No matter what part of the country you live in, every state has areas that cost more to live in than others. Depending on where you are, the priciest places may be exclusive rural paradises or bustling city suburbs. To satisfy our curiosity of regional real estate markets, we set out to find the town in every state that is the most expensive place to buy a home.
To find out where homes hold the most value in each state, we looked to 24/7 Wall St., which analyzed five-year estimates of median owner-occupied home values from the most recent U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. To be included in this list, towns had to have a population of at least 1,000 people and less than 25,000 people. Read on to discover the most expensive place to buy a home in your state.
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Alabama
ShutterstockTown: Mountain Brook
Median home value: $628,800
The median home value in Mountain Brook, Alabama is more than four times that of the state itself, which is $142,700. The town also has a median household income of $152,355 and the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $2,848.
RELATED: This Is the Most Expensive Small Town in the U.S., According to Data.
Alaska
ShutterstockTown: Unalaska
Median home value: $368,000
In the town of Unalaska—population 4,254—the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $2,488 and the median household income is $94,750. For the state as a whole, those numbers are $1,933 and $77,640, respectively.
Arizona
Tim Roberts Photography / ShutterstockTown: Paradise Valley
Median home value: $1,516,200
The median home value in the state of Arizona is $225,500, but in the affluent suburb of Paradise Valley it is nearly seven times that amount. That might explain why the median household income in Paradise Valley is $211,393—more than three times the median household income of the entire state, which is $58,945.
Arkansas
ShutterstockTown: Lake Hamilton
Median home value: $390,900
With a population of just over 2,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Lake Hamilton is as expensive as it is small. However, while the median home value is about three times the median home value of the entire state, there is a far less wide gap in median household incomes of Lake Hamilton and the state of Arkansas, which are $54,000 and $47,597, respectively.
California
ShutterstockTown: Monte Sereno
Median home value: Over $2,000,000
You'll need big bucks to buy a home in this exclusive small town in Santa Clara County. Not only is the median home value in excess of $2 million, but the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are over $4,000. It's no wonder only 3,479 people can afford to live there.
Colorado
Serj Malomuzh / ShutterstockTown: Cherry Hills Village
Median home value: $1,727,100
The housing market in Cherry Hills Village is anything but typical compared with other towns in Colorado. In fact, the median home value is a full five times that of the median home value for the state as a whole, which is $343,300. On average, the town's 6,442 residents also pay more than $4,000 a month in housing costs.
Connecticut
ShutterstockTown: Old Greenwich
Median home value: $1,561,200
There is a stark difference in financial demographics when you compare what they are in Old Greenwich with what they are for the state of Connecticut in general. In Old Greenwich the median household income is $222,794 and median monthly housing costs exceed $4,000. In the state of Connecticut those numbers are $78,444 and $2,119, respectively. Not to mention that the median home value in Connecticut is $275,400—nearly one-sixth of what it is in Old Greenwich.
Delaware
ShutterstockTown: Rehoboth Beach
Median home value: $1,017,100
It's no surprise that if you want to be one of the 1,108 residents of this charming beach town, you are going to have to pay the price. The median home value in Rehoboth Beach is four times what it is in the state of Delaware as a whole, which is $251,100.
Florida
ShutterstockTown: Key Biscayne
Median home value: $1,211,000
Located on a barrier island near the city of Miami, Key Biscayne is a pricey paradise for its 14,809 residents. The median household income of the people who live there is $151,310 and the median value of their homes is more than $1.2 million. In the state of Florida as a whole, those numbers are $55,660 and $215,300, respectively.
Georgia
ShutterstockTown: Druid Hills
Median home value: $645,600
The median home value in Druid Hills, Georgia may not be as high as some other towns on this list, but when you compare it to the state of Georgia the difference is abundantly clear. In Georgia the median home value is $176,000, which is nearly one-fourth of what it is in historic Druid Hills.
Hawaii
Christian Mueller / Shutterstock.comTown: Pupukea
Median home value: $1,178,500
In the town of Pupukea—population 5,130—the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $2,965 and the median household income is $99,265. For the state as a whole, those numbers are $2,418 and $81,275, respectively.
