DAN·VENTURES

Project Treeline · Research · Census ACS 5-year

Mountain Town Housing Index.

Which ski and mountain towns are hardest to live in if you work there? We ranked dozens of resort communities across ten states on three things the Census measures: how many homes sit empty as second homes, how far prices have run past local incomes, and how much of a paycheck rent takes.

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The ten towns under the most pressure

Pressure score from 0 to 100. Higher means more seasonal homes, higher prices relative to income and heavier rent burdens than the other towns in the index.

    Second homes vs. affordability

    Each dot is a town. Further right means more homes held for seasonal or occasional use; higher up means homes cost more years of local income. Dashed lines mark the index medians. Hover or tab through the dots for details, and select one to open the town's page.

    Find your town

    How the index works

    Everything comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most detailed public data available for small towns. We refresh it when a new release comes out.

    Seasonal homes

    Homes held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use, as a share of all housing units (tables B25004 and B25001). High shares mean fewer homes for people who live and work in town year-round.

    Home value to income

    Median owner-occupied home value divided by median household income (B25077 and B19013). Above 5x is generally considered severely unaffordable.

    Rent to income

    Twelve months of median gross rent as a share of median household income (B25064 and B19013). Above 30% is the federal threshold for cost burden.

    • Each measure is ranked as a percentile across the towns in the index; the pressure score is the average of the three, times 100.
    • Towns are Census places or, in New England and New York, county subdivisions (towns). Places with fewer than 150 housing units, or missing any of the three measures in the Census release, are left out.
    • The Census caps reported home values at $2 million, so prices in the most expensive towns may be understated.
    • Small-town estimates carry real margins of error. Use the index to compare, not as a precise measurement of any one town.
    • The index reflects public data only. It is not an appraisal, investment advice or a forecast.

    This is the problem Project Treeline exists to solve: homes for the teachers, nurses, lift operators and first responders who keep mountain towns running. If you own land, run a town or employ people who can't find housing, we'd like to talk.

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