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20 Most Affordable East Coast Lake Towns

November 5, 2025

5 min Read

Written by Heather Taylor

Edited by Levi Leidy

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Have you ever considered relocating to a lake town on the East Coast? Key findings from an in-house GOBankingRates study reveal a monthly budget of $2,931 to $3,722 can cover the monthly cost of living in 20 scenic escapes.

GOBankingRates determined the most affordable U.S. lake towns by studying rankings compiled by Travel + Leisure, Thrillist and MSN. We utilized the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey to calculate average expenditure costs. The total cost of living monthly was calculated using each town’s average mortgage and expenditure costs.

Find out which 20 lake towns are the most affordable lake towns on the East Coast. And don’t forget to review our ranking of America’s 20 most affordable lake towns.

1. Henderson, North Carolina

Median household income: $38,780
Average single-family home value: $187,277
Total cost of living (monthly): $2,931

2. Augusta, Georgia

Median household income: $53,134
Average single-family home value: $174,452
Total cost of living (monthly): $2,936

3. Erie, Pennsylvania

Median household income: $43,397
Average single-family home value: $192,589
Total cost of living (monthly): $2,967

4. Sumter, South Carolina

Median household income: $53,071
Average single-family home value: $200,412
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,044

5. Seneca Falls, New York

Median household income: $54,429
Average single-family home value: $194,103
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,057

6. Palatka, Florida

Median household income: $33,628
Average single-family home value: $206,953
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,102

7. Auburn, New York

Median household income: $49,377
Average single-family home value: $210,008
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,184

8. Plattsburgh, New York

Median household income: $53,962
Average single-family home value: $237,886
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,249

9. Geneva, New York

Median household income: $68,242
Average single-family home value: $213,782
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,253

10. Syracuse, New York

Median household income: $45,845
Average single-family home value: $207,151
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,295

11. Columbia, South Carolina

Median household income: $55,653
Average single-family home value: $230,189
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,321

12. Sebring, Florida

Median household income: $42,072
Average single-family home value: $247,076
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,339

13. White Lake, North Carolina

Median household income: $76,667
Average single-family home value: $247,404
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,370

14. Oakland, Maryland

Median household income: $59,904
Average single-family home value: $305,264
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,467

15. Hope Mills, North Carolina

Median household income: $60,671
Average single-family home value: $256,735
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,471

16. Ocala, Florida

Median household income: $53,520
Average single-family home value: $277,012
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,508

17. Gastonia, North Carolina

Median household income: $60,554
Average single-family home value: $281,552
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,547

18. Seneca, South Carolina

Median household income: $52,207
Average single-family home value: $302,748
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,640

19. Clarksville, Virginia

Median household income: $62,969
Average single-family home value: $309,978
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,650

20. Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Median household income: $68,386
Average single-family home value: $306,388
Total cost of living (monthly): $3,722

See more original studies and surveys in the GOBankingRates original research center.

Photo disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only. In many cases, the closest major city outside of the city/county mentioned in the article was used.

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates identified the 20 most affordable lake towns to live in across the United States. The initial list of towns was compiled using rankings from Travel + Leisure’s Best Lake Towns in America, MSN’s Best Lake Towns to Live in America and Thrillist’s Best Lake Town Destinations in America. Once the locations were selected, GOBankingRates analyzed several key data points sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, including total population, percentage of residents age 65 and over, median household income and total number of households. Cost-of-living indexes were obtained from Sperling’s BestPlaces. To estimate average household expenditures, national data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey was used. Home affordability was assessed using the Zillow Home Value Index for single-family homes. Assuming a 10% down payment and a national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate of 6.56% (as reported by the Federal Reserve Economic Data on Sept. 2, 2025), average monthly mortgage costs were calculated for each town. By combining mortgage costs with estimated household expenditures, the total cost of living for basic necessities was determined. The towns were then ranked from most to least affordable. All data is current as of Sept. 3, 2025.

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