makes a good beach town? Access to a beach, of course, but also plenty of indoor and outdoor activities to keep kids entertained, warm weather, and a long beach season (the average number of days beaches are open for swimming).
Stacker determined rankings by several factors, giving the most weight to the number of beaches within a quarter mile of a city or town and the total shoreline of those beaches. Weather patterns and the duration of each beach's swim season affect town scores. The ranking also takes into account the prevalence of beach-related businesses, unemployment rates, and median home prices.
The EPA lists more than 350 beaches on the East Coast, totaling more than 450 miles of beach shoreline.
Correction
A previous version of this article contained multiple errors in data analysis that skewed the overall ranking of beach towns, including incorrectly identifying the number of beaches in some towns and mischaracterizing some municipalities as beach towns. The article has been updated to correct the errors.
#50. Hatteras, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 7.1 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $483,300
#49. North Wildwood, New Jersey
- Number of beaches: 13
- Beach length: 5.72 miles
- Average swim season length: 99 days
- Average county summer temperature: 75.1 degrees
- Median home price: $386,700
#48. Rodanthe, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 6.11 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $325,900
#47. Litchfield Beach, South Carolina
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 10.72 miles
- Average swim season length: 153 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.6 degrees
- Median home price: $296,000
#46. Holden Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 10
- Beach length: 10.13 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.3 degrees
- Median home price: $446,300
#45. Brigantine, New Jersey
- Number of beaches: 21
- Beach length: 7.27 miles
- Average swim season length: 102 days
- Average county summer temperature: 75.3 degrees
- Median home price: $376,600
#44. Wildwood Crest, New Jersey
- Number of beaches: 16
- Beach length: 3.95 miles
- Average swim season length: 99 days
- Average county summer temperature: 75.1 degrees
- Median home price: $391,900
#43. Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 11
- Beach length: 6.16 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.8 degrees
- Median home price: $826,600
#42. Kure Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 6
- Beach length: 8.31 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.8 degrees
- Median home price: $454,500
#41. Southern Shores, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 5.81 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $514,600
#40. Frisco, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 7.53 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $301,900
#39. Wildwood, New Jersey
- Number of beaches: 14
- Beach length: 3.7 miles
- Average swim season length: 99 days
- Average county summer temperature: 75.1 degrees
- Median home price: $264,300
#38. Ocean City, Maryland
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 10.2 miles
- Average swim season length: 102 days
- Average county summer temperature: 77.3 degrees
- Median home price: $325,900
#37. St. Simons, Georgia
- Number of beaches: 6
- Beach length: 6.62 miles
- Average swim season length: 213 days
- Average county summer temperature: 81.8 degrees
- Median home price: $380,500
#36. Tybee Island, Georgia
- Number of beaches: 6
- Beach length: 8.56 miles
- Average swim season length: 208 days
- Average county summer temperature: 81.6 degrees
- Median home price: $589,600
#35. Morehead City, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 10
- Beach length: 3.01 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $308,900
#34. Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 8.73 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $461,500
#33. New Smyrna Beach, Florida
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 21.05 miles
- Average swim season length: 243 days
- Average county summer temperature: 82.6 degrees
- Median home price: $299,900
#32. Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 6
- Beach length: 8.06 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $465,600
#31. Riviera Beach, Florida
- Number of beaches: 5
- Beach length: 3.82 miles
- Average swim season length: 122 days
- Average county summer temperature: 83.1 degrees
- Median home price: $240,300
#30. Deerfield Beach, Florida
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 4.74 miles
- Average swim season length: 243 days
- Average county summer temperature: 83.5 degrees
- Median home price: $245,500
#29. St. Augustine Beach, Florida
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 15.29 miles
- Average swim season length: 244 days
- Average county summer temperature: 82.7 degrees
- Median home price: $464,100
#28. Long Branch, New Jersey
- Number of beaches: 19
- Beach length: 5.65 miles
- Average swim season length: 105 days
- Average county summer temperature: 76.6 degrees
