Updated September 2024
Inevitably there comes a point on a great ski vacation when you or your family brings up the question of what it would be like to live in the ski town you’re vacationing in. However, romanticizing about living in a ski town and actually doing it are two completely different things. There are a lot of considerations. How much does it cost to live there? Can you work from home? Can you find a job that pays enough to support your new lifestyle? What about the schools? And the list of questions goes on.
We spoke with Evan Wyloge, data journalist for Realtor.com, for its its take on the real estate market in ski towns. As Evan shared, “The past several years have been marked by low inventory, with relatively high demand, leading to broad housing market price increases.” That’s without factoring in rising interest rates. As such, homebuyers who are looking for affordability may have to get creative, or look at lesser-known ski towns. Below, we include some ski towns, particularly on the East Coast, that are more affordable than many of the more popular ski towns.
While we can’t answer a lot of the questions that only you and your family can answer, we’re here to at least narrow the list of possibilities down with a round-up of the best ski towns to live in. When we talk here about living in a ski town, we mean it; this is for those individuals, couples and families who are considering a full-time move to the mountains to live in a ski town. In this case, we’re not talking about the “ski bum” lifestyle here. Let’s get to the list.
America’s best ski towns to live in
Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish is arguably the best of all worlds with its location near Whitefish Mountain Resort, Glacier National Park, and Flathead Lake, the largest natural body of freshwater (by surface area) in the western U.S. Downtown Whitefish is located just 6 miles from Whitefish Mountain Resort, which we named one of the best uncrowded ski areas in America. Whitefish Mountain Resorts has more than 110 named trails spanning across 3,000 acres of terrain, and has nearly half a mile of vertical feet at 2,353 feet of vert. On average, it receives 300 inches of snow each year.
One of the biggest perks of Whitefish, especially for those who travel frequently, is how close it is to an international airport. Glacier Park International Airport (FCA), is just 11 miles away, in neighboring Kalispell. Numerous major airlines fly in and out of FCA, including Alaska, United, Delta, and American. You can be door-to-door in just 20 minutes from Whitefish.
Whitefish is often on lists of the best small towns in America, including ones published by CNN and Travel + Leisure. Downtown Whitefish is lined with charming inns, cute boutique shops, museums, and great restaurants and bars, while the area is an outdoor playground with its access to Glacier National Park, Flathead River and Flathead Lake, golf courses, and more.
Whitefish’s median home value, according to Zillow, is $897,092. However, if you want something more affordable, look to nearby Kalispell, which offers the convenience to Whitefish and Glacier Park International Airport, but with a much lower cost of living. Kalispell’s median home sale price is $558,859, according to Zillow. Both Whitefish High School and Glacier High School are ranked among the top high schools in the state.
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Bend, Oregon
If you enjoy beer, good restaurants, skiing, and access to the great outdoors 365 days per year, then look no further than Bend, located in the Oregon High Desert. Bend is 22 miles from Mt. Bachelor, via the Cascades Lake Highway, where you can typically count on 400 inches of snowfall each season. Mt. Bachelor is one of the most popular ski areas in the Pacific Northwest, and the largest, with skiing and riding spread out over more than 4,000 acres. The long ski season begins early and doesn’t slow down until later in May. Smaller ski areas like Hoodoo (44 miles) and Willamette Pass (70 miles) offer some variety.
While Bend doesn’t get nearly the snowfall as Mt. Bachelor, it’s a great mountain town that has it all. Bend is known for its craft beer, home to a number of breweries, including Crux and Deschutes Brewery. Many of the breweries, and restaurants, are within walking distance of one another, making Bend a very walkable city. It’s also a great town for dogs, with a number of publications and websites calling Bend one of the top dog-friendly cities. What’s more, Bend enjoys sunshine about 158 days per year, which is in contrast to the rest of the state’s average of 105 days.
Bend’s median home price is just below $750,000, according to Zillow. So while it’s not the least expensive mountain town, it’s not as expensive as some of the ski towns in Colorado and California.
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Truckee, California
Truckee, California is the perfect place for that outdoorsy family that gets equally excited about summer as winter. Located near the California/Nevada border, Truckee is just 12 minutes from King’s Beach on the relaxed north shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in America. Ski resort options are endless in Truckee, with Northstar California, Palisades-Tahoe, Sugar Bowl, Mt. Rose, and Tahoe Donner all within 30 miles of Truckee. Then on the south side of Lake Tahoe you have Heavenly, Kirkwood, and Sierra-at-Tahoe.
