The most affordable places to buy a vacation home right now

Demand for vacation homes in the U.S. remains high amid a surge that began last year, but FOX Business combed through the latest data to find the most affordable places to pick up a second home where you can relax – and maybe beat the crowd.

The National Association of Realtors Research Group recently released its 2021 Vacation Home Counties Report, wherein it assessed the data for 323 counties identified as "vacation home counties" out of 3,143. The researchers classify a county as a vacation home county if more than 20% of the locale's housing stock is for seasonal or occasional use.

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While the NAR highlighted the top 1% of the hottest vacation home markets in its report, the researchers provided FOX Business with the data on the least expensive counties they studied based on the median home sale price. Using their findings, here are the most affordable vacation counties in which to buy a home right now in different areas of the U.S.

Most affordable places to buy a vacation home in the U.S. by region

Great Lakes: Oscoda County, Michigan

Median sales price: $107,500

Percent of seasonal vacation homes to housing stock: 54%

Number of seasonal homes: 5,028

Midwest: Hickory County, Missouri

Median sales price: $110,300

Percent of seasonal vacation homes to housing stock: 29%

Number of seasonal homes: 2,007

Northeast: Lewis County, NY

Median sales price: $122,000

Percent of seasonal vacation homes to housing stock: 27%

Number of seasonal homes: 4,303

Southwest: Socorro County, New Mexico

Median sales price: $140,000

Percent of seasonal vacation homes to housing stock: 23%

Number of seasonal homes: 1,880

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Appalachia: Grant County, West Virginia

Median sales price: $154,900

Percent of seasonal vacation homes to housing stock: 20%

Number of seasonal homes: 1,324