- Median home price: $380,100
#27. St. Augustine, Florida
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 17.87 miles
- Average swim season length: 244 days
- Average county summer temperature: 82.7 degrees
- Median home price: $314,000
#26. Buxton, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 9.4 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $333,500
#25. Pompano Beach, Florida
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 5.31 miles
- Average swim season length: 243 days
- Average county summer temperature: 83.5 degrees
- Median home price: $259,900
#24. Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 7.29 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $373,200
#23. Salvo, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 8.09 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $325,900
#22. Jupiter Island, Florida
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 7.75 miles
- Average swim season length: 243 days
- Average county summer temperature: 83.5 degrees
- Median home price: $2,000,001
#21. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Number of beaches: 4
- Beach length: 12.64 miles
- Average swim season length: 153 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.3 degrees
- Median home price: $298,900
#20. Hallandale Beach, Florida
- Number of beaches: 3
- Beach length: 2.81 miles
- Average swim season length: 364 days
- Average county summer temperature: 83.5 degrees
- Median home price: $248,700
#19. Carolina Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 5
- Beach length: 5.13 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.8 degrees
- Median home price: $409,400
#18. Norfolk, Virginia
- Number of beaches: 10
- Beach length: 7.37 miles
- Average swim season length: 136 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.6 degrees
- Median home price: $227,100
#17. Jacksonville, Florida
- Number of beaches: 4
- Beach length: 10.89 miles
- Average swim season length: 244 days
- Average county summer temperature: 82.3 degrees
- Median home price: $215,700
#16. Ormond-By-The-Sea, Florida
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 13.22 miles
- Average swim season length: 364 days
- Average county summer temperature: 82.6 degrees
- Median home price: $261,400
#15. North Topsail Beach, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 10
- Beach length: 13.38 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.7 degrees
- Median home price: $384,700
#14. Avon, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 2
- Beach length: 8.53 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $263,600
#13. Miami Beach, Florida
- Number of beaches: 5
- Beach length: 9.46 miles
- Average swim season length: 364 days
- Average county summer temperature: 83.6 degrees
- Median home price: $449,200
#12. Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Number of beaches: 43
- Beach length: 4.3 miles
- Average swim season length: 107 days
- Average county summer temperature: 75.3 degrees
- Median home price: $136,900
#11. Beaufort, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 2.75 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $234,300
#10. Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Number of beaches: 24
- Beach length: 33.49 miles
- Average swim season length: 144 days
- Average county summer temperature: 77.9 degrees
- Median home price: $294,100
#9. Jekyll Island, Georgia
- Number of beaches: 8
- Beach length: 9.66 miles
- Average swim season length: 213 days
- Average county summer temperature: 81.8 degrees
- Median home price: $430,900
#8. Ocracoke, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 4
- Beach length: 16.02 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.7 degrees
- Median home price: $371,400
#7. Nags Head, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 9
- Beach length: 13.93 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $336,900
#6. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Number of beaches: 7
- Beach length: 7.75 miles
- Average swim season length: 260 days
- Average county summer temperature: 83.5 degrees
- Median home price: $380,300
#5. Oak Island, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 14
- Beach length: 10.87 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 79.3 degrees
- Median home price: $283,500
#4. Emerald Isle, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 10
- Beach length: 17.69 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $441,900
#3. Hollywood, Florida
- Number of beaches: 8
- Beach length: 8.17 miles
- Average swim season length: 258 days
- Average county summer temperature: 83.5 degrees
- Median home price: $306,500
#2. Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
- Number of beaches: 8
- Beach length: 7.76 miles
- Average swim season length: 214 days
- Average county summer temperature: 78.9 degrees
- Median home price: $271,200
#1. Daytona Beach, Florida
- Number of beaches: 6
- Beach length: 15.75 miles
- Average swim season length: 364 days
- Average county summer temperature: 82.6 degrees
- Median home price: $194,200
