For the study, the finance experts at LendingTree used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent American Community Survey to find the stateside towns with a population lower than 50,000 that have the highest median home value. They also calculated the “home value-to-income ratio” for each town by dividing an area’s median home value by its median household income. Therefore, the larger the ratio, the more expensive homes are relative to a town’s median income. Read on to discover the most expensive small town in the U.S. RELATED: This Is the Most Expensive Suburb in Your State, Data Shows. Median home value: $235,000 In this Wyoming town, the median household income is $49,322, or about one-fifth of Laramie’s median home value. Median home value: $237,800 The median home value in Dickinson, North Dakota is comparable to the much larger U.S. city of Richmond, Virginia, which has a median home value of $237,500. Median home value: $239,500 Taos has an especially high home value-to-income ratio of 6.25. That means that the median home value in this New Mexico town is more than six times the median household income of its residents, which is $38,329. RELATED: This Is the Most Expensive State in America, According to Data. Median home value: $240,100 The median household income of Montrose, Colorado is $51,647. If you’re looking to find a larger U.S. city with comparable home value, a good place to start would be Nashville, Tennessee, where the median home value is $240,800. Median home value: $246,100 With its median home value of $246,100 and a median household income of $49,006, the home value-to-income ratio in Prineville, Oregon is 5.02. Median home value: $247,400ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb On the other hand, Williston, North Dakota has the second lowest home value-to-income ratio among the most expensive small towns in the U.S.: 2.84. The town has a median household income of $87,161, which is definitely on the higher end of the spectrum compared to other towns on this list. Median home value: $251,200 Homes in Newport, Oregon are comparable in price to those in Philadelphia, where the median home value is slightly less at $250,70o. Median home value: $254,200 In Sandpoint, Idaho, the median home value is more than five times the median household income ($50,256) of the town’s residents. Median home value: $265,400 Another of several Oregon towns to make this list, Brookings has a median household income of $48,440 and a home value-to-income ratio of 5.48. Median home value: $272,400 Sheridan’s median home value ($272,400) and home value-to-income ratio (4.48) are close to Providence, Rhode Island’s, where those figures are $276,900 and 4.08, respectively. Median home value: $283,900 Believe it or not, but a median-priced home in Astoria, Oregon costs more than one in Miami, Florida, where the median value is $280,400. Median home value: $286,900 This Washington town has a median household income of $56,000 and a home value-to-income ratio of 5.12. Its median home value is comparable to that of Austin, Texas, which is $281,500. Median home value: $286,900 Fredericksburg has the same median home value as Ellensburg, Washington, but a higher median household income of $59,155, giving it a lower home value-to-income ratio of 4.85. RELATED: This Is the Most Overpriced College in Your State, According to Data. Median home value: $289,000 This coastal North Carolina town stacks up closely with Fredericksburg, Texas with a median household income of $59,381 and a home value-to-income ratio of 4.87. Median home value: $289,900 Ketchikan is the first of two Alaskan towns to make the list of the top 25 most expensive small towns in the U.S. It has a relatively high median household income of $72,728. Median home value: $302,800 Los Alamos may only be the tenth most expensive small town on this list, but it takes the top spot in the income category. At $121,324, Los Alamos’ residents have the highest annual median household income on this list. Median home value: $336,800 On average, homes in Easton, Maryland cost as much as they do in Riverside, California. The median home values of the two areas are $336,800 and $341,300, respectively. Median home value: $345,900 Juneau, the second Alaskan town on this list, has a median household income of $88,390, a median home value of $345,900, and a home value-to-income ratio of 3.91. Median home value: $373,600 As the fourth and final Oregon town on this list, Hood River has a median household income of $65,679 and a home value of $373,600, which is nearly $5,000 more than the one in the much larger city of Portland, Oregon. Median home value: $378,800 The median home value in Gardnerville Ranchos is nearly six times the median household income ($68,810) in the Nevada town. Median home value: $413,700 At 7.52, the home value-to-income ratio in Hailey, Idaho is the second highest of all the towns on this list. In other words, the median home value ($413,700) in the town is nearly eight times the median household income ($54,987). Median home value: $535,300 This popular ski destination has a home value is high, especially considering the median household income is $77,443. Steamboat Springs also has a comparable home value to that of San Diego, California, which is $563,700. Median home value: $549,800 Another sought after ski getaway, Jackson, Wyoming has a median household income of $81,427 and a home value-to-income ratio of 6.75. For more finance-focused facts and rankings delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Median home value: $579,600 Rounding out the trio of western mountain resort towns at the top of this list is Breckenridge, Colorado. Like both Jackson and Steamboat Springs, it has a median home value comparable to San Diego. It also has a median household income of $79,277 and a home value-to-income ratio of 7.31—the third highest among the most expensive small towns in the U.S. Median home value: $699,500 The most expensive small town in the U.S. is Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, on Martha’s Vineyard, and by a fairly significant margin, to boot. The median home value ($699,500) is more than $100,000 more than the second most expensive town, and more than $80,000 more than notoriously expensive Los Angeles. In addition, the median household income in Vineyard Haven is only $71,811, giving it the largest home value-to-income ratio on this list at 9.74. RELATED: This City Has the Most Overpriced Homes in America, According to Data.
