Owning a home in a mountain town sounds like a highfalutin goal. Such fantasies only become a reality for the excessively wealthy, right? But homes in these naturally beautiful areas aren’t always extravagantly priced. While the cost of houses in popular, luxurious mountain communities have soared, homes in a handful of lesser-known mountain towns are under $100,000. Shockingly, these affordable homes still offer breathtaking scenery and local charm. These towns combine fresh air, outdoor recreation, and a slower pace of life with housing costs that feel almost unheard of in today’s market.
Exploring these mountain towns reveals how practical prices and raw beauty can coexist. Lower costs are often the result of remote locations, lower population sizes, or longer distances from major cities. Though these factors aren’t ideal for everyone, they are excellent trade-offs for the right buyer. Whether you’re looking to relocate, invest, or simply dream about a quieter life surrounded by hiking trails, these towns prove that mountain living doesn’t always have to come with an elevated price tag.
To find these towns, we reviewed five-year data on median household value and median household income from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey. Cities, towns, and Census-designated places were ranked based on the ratio of median home value to median household income. Only places with at least 500 residents where at least 5% of housing units are vacant for seasonal or recreational use that intersect a mountain were considered. Mountain spatial boundaries are from the GMBA Mountain Inventory v2 of EarthEnv.
50. Ridgecrest, California
- Median home value: $224,600 (2.6 times income)
- Median household income: $85,872
- Total population: 28,118
49. Steele Creek, Alaska
- Median home value: $309,900 (2.6 times income)
- Median household income: $118,934
- Total population: 6,542
48. Cumberland, Maryland
- Median home value: $119,500 (2.6 times income)
- Median household income: $45,915
- Total population: 19,041
47. White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
- Median home value: $122,000 (2.6 times income)
- Median household income: $47,292
- Total population: 2,707
46. Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Median home value: $125,700 (2.6 times income)
- Median household income: $48,776
- Total population: 76,119
45. Apple Mountain Lake, Virginia
- Median home value: $310,200 (2.6 times income)
- Median household income: $120,539
- Total population: 1,584
44. Cobleskill, New York
- Median home value: $168,800 (2.6 times income)
- Median household income: $65,610
- Total population: 4,152
43. Deltana, Alaska
- Median home value: $267,700 (2.5 times income)
- Median household income: $105,250
- Total population: 2,059
42. Lakemont, Pennsylvania
- Median home value: $118,600 (2.5 times income)
- Median household income: $46,840
- Total population: 1,511
41. Pulaski, Virginia
- Median home value: $137,400 (2.5 times income)
- Median household income: $55,213
- Total population: 8,982
40. Keyser, West Virginia
- Median home value: $115,400 (2.5 times income)
- Median household income: $46,724
- Total population: 4,879
39. Nice, California
- Median home value: $170,600 (2.4 times income)
- Median household income: $69,653
- Total population: 2,389
38. Mount Union, Pennsylvania
- Median home value: $93,600 (2.4 times income)
- Median household income: $38,382
- Total population: 2,130
37. Middlesborough, Kentucky
- Median home value: $87,000 (2.4 times income)
- Median household income: $35,798
- Total population: 9,383
36. Whitehall, New York
- Median home value: $96,400 (2.4 times income)
- Median household income: $40,294
- Total population: 2,166
35. Lewistown, Pennsylvania
- Median home value: $86,500 (2.4 times income)
- Median household income: $36,166
- Total population: 8,522
34. Hinton, West Virginia
- Median home value: $85,400 (2.4 times income)
- Median household income: $35,735
- Total population: 2,167
33. Gorham, New Hampshire
- Median home value: $132,800 (2.4 times income)
- Median household income: $55,845
- Total population: 2,043
32. Jenkins, Kentucky
- Median home value: $61,300 (2.3 times income)
- Median household income: $26,500
- Total population: 1,862