Idaho
ShutterstockTown: Ketchum
Median home value: $760,500
The median home value in Ketchum, Idaho is more than three times the one of the state itself, which is $212,300. The town also has a median household income of $60,491, and the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $1,782.
RELATED: This Is the Most Expensive Suburb in Your State, Data Shows.
Illinois
Sharon Wildie / ShutterstockTown: Winnetka
Median home value: $1,091,700
The median home value in the state of Illinois is $194,500, but in the affluent Chicago suburb of Winnetka it is nearly six times that amount. That explains why the median household income of residents in Winnetka is more than $250,000—significantly higher than the median household income of the entire state, which is $65,886.
Indiana
ShutterstockTown: Long Beach
Median home value: $437,500
In the small town of Long Beach, which sits on the shore of Lake Michigan, the median household income of the 1,189 residents that live there is $105,000. The median home value is also more than three times that of the median home value of the state of Indiana as a whole, which is $141,700.
Iowa
iStockTown: Robins
Median home value: $295,200
Robins, Iowa is a small suburb of Cedar Rapids with a population of 3,353, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition to having a median home value of just under $300,000, the median household income in Robins is $131,078 and residents pay, on average, around $1,957 in monthly housing costs.
Kansas
ShutterstockTown: Mission Hills
Median home value: $963,600
The housing market in Mission Hills is anything but the norm when compared with the rest of the state of Kansas. In fact, the median home value is more than six times that of the median home value for the state as a whole, which is $151,900. On average, the town's 3,594 residents also pay more than $4,000 a month in housing costs, compared with $1,378 for the state as a whole.
Kentucky
ShutterstockTown: Indian Hills
Median home value:$529,000
Indian Hills, Kentucky is a town of 2,860 residents and 1,107 households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median household income is $190,313 and the median monthly housing cost with a mortgage is $3,128. Those figures for the state of Kentucky as a whole are $50,589 and $1,178, respectively.
Louisiana
iStockTown: Oak Hills Place
Median home value: $340,000
Oak Hills Place is an affluent suburb of Baton Rouge with a population of 9,239, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median household income is $85,959, and residents of Oak Hills Place pay around $1,716 in monthly housing costs, on average.
Maine
ShutterstockTown: Falmouth
Median home value: $428,700
The median home value in Falmouth, Maine is more than double the one of the state itself, which is $190,400. The town also has a median household income of $99,861 and the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $2,041.
Maryland
ShutterstockTown: Chevy Chase
Median home value: $1,290,200
The median home value in the state of Maryland is $314,800, but in the affluent area of Chevy Chase it is more than four times that amount. In addition, the median household income in Chevy Chase is more than $250,000—compared with the median household income of the entire state, which is $84,805.
Massachusetts
ShutterstockTown: Nantucket
Median home value: $1,001,700
Nantucket is a small island off the coast of Cape Cod with 14,255 residents and 3,713 households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median household income is $110,473 and residents pay around $3,572 in monthly housing costs. Those figures for the entire state of Massachusetts are $81,215 and $2,225, respectively.
Michigan
PQK / ShutterstockTown: Bloomfield Hills
Median home value: $860,800
Bloomfield Hills is an upscale suburb of metro Detroit with a population under 5,000 residents. The median home value is more than five times that of the median home value of Michigan as a whole, which is $154,900. The median household income of the residents of Bloomfield Hills is $178,894.
Minnesota
ShutterstockTown: Orono
Median home value: $680,100
The median home value in the state of Minnesota is $223,900, which is almost exactly one-third of what it is in the town of Orono. The median household income in Orono ($159,028) is also more than double than what it is in the state of Minnesota as whole, which is $71,306.
Mississippi
ShutterstockTown: Hernando
Median home value: $197,100
Compared with most of the other towns on this list, the difference between the median home value in Hernando and that of the state of Mississippi ($119,000) is relatively small. However the median household income in Hernando, which is $79,195, is just a bit shy of double what it is for the entire state, which is $45,081.
