Island living is something many of us can only dream about. It seems ideal escaping to a slower, more peaceful life by the ocean, far from the hustle, bustle, and noise of city life. And while this certainly sounds appealing, island homes aren’t always budget-friendly. But Island life may be more affordable than you think and your island dreams may be within reach.
To determine budget-friendly island homes under $95,000, 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. Island cities, towns, and Census-designated places were ranked based on the ratio of median home value to median household income.
Island status was determined using Census TIGER/Line place boundary definitions for 2022 and shapefile data from theGlobal Island Explorer database developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in partnership with Esri. Whether you prefer the North Coast, West Coast, Gulf Coast, or South Coast, there’s a location perfect for you.
Herron Island, WA
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©SNC Art and More/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $310,400 (5.0 times income)
- Median household income: $62,054
- Total population: 122
Puget Island, WA
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©Jrob622/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $319,300 (4.9 times income)
- Median household income: $64,593
- Total population: 1,057
Crescent Beach, FL
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©"Stormy Atlantic in Crescent Beach, FL" by scriptingnews is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $512,700 (4.9 times income)
- Median household income: $104,432
- Total population: 936
Sandwich, MA
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©"Boardwalk at Sandwich, MA" by Andrewrabbott is licensed under BY-SA 3.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $486,900 (4.9 times income)
- Median household income: $99,333
- Total population: 2,948
Newport East, RI
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©"View East Atop the Rose Island Lighthouse Newport (RI) September 2018" by Ron Cogswell is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $444,300 (4.9 times income)
- Median household income: $90,659
- Total population: 11,644
Coinjock, NC
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©"U.S. Route 158 Crossing Canal Connecting North River with Currituck Sound (Intracoastal Waterway), Coinjock, North Carolina" by Ken Lund is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $200,600 (4.9 times income)
- Median household income: $40,938
- Total population: 301
Upper Grand Lagoon, FL
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©Matt Buikema/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $316,400 (4.9 times income)
- Median household income: $64,935
- Total population: 17,062
Wabasso Beach, FL
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©Sergey and Marina Pyataev/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $586,000 (4.9 times income)
- Median household income: $120,673
- Total population: 2,101
Anderson Island, WA
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©"Ferry 'Ocean City' Abandoned at Anderson Island #2" by Jan Pauw is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $449,000 (4.8 times income)
- Median household income: $92,933
- Total population: 1,621
Manteo, NC
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©"My first attempt at star trails. This home can be found adjacent to The Booth Guest House in Manteo, NC. Taken facing South on October 6, 2012 at exactly 10:00 p.m. Photo by Mackenzie Brunson" by Magnate Lab is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $375,900 (4.8 times income)
- Median household income: $78,074
- Total population: 1,808
Panama City Beach, FL
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©Rob Hainer/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $363,900 (4.8 times income)
- Median household income: $76,091
- Total population: 18,281
East Sandwich, MA
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©Brett Godfrey/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $590,000 (4.8 times income)
- Median household income: $123,571
- Total population: 3,787
Matlacha, FL
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©Nadezda Murmakova/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $370,100 (4.8 times income)
- Median household income: $77,841
- Total population: 837
Yarmouth Port, MA
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©"File:Yarmouth Port, Yarmouth, MA 02675, USA - panoramio (12).jpg" by bynyalcin is licensed under BY 3.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $486,200 (4.8 times income)
- Median household income: $102,321
- Total population: 5,971
Littlejohn Island, ME
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©Marcio Jose Bastos Silva/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $446,600 (4.7 times income)
- Median household income: $94,943
- Total population: 58
Big Coppitt Key, FL
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©Paiboon Chooklin/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $481,200 (4.7 times income)
- Median household income: $102,943
- Total population: 3,188
Gwynn, VA
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©"U.S. Post Office - Gwynn, VA (11938515494)" by Carmen Shields from United States is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $413,600 (4.6 times income)
- Median household income: $89,009
- Total population: 639
Brigantine, NJ
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©"Night of the Mega Moon at Brigantine Beach, NJ 3/19/2011" by the bridge is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $423,000 (4.6 times income)
- Median household income: $91,307
- Total population: 7,784
Tierra Verde, FL
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©"Tierra Verde, FL, USA Condo For Sale - Gulf View Penthouse w 57' Boat Slip" by International Real Estate Listings is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $666,100 (4.6 times income)
- Median household income: $143,913
- Total population: 4,072
Pine Island Center, FL
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©"Pine Island Beach, FL" by Garoutte0726 is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $252,800 (4.5 times income)
- Median household income: $55,565
- Total population: 1,626
Galveston, TX
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©"Gulf of Mexico - Galveston, TX" by Robert Stinnett is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $258,300 (4.5 times income)
- Median household income: $57,453
- Total population: 53,265
St. Simons, GA
