HAMPTON—Hampton has made the list as one of the most affordable beach towns in the country.
The consumer financial website SmartAsset conducts an annual survey to rate the 50 most affordable beach towns in America. The list is based on factors such as property taxes, average home size, monthly housing costs, and more. For this year’s survey, SmartAsset analyzed data from 211 beach towns across the country. Hampton tied with Melbourne, Florida for twelfth place.
“People love to visit the beach, and when you live in a beach town, you can visit as often as you want,” said Robin McCormick, communications strategist for the city of Hampton. “Homes in Hampton are still a great buy, as this independent survey shows. We have four beaches—Buckroe, Salt Ponds, Fort Monroe, and Grandview Nature Preserve—and lots of homes on or near rivers.”
This year’s SmartAsset report is the seventh study on affordable beach towns it has conducted. Hampton has been steadily making its way up the list. Hampton was ranked 23rd in 2017, 21st in 2018, 21st in 2019, 17th in 2020, and 15th in 2021. Hampton is the only town in Virginia to make the top 50 list in 2022.
“Hampton has been a beach destination since the late 1800s, when both Buckroe and Bayshore drew out-of-town crowds,” said McCormick. “These days, our beaches are less crowded than most on the East Coast. As backups on I-64 East increase, it makes sense to get off the interstate before the bridge-tunnel and enjoy the laid-back beach atmosphere in Hampton.”
Read the full 2022 SmartAsset report here.