Affordable Homes in Charming Wine Country Towns For Under $115,600

The thought of wine often conjures images of charming wine country towns and vineyards resplendent with grapes hanging from vines spread out across the land. Many of us might think of popular wine country towns renowned for their vineyards, regions like Napa, Sonoma, or Paso Robles that are responsible for the majority of American wine. But these aren’t the only regions home to charming wineries.

The United States is home to more than 267 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) across the nation, from the West Coast to the East Coast and everything in between. Many working vineyards are located in sparsely populated rural areas, and these regions have the most affordable homes, areas like the Willamette Valley in pinot noir country. If you’ve always wanted to live in a charming wine country town, then now is your chance.

To determine affordable homes in charming wine country towns, Moms Who Think 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 villages were ranked based on the ratio of median home value to median household income.

Only places with at least 1,000 residents with at least five wineries were considered. Data on wineries is from the 2022 County Business Patterns and was aggregated from zip codes to counties using boundary definitions from the Census Bureau. Boundaries for American Viticultural Areas is from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

50. Santa Maria, CA

• Median home value: $438,100 (5.4 times income)
• Median household income: $81,237
• Total population: 109,543
• American Viticultural Area: Central Coast

49. Wenatchee, WA

• Median home value: $352,200 (5.3 times income)
• Median household income: $66,143
• Total population: 35,365
• American Viticultural Area: Columbia Valley

48. Murrieta, CA

• Median home value: $567,700 (5.3 times income)
• Median household income: $106,925
• Total population: 111,899
• American Viticultural Area: South Coast

47. Boise City, ID

• Median home value: $401,800 (5.3 times income)
• Median household income: $76,402
• Total population: 234,192
• American Viticultural Area: Snake River Valley

46. Vacaville, CA

• Median home value: $560,400 (5.2 times income)
• Median household income: $106,764
• Total population: 101,631
• American Viticultural Area: N/A

45. Tualatin, OR

• Median home value: $548,900 (5.2 times income)
• Median household income: $105,542
• Total population: 27,804
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

44. American Canyon, CA

• Median home value: $638,000 (5.2 times income)
• Median household income: $122,694
• Total population: 21,669
• American Viticultural Area: Napa Valley

43. Tigard, OR

• Median home value: $525,100 (5.2 times income)
• Median household income: $101,354
• Total population: 55,161
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

42. Salem, OR

• Median home value: $349,500 (5.2 times income)
• Median household income: $67,540
• Total population: 175,754
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

41. West Linn, OR

• Median home value: $677,500 (5.1 times income)
• Median household income: $134,116
• Total population: 27,167
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

40. Johnson City, TX

• Median home value: $228,000 (5.0 times income)
• Median household income: $45,160
• Total population: 1,755
• American Viticultural Area: Texas Hill Country

39. Roseburg, OR

• Median home value: $252,000 (5.0 times income)
• Median household income: $50,297
• Total population: 23,657
• American Viticultural Area: Umpqua Valley

38. Dripping Springs, TX

• Median home value: $514,300 (4.9 times income)
• Median household income: $104,141
• Total population: 5,495
• American Viticultural Area: Texas Hill Country

37. College Place, WA

• Median home value: $294,700 (4.9 times income)
• Median household income: $60,417
• Total population: 9,796
• American Viticultural Area: Walla Walla Valley

36. Newberg, OR

• Median home value: $426,600 (4.9 times income)
• Median household income: $87,873
• Total population: 25,379
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

35. Dallas, OR

• Median home value: $328,400 (4.8 times income)
• Median household income: $67,935
• Total population: 16,945
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

34. Madera, CA

• Median home value: $296,800 (4.8 times income)
• Median household income: $61,626
• Total population: 66,784
• American Viticultural Area: Madera

33. Keizer, OR

• Median home value: $363,600 (4.8 times income)
• Median household income: $75,753
• Total population: 39,122
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

32. Traverse City, MI

• Median home value: $336,900 (4.8 times income)
• Median household income: $70,700
• Total population: 15,468
• American Viticultural Area: Old Mission Peninsula

31. Sherwood, OR

• Median home value: $520,500 (4.7 times income)
• Median household income: $109,770
• Total population: 20,286
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

30. Palisade, CO

• Median home value: $261,600 (4.6 times income)
• Median household income: $56,359
• Total population: 2,571
• American Viticultural Area: Grand Valley

29. Hillsboro, OR

• Median home value: $452,300 (4.6 times income)
• Median household income: $98,891
• Total population: 106,612
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

28. Cornelius, OR

• Median home value: $379,400 (4.6 times income)
• Median household income: $83,051
• Total population: 13,245
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