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©CE Photography/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $445,500 (4.5 times income)
- Median household income: $99,432
- Total population: 15,983
Laguna Beach, FL
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©"Greetings from Laguna Beach, Florida, Near Panama City, Florida - Large Letter Postcard" by Shook Photos is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $329,500 (4.4 times income)
- Median household income: $74,911
- Total population: 4,194
Lower Grand Lagoon, FL
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©gguy44/ via Getty Images
- Median home value: $314,200 (4.4 times income)
- Median household income: $72,083
- Total population: 4,733
Pineland, FL
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©Alexander Lukatskiy/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $401,800 (4.3 times income)
- Median household income: $93,594
- Total population: 379
Port Royal, SC
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©"Port Royal SC Paris Avenue" by Thomson200 is licensed under CC0 1.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $292,400 (4.2 times income)
- Median household income: $68,909
- Total population: 14,573
South Beach, FL
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©Alexander Demyanenko/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $813,500 (4.2 times income)
- Median household income: $193,281
- Total population: 3,120
Lido Beach, NY
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©"Lido Beach" by Michael LoCascio is licensed under BY-SA 3.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $726,100 (4.2 times income)
- Median household income: $172,857
- Total population: 2,615
St. James City, FL
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©"My Dream House - St. James City, FL" by LocoMotion Photography is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $251,600 (4.0 times income)
- Median household income: $62,415
- Total population: 3,494
Bokeelia, FL
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©"Marine shoreline of Cayo Costa Island (Pine Island Sound, Florida, USA) 2" by James St. John is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $263,400 (3.9 times income)
- Median household income: $66,691
- Total population: 2,230
Shell Point, SC
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©photo.ua/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $236,900 (3.9 times income)
- Median household income: $60,676
- Total population: 2,026
Harkers Island, NC
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©"Sunset on the Sound Harkers Island NC 6243" by bobistraveling is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $264,300 (3.9 times income)
- Median household income: $67,888
- Total population: 1,104
Laurel Bay, SC
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©"South Carolina regions map" by Peter Fitzgerald is licensed under BY 3.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $215,600 (3.9 times income)
- Median household income: $55,658
- Total population: 5,513
Mashpee Neck, MA
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©James Kirkikis/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $518,600 (3.8 times income)
- Median household income: $135,536
- Total population: 1,270
Buxton, NC
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©"Potential UXO in Buxton, NC 10-22-2020" by CapeHatterasNPS is licensed under PDM 1.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $328,600 (3.8 times income)
- Median household income: $87,344
- Total population: 1,477
Akutan, AK
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©"Heading 054° to Akutan, AK" by PoweredbyLycoming is licensed under BY-ND 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $106,300 (3.7 times income)
- Median household income: $28,750
- Total population: 911
Grandy, NC
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©klenger/iStock via Getty Images
- Median home value: $260,500 (3.7 times income)
- Median household income: $70,610
- Total population: 2,438
Cousins Island, ME
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©Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $603,400 (3.6 times income)
- Median household income: $168,571
- Total population: 504
Wanchese, NC
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©"Flying Seagulls" by kppixelshot is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $249,700 (3.5 times income)
- Median household income: $71,484
- Total population: 2,005
Jamaica Beach, TX
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©"Homes and duplexes on Galveston Island" by roy.luck is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $300,500 (3.5 times income)
- Median household income: $86,923
- Total population: 1,103
Waves, NC
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©Chuck Lawhon/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $547,800 (3.4 times income)
- Median household income: $158,860
- Total population: 139
Burton, SC
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©"South Carolina Sunset" by pfarrell95 is licensed under BY-SA 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $189,200 (3.2 times income)
- Median household income: $58,390
- Total population: 7,603
Barataria, LA
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©Katherine Welles/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $167,000 (3.0 times income)
- Median household income: $55,313
- Total population: 772
Harbor Island, SC
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©iStock.com/rarrarorro
- Median home value: $295,000 (3.0 times income)
- Median household income: $97,825
- Total population: 277
Shishmaref, AK
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©Ingo70/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $118,300 (2.1 times income)
- Median household income: $56,875
- Total population: 568
Daufuskie Island, SC
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©Ursula Page/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $290,400 (2.0 times income)
- Median household income: $146,349
- Total population: 569
Smith Island, MD
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©Linda Harms/Shutterstock.com
- Median home value: $109,300 (1.3 times income)
- Median household income: $82,878
- Total population: 357
Kaktovik, AK
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©"U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy in the Beaufort Sea" by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under BY 2.0. - Original / License
- Median home value: $93,000 (1.1 times income)
- Median household income: $86,458
- Total population: 201
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Mia2you/Shutterstock.com.