Missouri
ShutterstockTown: Ladue
Median home value: $831,800
In the town of Ladue—a suburb of St. Louis with a population of 8,989—the median monthly housing cost with a mortgage is $3,787 and the median household income is $214,875. For the state of Missouri as a whole, those numbers are $1,277 and $55,461, respectively.
Montana
ShutterstockTown: Big Sky
Median home value: $564,000
Big Sky, Montana is a scenic ski destination where people come from all over the country to enjoy the slopes. It is also the home to 3,591 residents whose median household income is $75,000. And those residents pay about $2,192 in monthly housing costs, on average.
Nebraska
iStockTown: Valley
Median home value: $248,200
Valley, Nebraska is a town of 3,037 residents and 1,260 households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median household income is $72,500 and the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $1,903. Those figures for the state of Nebraska as a whole are $61,439 and $1,386, respectively.
Nevada
ShutterstockTown: Incline Village
Median home value: $869,900
Incline Village is an affluent Nevada town on the north shore of Lake Tahoe with a population of 9,462, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median household income is $99,006 and residents of Incline Village pay around $2,741 in monthly housing costs, on average.
New Hampshire
Dan Lewis / ShutterstockTown: Hanover
Median home value: $603,700
In the picturesque town of Hanover—which is home to Dartmouth College—the median monthly housing cost with a mortgage is $3,193 and the median household income is $109,514. For the state of New Hampshire as a whole, those numbers are $1,948 and $76,768, respectively.
New Jersey
ShutterstockTown: Spring Lake
Median home value: $1,818,500
Living in this small Jersey Shore community definitely comes with a high price tag. The median home value in the pricey destination is more than five times that of the state of New Jersey, which is $335,600. However, there is only a $3,655 difference between the median household income in Spring Lake ($86,200) and the one in the state as a whole ($82,545).
New Mexico
ShutterstockTown: Sandia Heights
Median home value: $465,700
Sandia Heights, New Mexico is a town of 3,273 residents and 1,593 households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median household income is $107,104 and the median monthly housing cost with a mortgage is $2,316. Those figures for the state of New Mexico are $49,754 and $1,280, respectively.
New York
ShutterstockTown: Sands Point
Median home value: Over $2,000,000
Sands Point, New York is a small luxurious village on the North Shore of Long Island where the median home value exceeds $2 million. It's even believed that the area was the model for the fictional town of East Egg in the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic The Great Gatsby. The median household income of the town's 2,712 residents is in excess of $250,000, well above the median household income in New York State, which is $68,486.
North Carolina
ShutterstockTown: Wrightsville Beach
Median home value: $798,700
The median home value in North Carolina is $172,500, but in the beach community of Wrightsville Beach, it is more than double that amount. The median household income in Wrightsville Beach ($109,013) is also double the one of the state of North Carolina, which is $54,602.
North Dakota
ShutterstockTown: Horace
Median home value: $297,800
In the town of Horace—population 3,085—the median monthly housing cost with a mortgage is $1,933 and the median household income is $129,231. For the state of North Dakota, those numbers are $1,426 and $64,894, respectively.
Ohio
ShutterstockTown: Village of Indian Hill
Median home value: $955,500
The Village of Indian Hill is an affluent suburb of Cincinnati with 6,087 residents and 2,032 households. In addition to a median home value of nearly $1 million, the median household income is $207,174 and residents pay median monthly housing costs with a mortgage of more than $4,000.
Oklahoma
ShutterstockTown: Nichols Hills
Median home value: $799,900
The median home value in the state of Oklahoma is $136,800, but in Nichols Hills, an upscale suburb of Oklahoma City, it is nearly six times that amount. What's more, the median household income in Nichols Hills is $186,912—more than three times the median household income of the entire state, which is $52,919.
Oregon
iStockTown: Raleigh Hills
Median home value: $674,600
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Raleigh Hills, Oregon is a town of 6,196 residents and 2,795 households. The median household income of the town, which is located within the Portland metropolitan area, is $82,745 and residents' median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $2,720.
