We need your help…best beaches to LIVE on the E or W coast!

What about the central coast of CA? It is relatively affordable for the state. Near Avila Beach, Pismo Beach etc.
I spend a lot of time near Santa Cruz and Carmel but it’s $$$$.

Could also look at Elk, Mendocino and Sea Ranch further north, but its quite chilly.

I grew up going to Ocean Shores, WA a lot as a kid. Definitely doesn’t get hot but can also be gloomy or rainy. We often spent time on the beach but didn’t swim in the ocean. Homes are affordable there within walking distance.

I would look at beaches in Oregon and Washington as the beaches on east coast have lots of hurricanes. At least the beaches in the Pacific Northwest are predictable with weather and no hurricanes. You may need a blanket with the chair on the beach but even SoCal beaches can be chilly throughout the summer months depending on the weather.

I live in a beach community within Los Angeles and think our real estate costs, especially property taxes, don’t make sense for retirement or vacation home.

If you are looking for somewhere that you could do the typical beach sitting-in-the-sun, enjoy-the-weather activities, Washington coast is not for you. I'm a life-long Washingtonian and while I love my state, the coast is pretty wet and wild most of the time. Great for walking, beach combing, driftwood picking, clam digging, bon fire gatherings and even surf fishing, but not what I would consider a place to bask in the sun (although the few times that it does hit above 80, it is glorious!). I think the one thing Washington coast has going for it is a pretty affordable real estate market.

Oregon, especially southern Oregon like Seaside, Florence, Newport and south are probably more what you are looking for.

What about Delaware? We love Bethany Beach, and there are plenty of communities inland a bit if you don't want to live *right* on the beach. Bethany is quiet, even in the summer. But if you want noise you can always go down to Ocean City. lol. Rehoboth is north and that's nice too. And none of it is far from Assateague which is lovely to visit. 

If you are considering lake property, Minnesota is wonderful. I think a person from Texas would love the feel of our summers. Fall is stunning. If you were interested in a big lake the North Shore of Lake Superior is so beautiful. 

The only way I would ever want to have a beach home for Southern Ca would to be literally on the beach or across the street.

Traffic is a b!tch and it can take 30 min to go a few lights.

It has taken us an hour to south on the 5 after the toll road to get off for San Clemente then another 36 min to get to the beach parking lot.

No. Thank. You.

You are going to pay a pretty penny for a home in CA.

Family member has a beach home in Jersey and love it.

I would not do Florida because of their laws but that is just me.

First of all- CA is EXPENSIVE to live in. Housing is ridiculous, gas is $5/gallon, food is expensive, some areas you have to get wild fire insurance and earthquake insurance (both very expensive), car registration is expensive, sales tax is high, property taxes are high.

All that said....

North of San Francisco in CA is cold most of the year at the beaches, as in can't take a chair and park it unless you have a jacket/blanket most days.

Central CA(Santa Cruz-Big Sur) beaches are hit and miss with sitting in the sun weather. The "1-2 hours" to get there is only in reality about 30 miles away and VERY pricey (multimillion for the most part). Traffic is HORRIBLE and if you get much south of Monterey Bay, you're in for a much longer drive as there aren't many ways to get to the coast south of Monterey without going all the way down to near Morro Bay or coming in from the north at Carmel/Monterey. BIG mountain range in the way. I LOVE that coastline tho! I lived in Monterey for 4 years and LOVED it but I was in college and living on campus- otherwise there's zero way we could have afforded it. One summer we had FORTY consecutive days of fog- Yes, in the SUMMER.

Southern Central CA is nice and the beaches are somewhat warmer- Morro Bay, Pismo, Cambria, Moonstone Beach areas- but for sure NOT warm all the time and the towns are "quaint" without Walmart/Target/Costco/etc.

As you get down south past Santa Barbara you will have more sunny days but you will also have LOTS of people and very high prices much like the Bay Area. Los Angeles is crazy town with people and will take you forever to get to the beach.

San Diego is nice and there are some outlying areas that are not too expensive but again, lots of traffic and people.

My dream is to live at the CA, OR border. I know the days tend to be foggy and I'm 100% ok with it. There aren't lots of sunny days so you will need to be prepared for that.

You could check out Foley/Gulf Shores, AL. Foley is blowing up right now and is within 20 minutes of the beach. I'd choose it over Pensacola, especially when you compare prices. Not to mention you can jump on the Highway and be to Pensacola easy peasy, if that's somewhere you wanted to go.

My mom's in Wilmington, NC. Maybe 20 minutes drive to Wrightsville Beach. She does at least 10 miles a week walking on the beach in the morning. She's been in Wilmington for about 25 years and really loves the community. And the beach. And the restaurant scene. And that it's a bit of a college town. It's really very vibrant. And the beach!