shore thing

Charming Gulf Coast community named one of the most affordable beach towns in U.S.

Rockport is one of the best beach town values in the U.S.

Photo by Cissy Beasley via Visit Rockport Fulton

With the Lone Star State in the midst of a nation-topping land grab, real estate — especially reasonably priced — is getting harder to find, particularly near the water. Consider Galveston Bay homes, such as this one going for more than $3 million.

To that end, a new report from Realtor.com offers welcome news for those in search of Texas homes near the beach that won’t break the bank.

Rockport, Texas, a coastal community about a three-hour drive from Houston, lands at No. 7 on Realtor.com’s list of most affordable beach towns. The charming Gulf Coast town’s average home list price is $435,112. Rockport is popular for its “clean beaches, fantastic fishing, and world-class birdwatching,” per the report.

The town offers 10 different sites on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. That trail boasts the planet’s sole migrating flock of over 265 whooping cranes, which passes through the Aransas Wildlife Refuge every winter.

Here, waterfront homes start in the mid $400,000s, the report notes, with standouts including a $449,000 two-bedroom townhouse with lovely views of the Aransas Bay and a three-story, two-bedroom house on Mustang Island on the market for $599,900.

To generate the list, Realtor.com’s team surveyed the median home list prices of more than 1,300 towns located across America’s coastlines from May 2021 through April 2022. These areas had at least 30 homes for sale in April (not including pending transactions), the report adds.

Properties must actually be on the water and not just nearby to qualify for the list, and be “more than just a strip of sand and surf” and have diverse entertainment.

“The U.S. has over 95,000 miles of shorelines,” George Ratiu, manager of economic research at Realtor.com, noted in the list. “But most people, when they think of beach towns, they focus on a few dozen destinations. However, there are a lot of hidden gems, which offer all the benefits of seaside living at a much lower price.”

America’s cheapest beach town according to Realtor.com is Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a median list price of $161,754. Tiverton, Rhode Island is the priciest of the cheap deals, with a median home price of $480,262.

Here’s the full list, per Realtor.com.

1. Atlantic City, New Jersey
Median list price: $161,754

2. Deerfield Beach, Florida
Median list price: $230,071

3. New London, Connecticut
Median list price: $242,392

4. Mastic Beach, New York
Median list price: $334,907

5. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Median list price: $347,875

6. Seal Beach, California
Median list price: $400,338

7. Rockport, Texas
Median list price: $435,112

8. Lynn, Massachusetts
Median list price: $449,626

9. Morehead City, North Carolina
Median list price: $464,842

10. Tiverton, Rhode Island
Median list price: $480,262

reports lists home-for-sale rankings

Seaside Living and More

Shuttered Corpus Christi Schlitterbahn will become $800M seaside community

Rendering courtesy of Whitecap

The former site of Schlitterbahn's Corpus Christi location is being transformed into Whitecap, an $800 million master-planned community.

The site that once housed Schlitterbahn's short-lived Corpus Christi location is being transformed into Whitecap, an $800 million master-planned community with waterfront homes, a shopping and entertainment district, and a marina designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.

Rendering courtesy of Whitecap

The former site of Schlitterbahn's Corpus Christi location is being transformed into Whitecap, an $800 million master-planned community.

The project by Ashlar Development LLC and partner Diamond Beach Holdings LLC is Corpus Christi’s first master-planned coastal community and is expected to include more than 600 residences.

Located less than four hours from Houston and about 30 minutes from Corpus Christi International Airport, the development is aimed at buyers looking for primary homes, vacation properties, and investment opportunities.

Schlitterbahn opened its Padre Island location in 2016 with hopes of bringing its popular waterpark brand to the coast. But financial troubles and leadership disputes complicated the project early on. After the park closed in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, it never reopened, and the site was demolished in 2021.

Now, the former waterpark site is being redeveloped into a waterfront residential community.

"The owners saw extraordinary potential in this uniquely positioned property,” Terence Johnson, executive vice president of Ashlar Development, tells CultureMap. “By transforming a former golf course and water park into Whitecap, they've created a luxury canal community that balances exceptional waterfront living with the preservation of valuable coastal habitat for migratory birds and wildlife.”

The first phase of homesite sales is now underway. Buyers can choose from custom and semi-custom home options featuring a contemporary coastal aesthetic with materials such as concrete and glass.

Located just minutes from Whitecap Beach, the community sits along five miles of navigable canals, with most homesites offering water views, direct canal access, and backyard docks.

A pool and fitness center are already completed, with future plans including a café, event space, sports courts, a dog park, and a marina district with shopping, dining, entertainment, a yacht club, and dry boat storage.

A 30-acre nature preserve will sit at the center of the development, providing habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.