27. Kennewick, WA

• Median home value: $318,400 (4.5 times income)
• Median household income: $70,429
• Total population: 83,823
• American Viticultural Area: Columbia Valley

26. Dundee, OR

• Median home value: $435,200 (4.4 times income)
• Median household income: $98,152
• Total population: 3,224
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

25. Caldwell, ID

• Median home value: $284,000 (4.4 times income)
• Median household income: $65,259
• Total population: 61,212
• American Viticultural Area: Snake River Valley

24. Benton City, WA

• Median home value: $224,200 (4.3 times income)
• Median household income: $51,558
• Total population: 3,498
• American Viticultural Area: Yakima Valley

23. Leesburg, VA

• Median home value: $572,500 (4.3 times income)
• Median household income: $132,298
• Total population: 48,465
• American Viticultural Area: N/A

22. Carlton, OR

• Median home value: $385,800 (4.2 times income)
• Median household income: $92,500
• Total population: 2,339
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

21. Richland, WA

• Median home value: $365,800 (4.1 times income)
• Median household income: $89,283
• Total population: 60,867
• American Viticultural Area: Columbia Valley

20. Dayton, OR

• Median home value: $307,600 (4.0 times income)
• Median household income: $76,014
• Total population: 2,677
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

19. Grapevine, TX

• Median home value: $431,800 (4.0 times income)
• Median household income: $107,165
• Total population: 50,763
• American Viticultural Area: N/A

18. Milton-Freewater, OR

• Median home value: $186,200 (4.0 times income)
• Median household income: $46,372
• Total population: 7,137
• American Viticultural Area: Walla Walla Valley

17. Prosser, WA

• Median home value: $252,400 (3.9 times income)
• Median household income: $64,622
• Total population: 6,138
• American Viticultural Area: Columbia Valley

16. Zillah, WA

• Median home value: $267,400 (3.9 times income)
• Median household income: $68,701
• Total population: 3,153
• American Viticultural Area: Yakima Valley

15. Purcellville, VA

• Median home value: $570,600 (3.8 times income)
• Median household income: $150,333
• Total population: 8,928
• American Viticultural Area: Middleburg Virginia

14. Lafayette, OR

• Median home value: $353,800 (3.8 times income)
• Median household income: $93,243
• Total population: 4,391
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

13. Amity, OR

• Median home value: $319,900 (3.6 times income)
• Median household income: $90,000
• Total population: 1,764
• American Viticultural Area: Willamette Valley

12. Stroudsburg, PA

• Median home value: $205,100 (3.5 times income)
• Median household income: $58,412
• Total population: 5,897
• American Viticultural Area: Lehigh Valley

11. Southlake, TX

• Median home value: $854,900 (3.4 times income)
• Median household income: $250,000
• Total population: 30,779
• American Viticultural Area: N/A

10. Coppell, TX

• Median home value: $489,700 (3.4 times income)
• Median household income: $143,817
• Total population: 42,513
• American Viticultural Area: N/A

9. West Richland, WA

• Median home value: $372,800 (3.2 times income)
• Median household income: $118,093
• Total population: 16,547
• American Viticultural Area: Columbia Valley

8. Sierra Vista, AZ

• Median home value: $215,900 (3.0 times income)
• Median household income: $70,899
• Total population: 45,212
• American Viticultural Area: Sonoita

7. Flower Mound, TX

• Median home value: $467,600 (3.0 times income)
• Median household income: $154,471
• Total population: 76,630
• American Viticultural Area: N/A

6. Willcox, AZ

• Median home value: $116,400 (2.8 times income)
• Median household income: $40,884
• Total population: 3,232
• American Viticultural Area: Willcox

5. Geneva, OH

• Median home value: $131,900 (2.8 times income)
• Median household income: $47,401
• Total population: 5,935
• American Viticultural Area: Lake Erie

4. Penn Yan, NY

• Median home value: $137,000 (2.7 times income)
• Median household income: $50,878
• Total population: 5,134
• American Viticultural Area: Finger Lakes

3. Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH

• Median home value: $115,600 (2.5 times income)
• Median household income: $45,755
• Total population: 1,085
• American Viticultural Area: Lake Erie

2. North East, PA

• Median home value: $149,000 (2.4 times income)
• Median household income: $61,643
• Total population: 4,092
• American Viticultural Area: Lake Erie

1. Geneva, NY

• Median home value: $123,100 (1.9 times income)
• Median household income: $63,602
• Total population: 12,670
• American Viticultural Area: Finger Lakes

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Joe Becerra / Shutterstock.com.