© Catherine Irwin/Shutterstock.com
© "Turnoff to Ridgecrest, California, Panamint Valley, Death Valley National Park" by Ken Lund is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
© "Steele Creek" by BLM Alaska is licensed under BY 2.0.
© "Cumberland, Maryland" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
© "White Sulphur Springs" by Tobyotter is licensed under BY 2.0.
© "Scranton Pennsylvania ~ Scranton Cultural Center - Masonic Temple (formerly the Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral) Mid 90s'" by Onasill - Bill Badzo - 149 Million Views - Thank Y is licensed under PDM 1.0.
© "File:2016-09-12 14 56 06 View south along Virginia State Route 79 (Apple Mountain Road) at Interstate 66 in Apple Mountain Lake, Warren County, Virginia.jpg" by Famartin is licensed under BY-SA 4.0.
© "Cobleskill, New York" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
© Ingo70/Shutterstock.com
© IEW MEDIA/Shutterstock.com
© "2017-06-13 10 11 06 View north along Virginia State Route 99 (Main Street) at Newbern Road in Pulaski, Pulaski County, Virginia" by Famartin is licensed under BY-SA 4.0.
© "B&O 7401 freight near Keyser, West Virginia (Gafton Line) on March 2, 1969" by railfan 44 is licensed under PDM 1.0.
© SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
© "20220914 09 Mount Union, Pennsylvania" by davidwilson1949 is licensed under BY 2.0.
© Jill Lang/Shutterstock.com
© "Farmland Near Whitehall, New York" by Ken Lund is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
© "Lewistown, Pennsylvania" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
© "Hinton West Virginia train station north" by CZmarlin — Christopher Ziemnowicz, releases all rights but a photo credit would be appreciated if this image is used anywhere other than Wikipedia. Please leave a note at Wikipedia here. Thank you! is licensed under BY 3.0.
© "Gorham, New Hampshire" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
© "Jenkins city hall downtown" by FatCat96 is licensed under BY-SA 4.0.
© "File:2016-06-25 09 07 59 View south along Maryland State Route 36 (Mount Savage Road) at U.S. Route 40 Alternate (National Highway) in La Vale, Allegany County, Maryland.jpg" by Famartin is licensed under BY-SA 4.0.
© "Farm-powells-crossroads-tn1" by Brian Stansberry is licensed under BY 3.0.
© Melissa Blair/Shutterstock.com
© "Drive to Berlin New Hampshire" by j.tarallo is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
© "PA347 North Sign - Olyphant" by formulanone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
© "File:RichwoodLookingDownOakford.jpg" by Youngamerican at English Wikipedia is licensed under BY-SA 3.0.
© "PC Train 54, The Pennsylvania Limited, on Horseshoe Curve, near Altoona, PA on February 23, 1969" by railfan 44 is licensed under PDM 1.0.
© "1988. Grounded spray helicopters in need of dump valves. Western spruce budworm control project. Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Oregon." by USDA Forest Service is licensed under PDM 1.0.
© "Keyser Avenue wb in Old Forge, PA, July 2024" by Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) is licensed under BY-SA 4.0.
© "Wildlife at Neah Bay in Washington" by Landscapes in The West is licensed under PDM 1.0.
© "Metlakatla, Alaska" by markcbrennan is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
© "View along Greenbrier River - Marlinton - West Virginia - USA" by Adam Jones, Ph.D. - Global Photo Archive is licensed under BY 2.0.
© "File:2017-07-21 17 00 36 View north along West Virginia State Route 598 (Cherry Drive) at U.S. Route 460 in Bluefield, Mercer County, West Virginia.jpg" by Famartin is licensed under BY-SA 4.0.
© "File:2017-06-12 19 42 07 View south along Virginia State Route 107 (Worthy Boulevard) at Virginia State Route 91 (Main Street) in Saltville, Smyth County, Virginia.jpg" by Famartin is licensed under BY-SA 4.0.
© SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
© "Shavers Fork Parsons West Virginia" by Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) is licensed under BY-SA 2.5.
© "New York State Route 374" by Dougtone is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
© "Trinity Church McClure PA" by Smallbones is licensed under CC0 1.0.
© SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com
© "File:South Renovo, Pennsylvania houses.jpg" by Nicholas is licensed under BY 2.0.