31. La Vale, Maryland
- Median home value: $168,200 (2.3 times income)
- Median household income: $73,778
- Total population: 4,351
30. Powells Crossroads, Tennessee
- Median home value: $146,100 (2.3 times income)
- Median household income: $64,100
- Total population: 1,686
29. Ellenville, New York
- Median home value: $172,700 (2.2 times income)
- Median household income: $77,125
- Total population: 4,213
28. Berlin, New Hampshire
- Median home value: $93,200 (2.2 times income)
- Median household income: $41,638
- Total population: 9,485
27. Olyphant, Pennsylvania
- Median home value: $132,200 (2.2 times income)
- Median household income: $60,120
- Total population: 5,372
26. Richwood, West Virginia
- Median home value: $68,000 (2.2 times income)
- Median household income: $30,962
- Total population: 2,567
25. Altoona, Pennsylvania
- Median home value: $110,700 (2.2 times income)
- Median household income: $50,435
- Total population: 43,821
24. Warm Springs, Oregon
- Median home value: $129,200 (2.2 times income)
- Median household income: $59,167
- Total population: 2,453
23. Old Forge, Pennsylvania
- Median home value: $156,300 (2.2 times income)
- Median household income: $71,615
- Total population: 8,506
22. Neah Bay, Washington
- Median home value: $137,500 (2.2 times income)
- Median household income: $63,750
- Total population: 1,081
21. Metlakatla, Alaska
- Median home value: $163,900 (2.1 times income)
- Median household income: $78,750
- Total population: 1,437
20. Marlinton, West Virginia
- Median home value: $82,000 (2.1 times income)
- Median household income: $39,643
- Total population: 1,139
19. Bluefield, West Virginia
- Median home value: $94,400 (2.1 times income)
- Median household income: $45,854
- Total population: 9,619
18. Saltville, Virginia
- Median home value: $84,900 (2.1 times income)
- Median household income: $41,339
- Total population: 2,085
17. Bowling Green, Maryland
- Median home value: $119,100 (2.0 times income)
- Median household income: $59,773
- Total population: 1,102
16. Parsons, West Virginia
- Median home value: $88,600 (1.9 times income)
- Median household income: $45,729
- Total population: 1,524
15. Dannemora, New York
- Median home value: $130,900 (1.9 times income)
- Median household income: $67,778
- Total population: 3,373
14. McClure, Pennsylvania
- Median home value: $119,100 (1.9 times income)
- Median household income: $62,667
- Total population: 1,171
13. Patrick Springs, Virginia
- Median home value: $99,500 (1.9 times income)
- Median household income: $52,548
- Total population: 2,204
12. Renovo, Pennsylvania
- Median home value: $54,400 (1.9 times income)
- Median household income: $28,750
- Total population: 1,081
11. Cumberland, Kentucky
- Median home value: $59,900 (1.8 times income)
- Median household income: $32,716
- Total population: 2,390
10. Covington, Virginia
- Median home value: $80,100 (1.8 times income)
- Median household income: $45,737
- Total population: 5,722
9. Westernport, Maryland
- Median home value: $83,500 (1.6 times income)
- Median household income: $50,938
- Total population: 1,993
8. Springville, Virginia
- Median home value: $65,700 (1.6 times income)
- Median household income: $41,250
- Total population: 1,017
7. East Carbon, Utah
- Median home value: $80,700 (1.5 times income)
- Median household income: $52,554
- Total population: 1,441
6. Atkins, Virginia
- Median home value: $66,300 (1.5 times income)
- Median household income: $43,318
- Total population: 1,028
5. King Cove, Alaska
- Median home value: $118,200 (1.5 times income)
- Median household income: $79,844
- Total population: 1,108
4. Searles Valley, California
- Median home value: $78,000 (1.4 times income)
- Median household income: $54,013
- Total population: 1,716
3. Desert Edge, California
- Median home value: $53,600 (1.4 times income)
- Median household income: $38,668
- Total population: 3,715
2. Hays, Montana
- Median home value: $63,600 (1.3 times income)
- Median household income: $49,423
- Total population: 1,095
1. Johnstown, Pennsylvania
- Median home value: $40,000 (1.2 times income)
- Median household income: $33,466
- Total population: 18,429
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Adam Jones / CC BY 2.0 / Flickr.