Pennsylvania
ShutterstockTown: Fox Chapel
Median home value: $662,400
The median home value in Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania is nearly four times the one of the state itself, which is $180,200. The town also has a median household income of $205,987, and the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $3,699.
Rhode Island
ShutterstockTown: Narragansett Pier
Median home value: $542,200
In the town of Narragansett Pier—a popular summer tourist destination with a population of 3,308—the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $2,202 and the median household income is $94,750. For the state of Rhode Island, those numbers are $1,860 and $67,167, respectively.
South Carolina
ShutterstockTown: Sullivan’s Island
Median home value: $1,773,100
To be one of the less than 2,000 residents of Sullivan's Island, a highly affluent suburb of Charleston, you should expect to spend a pretty penny. In addition to having a median home value of nearly $1.8 million, residents' median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $4,000.
South Dakota
ShutterstockTown: Dakota Dunes
Median home value: $326,500
Dakota Dunes, South Dakota is a business and residential community located in the southeast corner of the state, about an hour south of Sioux Falls. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 4,020 residents and 1,318 households, and the median household income is $118,966.
Tennessee
ShutterstockTown: Forest Hills
Median home value: $853,000
The housing market in Forest Hills is anything but typical compared with the rest of the state of Tennessee. In fact, the median home value is a full five times that of the median home value for the state as a whole, which is $167,200. On average, the town's 5,038 residents also pay median monthly housing costs with a mortgage of $3,237.
Texas
ShutterstockTown: Piney Point Village
Median home value: $1,912,000
There is a significant difference in financial demographics when you compare what they are in Piney Point Village with what they are in the state of Texas in general. In Piney Point Village the median household income exceeds $250,000 and median monthly housing costs exceed $4,000. In the state of Texas those numbers are $61,874 and $1,606, respectively. Not to mention that the median home value in Texas is $172,500, one-eleventh of what it is in Piney Point Village.
RELATED: This Is the Most Expensive State in America, According to Data.
Utah
iStockTown: Park City
Median home value: $1,035,300
Park City, Utah is one of the most popular ski destinations in the U.S., which explains why the median home value is nearly four times what it is in the state of Utah, which is $279,100. Also, the 8,396 residents' median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $2,418.
Vermont
ShutterstockTown: South Burlington
Median home value: $307,500
In South Burlington, Vermont—population 20,292—the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $1,858 and the median household income is $73,06. For the state of Vermont, those numbers are $1,621 and $61,973, respectively.
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Virginia
Joe Benning / ShutterstockTown: Great Falls
Median home value: $1,142,000
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Great Falls, Virginia is a town of 15,953 residents and 4,928 households. The median home value is more than four times that of the state of Virginia, which is $273,100. And the median household income is $238,125, compared with the state's, which is $74,222.
Washington
ShutterstockTown: Clyde Hill
Median home value: More than $2,000,000
The median home value in the state of Washington is $339,000, but in the highly affluent town of Clyde Hill, that figure exceeds $2 million. That might explain why the median household income in Clyde Hill is $238,958—more than three times the median household income of the entire state, which is $73,775.
West Virginia
Tara Ballard / ShutterstockTown: Cheat Lake
Median home value: $298,900
The median home value in Cheat Lake may not be as high as some other towns on this list, but when you compare it to the state of West Virginia the difference is a bit more clear. In West Virginia the median home value is $119,600, which is less than half of what it is in the lakeside destination of Cheat Lake.
Wisconsin
Tony Savino / ShutterstockTown: Merton
Median home value: $448,600
Merton is a village of 3,441 residents and 1,169 households, according to the U.S Census Bureau. In addition to a median home value of nearly $450,000, the median household income is $154,464, and the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $2,538.
Wyoming
iStockTown: Ranchettes
Median home value: $379,200
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 6,199 residents and 2,345 households make up the town of Ranchettes, Wyoming. The median household income is $99,403, and the median monthly housing costs with a mortgage are $2,043. For the state of Wyoming, those figures are $64,049 and $1,459, respectively.
RELATED: This Is the Richest Town in Your State, According to Data.