News Flash

Oct. 25, 2019 - Hampton earned a spot on another national list of most affordable waterfront communities. The city was #8 on a list of homes in waterfront cities that “are a total steal,” published by MSN with statistics compiled by GOBankingRates.

The MSN list was dominated by cities on lakes and rivers. It noted Hampton’s “numerous” waterways. Three other cities on the East Coast list made the list: Ocean City, MD, at #17; New London, CT, at #7; and Atlantic City, N.J., at #2.

The MSN list noted the high state incomes and low costs that keep Hampton affordable, although it noted that health care costs were relatively high. The data examined by GOBankingRates included median home listing price, state income and overall affordability, using a variety of metrics. Cities with the highest percentage of income left over after necessities ranked at the top of the survey.

Earlier this year, Hampton was named a top city by the SmartAssets website. That Top 25 list ranked only beach towns, not those on lakes. Hampton has been on that list for three years, and this year was the only city in the Mid-Atlantic to make the list. WalletHub’s rankings of Best Beach Towns to Live In looked at a variety of factors. In addition to affordability, it considered weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. Hampton was in the Top 20 for safety and #113 overall. Hampton was the only Virginia city that made the list.