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Closer to the coast

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12 American Beach Towns You Can Actually Afford to Live In

A house by the ocean isn’t just a pipe dream.

Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Median home price: $165,100
The artsy, quintessentially Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast leads the nation in affordable beach cities, with four towns landing in the top 10. Of those cities, Ocean Springs is the beachiest. There you can wander over from your sub-$150K home to the bars of Government Street, where live music fills the air every weekend. Closer to the coast you’re a short boat ride from the turquoise waters of the barrier islands, a big part of why this isn’t just one of the cheapest beach towns in America, it’s one of the best beach towns, period.

Gulfport, Mississippi

Median home price: $120,600
Don’t sleep on Mississippi’s second-largest city — one of America’s most underappreciated that happens to be a great place to live. Its once-downtrodden downtown has come back to life as young residents have moved back and brought with them a new energy, weekend block parties, and one of the state’s best breweries in Chandeleur. To further enrich downtown, the city opened an alley in the model of Cleveland’s East Fourth Street, closed to traffic and lined with bars and restaurants for people to enjoy the coastal sunshine as they sip. When it’s time to check out Biloxi — another great town with a median home price hovering around $157k — the 27 miles of unobstructed beachfront along the way make for one of the most scenic drives in America.