In some American towns, nearly every house sits empty for part of the year. Whether it’s a beachside bungalow, a mountainside chalet, or a lakeside estate, these seasonal homes are usually owned by part-time residents – and in the most extreme cases, they make up over 98% of all housing in town.
From coastal escapes in Delaware to ski havens in Colorado, here are the 10 U.S. towns with the highest share of seasonal homes.
10 Most Seasonal Towns in America
| Rank | Location | Seasonal housing share |
| 1 | Dewey Beach, DE | 98.3% |
| 2 | Quogue, NY | 97.9% |
| 3 | Bald Head Island, NC | 97.5% |
| 4 | Barnegat Light, NJ | 97.2% |
| 5 | Frisco, CO | 96.9% |
| 6 | Breckenridge, CO | 96.7% |
| 7 | Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, WI | 96.7% |
| 8 | Innsbrook, MO | 96.4% |
| 9 | Longport, NJ | 96.4% |
| 10 | McCall, ID | 96.1% |
What is seasonal housing, and what’s happening in the market right now?
Seasonal homes are properties that are used only part of the year, often for vacations, recreation, or occasional stays. They’re typically located in popular getaway destinations, but demand tends to ebb and flow with affordability – and lately, high housing costs have made vacation homes harder to afford.
During the pandemic’s era of ultra-low mortgage rates, second-home purchases more than doubled, driven in part by investor activity. Since then, they’ve plunged to new lows in response to economic uncertainty and near-record housing costs. As a result, vacation markets are cooling slightly faster than other parts of the country.
A recent Redfin analysis found that home sales in seasonal towns fell 3% in July, compared to a 1% drop in non-seasonal towns. When costs are high, people are more likely to forgo or sell their ski chalet or beach house.
A closer look at America’s most seasonal towns
1. Dewey Beach, DE
- Seasonal housing share: 98.3%
- Total seasonal housing units: 1,376
- Permanent population: 328
- Dewey median sale price: $995,000
Along Delaware’s gorgeous Cape Region, Dewey Beach is the most seasonal…