© marekuliasz/Shutterstock.com
© "Falling Spring Covington Virginia from Douthat State Park" by vastateparksstaff is licensed under BY 2.0.
© "2020-05-27 14 50 28 View south along Maryland State Route 36 (New Georges Creek Road) from the overpass for Waverly Street in Westernport, Allegany County, Maryland" by Famartin is licensed under BY-SA 4.0.
© Carol Mellema/Shutterstock.com
© JULIA Culp/Shutterstock.com
© "2013-02-03; Atkins, Virginia" by robspiegel is licensed under BY 2.0.
© "ALEUTIAN EXPRESS at King Cove Alaska 7 13 2016 20" by ALEUTIANEXPRESS is licensed under BY-SA 4.0.
© "Trona and Searles Valley, California" by Pimlico27 is licensed under BY-SA 4.0.
© U. Eisenlohr/Shutterstock.com
© Checubus/Shutterstock.com
© "20070517 13 Locust St. @ Walnut St., Johnstown, Pennsylvania" by davidwilson1949 is licensed under BY 2.0.
Live in A Picturesque Mountain Town for Less Than $50,000 Mountain living seems like an ideal way of life. Waking up to the sounds of nature — the chirping of birds, hearing the leaves blowing in the wind, perhaps listening to a stream as it flows by — and breathing in the fresh, crisp mountain air is a dream for many. The mountain life may not be for everyone, but if living in a picturesque mountain town has always been your vision, now might be the perfect time.
To determine picturesque mountain towns with affordable homes, Moms Who Think reviewed five years of data on median household value and median household income from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey . Cities, towns, and Census-designated places were ranked based on the ratio of median home value to median household income.
Only places with at least 500 residents where at least 5% of housing units are vacant for seasonal or recreational use that intersect a mountain were considered. Mountain spatial boundaries are from the GMBA Mountain Inventory v2 of EarthEnv.
Additionally, we included the Niche grade for each town or surrounding area. This grade is based on an analysis of data related to factors such as cost of living, public schools, diversity, and outdoor activities.
This post was updated in September 2025 to include additional information about each mountain town or surrounding area that is relevant to families.
50. Ridgecrest, California Median home value: $224,600 (2.6 times income)Median household income: $85,872Overall Niche grade : B+Total population: 28,11849. Steele Creek, Alaska Median home value: $309,900 (2.6 times income)Median household income: $118,934Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 6,54248. Cumberland, Maryland Median home value: $119,500 (2.6 times income)Median household income: $45,915Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 19,04147. White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia Median home value: $122,000 (2.6 times income)Median household income: $47,292Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 2,70746. Scranton, Pennsylvania Median home value: $125,700 (2.6 times income)Median household income: $48,776Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 76,11945. Apple Mountain Lake, Virginia Median home value: $310,200 (2.6 times income)Median household income: $120,539Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 1,58444. Cobleskill, New York Median home value: $168,800 (2.6 times income)Median household income: $65,610Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 4,15243. Deltana, Alaska Median home value: $267,700 (2.5 times income)Median household income: $105,250Overall Niche grade : C+Total population: 2,05942. Lakemont, Pennsylvania Median home value: $118,600 (2.5 times income)Median household income: $46,840Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 1,51141. Pulaski, Virginia Median home value: $137,400 (2.5 times income)Median household income: $55,213Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 8,98240. Keyser, West Virginia Median home value: $115,400 (2.5 times income)Median household income: $46,724Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 4,87939. Nice, California Median home value: $170,600 (2.4 times income)Median household income: $69,653Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 2,38938. Mount Union, Pennsylvania Median home value: $93,600 (2.4 times income)Median household income: $38,382Overall Niche grade : C+Total population: 2,13037. Middlesborough, Kentucky Median home value: $87,000 (2.4 times income)Median household income: $35,798Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 9,38336. Whitehall, New York Median home value: $96,400 (2.4 times income)Median household income: $40,294Overall Niche grade : CTotal population: 2,16635. Lewistown, Pennsylvania Median home value: $86,500 (2.4 times income)Median household income: $36,166Overall Niche grade : C+Total population: 8,52234. Hinton, West Virginia Median home value: $85,400 (2.4 times income)Median household income: $35,735Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 2,16733. Gorham, New Hampshire Median home value: $132,800 (2.4 times income)Median household income: $55,845Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 2,04332. Jenkins, Kentucky Median home value: $61,300 (2.3 times income)Median household income: $26,500Overall Niche grade : C+Total population: 1,86231. La Vale, Maryland Median home value: $168,200 (2.3 times income)Median household income: $73,778Overall Niche grade : A-Total population: 4,35130. Powells Crossroads, Tennessee Median home value: $146,100 (2.3 times income)Median household income: $64,100Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 1,68629. Ellenville, New York Median home value: $172,700 (2.2 times income)Median household income: $77,125Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 4,21328. Berlin, New Hampshire Median home value: $93,200 (2.2 times income)Median household income: $41,638Overall Niche grade : CTotal population: 9,48527. Olyphant, Pennsylvania Median home value: $132,200 (2.2 times income)Median household income: $60,120Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 5,37226. Richwood, West Virginia Median home value: $68,000 (2.2 times income)Median household income: $30,962Overall Niche grade : CTotal population: 2,56725. Altoona, Pennsylvania Median home value: $110,700 (2.2 times income)Median household income: $50,435Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 43,82124. Warm Springs, Oregon Median home value: $129,200 (2.2 times income)Median household income: $59,167Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 2,45323. Old Forge, Pennsylvania Median home value: $156,300 (2.2 times income)Median household income: $71,615Overall Niche grade : A-Total population: 8,50622. Neah Bay, Washington Median home value: $137,500 (2.2 times income)Median household income: $63,750Overall Niche grade : B+Total population: 1,08121. Metlakatla, Alaska Median home value: $163,900 (2.1 times income)Median household income: $78,750Overall Niche grade : CTotal population: 1,43720. Marlinton, West Virginia Median home value: $82,000 (2.1 times income)Median household income: $39,643Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 1,13919. Bluefield, West Virginia Median home value: $94,400 (2.1 times income)Median household income: $45,854Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 9,61918. Saltville, Virginia Median home value: $84,900 (2.1 times income)Median household income: $41,339Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 2,08517. Bowling Green, Maryland Median home value: $119,100 (2.0 times income)Median household income: $59,773Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 1,10216. Parsons, West Virginia Median home value: $88,600 (1.9 times income)Median household income: $45,729Overall Niche grade : C+Total population: 1,52415. Dannemora, New York Median home value: $130,900 (1.9 times income)Median household income: $67,778Overall Niche grade : C+Total population: 3,37314. McClure, Pennsylvania Median home value: $119,100 (1.9 times income)Median household income: $62,667Overall Niche grade : C+Total population: 1,17113. Patrick Springs, Virginia Median home value: $99,500 (1.9 times income)Median household income: $52,548Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 2,20412. Renovo, Pennsylvania Median home value: $54,400 (1.9 times income)Median household income: $28,750Overall Niche grade : CTotal population: 1,08111. Cumberland, Kentucky Median home value: $59,900 (1.8 times income)Median household income: $32,716Overall Niche grade : C+Total population: 2,39010. Covington, Virginia Median home value: $80,100 (1.8 times income)Median household income: $45,737Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 5,7229. Westernport, Maryland Median home value: $83,500 (1.6 times income)Median household income: $50,938Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 1,9938. Springville, Virginia Median home value: $65,700 (1.6 times income)Median household income: $41,250Overall Niche grade : BTotal population: 1,0177. East Carbon, Utah Median home value: $80,700 (1.5 times income)Median household income: $52,554Overall Niche grade : C+Total population: 1,4416. Atkins, Virginia Median home value: $66,300 (1.5 times income)Median household income: $43,318Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 1,0285. King Cove, Alaska Median home value: $118,200 (1.5 times income)Median household income: $79,844Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 1,1084. Searles Valley, California Median home value: $78,000 (1.4 times income)Median household income: $54,013Overall Niche grade : C-Total population: 1,7163. Desert Edge, California Median home value: $53,600 (1.4 times income)Median household income: $38,668Overall Niche grade : B-Total population: 3,7152. Hays, Montana Median home value: $63,600 (1.3 times income)Median household income: $49,423Overall Niche grade : C-Total population: 1,0951. Johnstown, Pennsylvania Median home value: $40,000 (1.2 times income)Median household income: $33,466Overall Niche grade : CTotal population: 18,429← PreviousNext →
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Catherine Irwin/Shutterstock.com