Summer really opens things up, with virtually every water sport you can think of on Lake Tahoe, and plenty of sunny, warm beaches to enjoy. Closer to Truckee is the much smaller, and low-key Donner Lake. Need a city getaway fix? San Francisco is 187 miles away, while the state capitol of Sacramento is 88 miles away. The “Biggest Little City in the World,” Reno, Nevada, is practically in Truckee’s backyard, just 30 miles away. This is also where you’ll find the closest international airport, with Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) just 35 minutes from from Truckee.
However, the downside is the cost of living, which is significantly more expensive than most of the rest of the country. Truckee’s median home price is $1,014,580. That’s the price to pay in California and to have access to all that the Lake Tahoe region has to offer. The community of about 17,000 is most certainly one of the best places for skiing families to live in the Golden State.
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Crested Butte, Colorado
Crested Butte, dubbed “Colorado’s last great ski town,” is conveniently located just a few minutes from Crested Butte Ski Resort. It gives off a small, fun ski town vibe that you won’t find in every Colorado ski town. Its picturesque town streets are lined with all kinds of charming boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. Crested Butte Ski Resort receives more than 300 inches of snow each year, and with 1,500 acres of skiable terrain, it’s a playground for skiers of all abilities.
While Crested Butte is more than four hours away from Denver, Gunnison–Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC) is 40 minutes from the resort with service to and from Denver and several airline hub cities. The drive to Crested Butte from Denver is doable, but it’ll take at least 4 hours.
Crested Butte’s median home price is $1,434,516, according to Zillow, putting it in the higher range for home prices of mountain towns. In fact it’s higher than most of the country.
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Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson is well-known as one of the most desirable ski towns to live in. This is no ordinary ski town, however. Jackson is home to one of North America’s top ski resorts, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (rated OnTheSnow’s Best All-Mountain Terrain resort for 2022, 2023, and 2024), plus it’s the gateway to two of America’s most popular national parks, Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Many people are vacation homeowners, but those who live here year-round experience Jackson Hole’s splendors day after day.
The town of Jackson could be a stage set for a Western movie, with its wooden sidewalks in parts of town, and its saloons and western facade. However, don’t sleep on the great food and drink options here. The Mangy Moose Saloon and Million Dollar Cowboy Bar are among some of Jackson’s legendary establishments.
Living in Jackson comes with a price. Jackson is significantly higher than most of the U.S. Jackson’s average home price, according to Zillow, is $2,074,097.
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Aspen, Colorado
Aspen has earned recognition as not only one of the best places to ski in America, but one of the best places to live. Skiing in Aspen is world-class, thanks to the combination of Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass. However, the town of Aspen itself is just as world-class. Aspen, which has its roots as a mining town, is home to several major academic and cultural institutions, including the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, and the Aspen Music Festival and School, an eight-week gathering of classical music students and professionals putting on more than 400 public concerts each summer season. Aspen’s food and drink scene is as good as any you’ll find in any mountain town. It culminates every summer with the Food & Wine Classic, which sells out months in advance.
Living in such a world-class ski town comes with a price. According to Zillow, the average Aspen home value is $3.5 million. Aspen’s cost of living makes it one of the most expensive places to live in the U.S.
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Steamboat Springs, Colorado
It’s not called Ski Town, U.S.A.® for nothing. Steamboat Springs, located three hours northwest of Denver, is lauded for producing more winter Olympians than any other town in America. An astonishing one out of every 136 individuals is an Olympian. And Steamboat, in part, has its famous champagne powder to thank. Steamboat Ski Resort on average receives more than 300 inches of annual snow. It has a sprawling 2,965 acres of skiable terrain over five mountains, with more than 180 trails and 3,668 feet of vertical.
The town of Steamboat Springs is just minutes from the resort. The town has an authentic, western feel that you won’t find in just any ski town. Its western vibe really comes out for events like the Steamboat Winter Carnival, when kids are pulled down a snow-covered Main Street by horses. There’s a lot of outdoor recreation beyond just the ski resort. The Yampa River runs right through town, while Steamboat Lake State Park, Pearl Lake State Park, and Stagecoach State Park are nearby.
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The average Steamboat Springs home is valued at less than iconic Colorado ski towns like Aspen, yet it’s still over a million. The average Steamboat Springs home value, according to Zillow, is $1,270,941.
Park City, Utah
Park City, located 30 miles from Salt Lake City, has built a reputation as a great ski community and place to live. It’s no wonder considering how many incredible ski resorts are nearby, including Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley, both of which are in the town’s city limits. A new resort – Mayflower – broke ground in 2021 and is not far from opening. Meanwhile, several of Utah’s top ski resorts are within an hour’s drive, including Sundance, Alta, Snowbird, Snowbasin, Solitude, and Brighton.
