There are millions of second homes (which are homes that are not considered primary residences) in the United States. Many of these are vacation homes or rental units in resort areas that are close to beaches and ski mountains so that people can enjoy them on their time off. The graphic below visualizes which metropolitan areas in the U.S. have the highest percentage of second homes used for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use.
The following are the top 10 metropolitan areas with the highest percentage of second homes:
1. Marinette-Iron Mountain, WI-MI: 26.73%
2. Salisbury-Cambridge, MD-DE: 25.08%
3. Edwards-Glenwood Springs, CO: 24.33%
4. Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC-NC: 22.31%
5. Cape-Coral-Fort Myers-Naples, FL: 20.97%
6. New Bern-Morehead City, NC: 17.14%
7. North Port-Sarasota, FL: 14.53%
8. Portland-Lewiston-South Portland, ME: 10.62%
9. Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL: 7.91%
10. Burlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT: 7.89%
Many of the locations on the list are located in coastal areas with a high volume of tourists visiting beaches. Ocean City in MD (included in the #2 metro area), Myrtle Beach, and Cape Coral-Fort Myers all rank in the top five. These popular coastal locations are known for their beautiful beaches, which makes them very popular locations to have a second home.
There are several other cities at the top of the list that are popular destinations for skiers and snowboarders. The Edwards-Glenwood Springs metropolitan area in Colorado is very close to popular mountains like Vail and Beaver Creek, making it an ideal destination for frequent skiers and those looking to plan a winter vacation. The Burlington, VT area is also a popular spot for those that love snow sports. The area is close to popular destinations like Stowe, Smugglers’ Notch, and Bolton Valley. Check out the graphic to see how many of these popular destinations you’ve visited!
