- A vacation home can be a great investment if you buy one in the right location.
- Vacation rental management company Vacasa recently looked at the top places to buy a vacation home.
- Vacation homes in the Great Smoky Mountains and on Florida beaches are the most popular.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
A vacation home not only serves as a perfect getaway, but as a great investment – especially if you buy one in the right place.
Property management company Vacasa recently released their 2019 report on the top places to buy a vacation home. To determine its rankings, Vacasa looked at home sales data in vacation destinations across the US and overlaid it with actual performance data for thousands of vacation rental properties.
Turns out, the mountains and the beach are battling it out for top spots. Vacation home buyers are loving both the Great Smoky Mountains and Florida beaches – but they’re also buying everywhere from Oregon and Hawaii to Vermont.
Below, see the top places in the US to buy a vacation home, ranked in order of increasing average investment property returns.
25. Destin, Florida, is located along the state's Emerald Coast on a peninsula separating Choctawhatchee Bay from the Gulf of Mexico.
Median sale price: $484,154
Average nightly rate: $324
Total annual guests: 16,526
24. Cocoa Beach, Florida, is located along the state's Space Coast and is near several state parks.
Median sale price: $370,406
Average nightly rate: $298
Total annual guests: 2,012
23. Waikoloa, Hawaii, on the state's Big Island, is home to several luxury resorts and a few golf courses.
Median sale price: $575,422
Average nightly rate: $336
Total annual guests: 2,359
22. Seaside, Oregon, located an hour and a half northwest of Portland, has plenty of cottages and condos on the beach, in town, or along an estuary.
Median sale price: $373,258
Average nightly rate: $245
Total annual guests: 18,859
21. Ellijay, Georgia, an hour and a half north of Atlanta, is known as the state's Mountain Biking Capital — and it's home to plenty of log cabins.
Median sale price: $230,418
Average nightly rate: $212
Total annual guests: 4,489
20. Rhododendron, Oregon, in the Cascade Mountains, isn't far from Mt. Hood and five ski resorts.
Median sale price: $315,744
Average nightly rate: $208
Total annual guests: 8,330
19. Harbor Springs, Michigan, situated along Lake Michigan's shores, is a summertime hot spot.
Median sale price: $256,303
Average nightly rate: $344
Total annual guests: 891
18. Orange Beach, Alabama, located along the Gulf of Mexico, has beachfront condos and attracts water-sports enthusiasts.
Median sale price: $475,026
Average nightly rate: $276
Total annual guests: 12,181
17. Scottsdale, Arizona, located just outside of Phoenix in the heart of the state, has desert-style homes near prime hiking spot Pinnacle Peak.
Median sale price: $513,301
Average nightly rate: $360
Total annual guests: 18,863
16. Kihei, Hawaii, is the most populous town in South Maui and offers plenty of water activities.
Median sale price: $708,161
Average nightly rate: $375
Total annual guests: 2,580
15. Marathon, Florida, one of the most popular vacation spots in the Florida Keys, is known for its fishing, seafood, and coral reefs.
Median sale price: $614,779
Average nightly rate: $400
Total annual guests: 1,743
14. Warren, Vermont, encompasses Sugarbush Resort, one of New England's largest ski resorts.
Median sale price: $262,003
Average nightly rate: $303
Total annual guests: 5,088
13. Panama City Beach, Florida, located in the state's panhandle, stretches along the Gulf Coast for 27 miles.
Median sale price: $347,430
Average nightly rate: $243
Total annual guests: 63,855
12. Gulf Shores, Alabama, located right at the state's southern tip, is filled with stilted condo buildings.
Median sale price: $345,135
Average nightly rate: $268
Total annual guests: 23,278
11. Blue Ridge, Georgia, in the mountains of the northern part of the state, boasts the Toccoa River — perfect for tubing and kayaking.
Median sale price: $257,892
Average nightly rate: $225
Total annual guests: 6,022
10. Big Sky, Montana, is a small-town resort community in the mountains that stretches across 5,800 acres.
Median sale price: $585,000
Average nightly rate: $453
Total annual guests: 12,219
9. Fort Bragg, California, located in the northern part of the state on the Mendocino Coast, sits between the Pacific Ocean and Jackson State Forest.
Median sale price: $449,211
Average nightly rate: $300
Total annual guests: 8,673
8. Key West, Florida, is a small island featuring Cuban-style homes and no shortage of attractions, from historical sites to good restaurants and outdoor activities.
Median sale price: $763,109
Average nightly rate: $527
Total annual guests: 49,070
7. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a popular Southeast vacation rental destination along the Atlantic Coast.
Median sale price: $213,950
Average nightly rate: $209
Total annual guests: 5,968
6. Dauphin, Island, Alabama, is an affordable and tiny island with plenty of adventurous activities and bird watching.
Median sale price: $345,281
Average nightly rate: $269
Total annual guests: 8,205
5. Kissimmee, Florida, just over half an hour south of Orlando, is in close proximity to outdoor shopping malls and world-famous amusement parks, like Disney World.
Median sale price: $264,863
Average nightly rate: $239
Total annual guests: 6,609
4. Whittier, North Carolina, is a small town in the Smoky Mountains near the Tuckasegee River with numerous whitewater rafting tours.
Median sale price: $171,261
Average nightly rate: $174
Total annual guests: 1,169
3. Davenport, Florida, situated in between Tampa and Orlando, is located amid a network of lakes.
Median sale price: $255,390
Average nightly rate: $217
Total annual guests: 7,806
2. Killington, Vermont, located in the central part of the state, has world-class skiing and snowboarding.
Median sale price: $208,828
Average nightly rate: $432
Total annual guests: 9,378
1. Sevierville, Tennessee, just north of Pigeon Forge, is located in the Smoky Mountains near Dolly Parton's Dollywood. The city also has underground caverns.
Median sale price: $239,976
Average nightly rate: $274
Total annual guests: 30,381