Numerous outdoor companies, including Rossignol, are based in Park City, so there are some good jobs to be had. Plus, Park City is a cornucopia of great restaurants, nightlife, and shopping. It’s particularly great for families with high school kids, since Park City High School is considered one of the top high schools in the state.
Park City’s median home price, according to Zillow, is $1.5 million. While Park City’s cost of living is higher, there are few ski towns that offer the quality of life, skiing opportunities, and convenience to a large city that Park City does.
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Taos, New Mexico
Taos Ski Valley has long been a world-class ski resort in its own distinctive way since it was founded by the legendary Ernie Blake and his wife Rhoda who opened the resort more than 60 years ago. New owners have brought much of the mountain and base community up to what we consider world-class today, without letting go of the charm for which the resort is famous.
The town of Taos, 19 miles from the ski area, is home to the Taos Pueblo, a World Heritage Site, which isn’t something that just any ski town can boast. New Mexico cuisine, adobe architecture, and art that is deeply rooted in Southwest history makes Taos one of the most unique ski towns to live in.
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The cost of living here is among the most reasonable in America’s ski towns. Taos’ median home price is $450,000, according to Zillow, making it a steal among mountain towns out West. What’s more, Taos is one of the only towns on this list that has gone down in price. With a population of around 6,500 people, and a reasonable cost of living coupled with Southwestern culture, Taos is a one-of-a-kind ski town.
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Manchester, Vermont
Many people probably think Stowe when they think great New England ski towns, and it’s for good reason. However, Manchester is a lovely town in a skiing triangle with Bromley (6 miles), Stratton (20 miles), and Magic Mountain (13 miles) all nearby. Stratton is upscale and glamorous, Bromley is warm, friendly and comfortable as an old ski boot, and Magic Mountain is a bit of a throwback and a local favorite for its challenges.The magnificent Equinox Hotel graces Main Street, while great restaurants and bars dot the town. Manchester Designer Outlets is a street boutique shopping experience with more than 25 upscale shops.
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Manchester’s schools – particularly the historic Burr & Burton Academy (an independent, coeducational New England secondary school) – are very good. Families will find that the schools, and home prices, are just right. Manchester’s average home value, according to Zillow, is $612,657, which many people would consider a bargain for a ski town, and much lower than Stowe. It’s worth noting, too, that Manchester is closer than other New England ski towns to some of the Northeast’s major cities, like Boston.
Stowe, Vermont
We’d been remiss, however, to not include Stowe on this list of the best ski towns to live in. Stowe, after all, is known as the “Ski Capital of the East” and the birthplace of alpine skiing in Vermont. Stowe Mountain Resort, located just 10 minutes from town, has more than 115 trails spread over 485 acres of skiable terrain, and boasts 2,360 feet of vertical drop. It on average receives 300 inches of annual snowfall. Stowe Mountain Resort is a true destination resort, with ski-in and ski-out lodging, tons of restaurants and bars, and winter activities for families and those who don’t ski. Beyond alpine skiing, Stowe is considered one of the best cross-country skiing destinations in America.
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Stowe is a four-season destination that’s beautiful anytime of year. We’ve named it one of the best ski towns to visit in both the summer and fall. Spring is considered Stowe’s “sweetest season,” marking the start of the maple sugaring season. Simply put, you can’t go wrong with any season in Stowe. Its community atmosphere, great culinary scene, and vibrancy makes it all that more appealing for residents.
The average home value in Stowe is just below a million at $994,576, according to Zillow. While it’s more expensive than many other New England ski towns, it should be expected considering Stowe’s popularity.
North Conway, New Hampshire
Don’t sleep on New Hampshire. North Conway is a small New England ski town, with just under 2,500 residents. While it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of many other ski towns, that’s exactly what makes it such a great town to live in. Cranmore Mountain is the hometown ski resort, with 170 acres of skiable terrain and 56 trails served by 8 lifts. It’s one of New England’s oldest ski resorts, opening in the 1930s. Beyond Cranmore Mountain there are several other ski resorts within a 30-minute drive, including Attitash, Shawnee Peak, and Wildcat Mountain. Bretton Woods is just 40 minutes away.
Located to the backdrop of White Mountain National Forest, and near New England’s tallest peak of Mt. Washington, North Conway is an incredible 4-season destination. While winter and early spring beckons skiers, summer is for exploring the White Mountains, camping, golfing, fishing, waterfall hikes, lazy lake days, and tax-free shopping at North Conway’s Settlers Green Outlet Village. And let us not forget the beautiful fall foliage.
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North Conway’s price of living is just right, at just over $420,000 according to Zillow. If you want a small-town feel that’s away from it all, North Conway is a great place to live.
September 18, 2024
