Most Expensive Seaside Towns in the UK
Salcombe is the most expensive seaside town in Britain, revealed research from the Halifax, which analysed house prices in seaside spots.
The average property price in Salcombe is a high £672,874.
The study found that house prices in seaside towns have soared by a third. This is an average price rise of £49,207, from £159,522 to £208,729.
Understandably, there is a clear north-south divide, with all ten of the most expensive towns in the South of England, seven of which are in the South West.
Following Salcombe in Devon is Sandbanks, Dorset, where the average property is £614,726. Outside the South West, the most expensive town is Aldeburgh, Suffolk at £413,393.
The ten most expensive seaside towns
|
Town |
Region |
Average house price |
| Salcombe | South West | £672,874 |
| Sandbanks | South West | £614,726 |
| Aldeburgh | East Anglia | £413,393 |
| Lymington | South East | £404,781 |
| Dartmouth | South West | £403,767 |
| Padstow | South West | £387,109 |
| Lyme Regis | South West | £343,604 |
| Budleigh Salterton | South West | £342,442 |
| Bigbury on Sea | South West | £333,626 |
| East Wittering | South East | £330,146 |
| All seaside towns | £208,729 |
Most Expensive Seaside Towns in the UK
Property prices have continued to increase in several seaside spots in the last 12 months. Newtonhill, Aberdeenshire and Shoreham by Sea recorded the highest annual price growth at 20%, four times the average for all seaside towns.
Behind these were Sandwich, Kent at 18%, Watchet, Somerset at 18%, Seaton, Devon at 17% and Dalgety Bay, Fife at 16%.
However, the largest house price rises in seaside areas in the past decade were all in Scotland. Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire experienced a massive 109% increase, growing from £63,540 in 2005 to £132,920 in 2015.
Lerwick in the Shetlands and Peterhead, Aberdeenshire shared the next highest growth at 102%. A local economic boom from the oil industry could have caused the increases, particularly in Aberdeenshire.
Despite these large rises, Scottish seaside towns account for eight out of ten of the least expensive in the UK.
Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute is the least expensive, with an average house price of £73,539. This is almost £600,000 less than in Salcombe.
The ten least expensive seaside towns
|
Seaside town |
Region |
Average house price |
| Port Bannatyne | Scotland | £73,539 |
| Newbiggin by the Sea | North | £81,339 |
| Campbeltown | Scotland | £85,659 |
| Thurso | Scotland | £88,500 |
| Girvan | Scotland | £89,064 |
| Wick | Scotland | £90,124 |
| Saltcoats | Scotland | £90,583 |
| Stranraer | Scotland | £90,590 |
| Withernsea | Yorkshire and the Humber | £92,868 |
| Irvine | Scotland | £93,736 |
Outside northern Britain, the least expensive seaside town is Lowestoft, where the average house price is £153,025. Great Yarmouth follows at £159,965 and Margate is third at £164,995.