Mountain And Coastal Enclaves Redefine The Ceiling For Luxury Homes

Want to splurge on a resort or island home in some of the wealthiest locations in America? You could begin your search at the top of the heap in Rifle, Colorado, a mountain town a short distance from Aspen, with many recreational opportunities.

In Rifle, the median listing price is a mere $1.65 million, but 1% of the most expensive listings start at $59.18 million, according to Realtor.com's March luxury housing report. That figure, the report said, "dwarfs the ultra-luxury thresholds of even the largest coastal powerhouses like Los Angeles or New York."

If you feel it would be a stretch, expand the search to 5% at a starting price of $25.5 million or really bargain hunt among the 10% of most expensive listings that begin at $16.81 million.

In Jackson Hole, WY, the median listing price is $1.75 million, but the 1% starting price is $39.55 million. Santa Barbara, CA follows with a median of $1.72 million, while the 1% entry level is $38.65 million. The top five resort towns also include Nantucket, MA (median list: $4.08 million, top 1%: $25.76 million) and Salinas, CA (median list: $1.24 million, top 1%: $24.1 million).

Others among the 13 resort and island destinations where over half of the listings are priced at $1 million or more are Vineyard Haven, MA; Hailey, ID; Kapaa, HI; Napa, CA; Santa Cruz, CA; Petoskey, MI; San Luis Obispo, CA and Bozeman, MT.

Petoskey is a new addition to the list, an unexpected entry. Here, the top 1% of listings start at $7.96 million, the report notes.

"With 53% of its listings priced above $1 million, the Northern Michigan resort town demonstrates how lifestyle-driven demand is creating pockets of pure luxury across the country, including in the Great Lakes region," Realtor said.

Even at these prices, the report stated that nationwide, luxury year-over-year figures remain slightly below 2025 levels.

"The national luxury threshold (90th percentile) reached nearly $1.25 million in March. While the national entry-level luxury price rose 3.7% month over month, it remains 2.9% lower than one year ago. The national luxury market is modestly softer but stabilizing seasonally as it enters the spring," Realtor stated.

For the fortunate few, who Danielle Hale, Realtor.com's chief economist, described as operating in a separate price tier, "the threshold for the most exclusive properties often reaches levels three to 10 times higher than the national benchmark."

Time to check your investments and see if you qualify.