Trip Ideas National Parks The Most Expensive and Affordable U.S. National Parks to Live Near The average property price near Grand Teton National Park is over $1.3 million. By Rachel Chang Rachel Chang Instagram Twitter Website Rachel Chang is a travel and pop culture journalist who grew up in the California Bay Area and now lives in New York City (well, Hoboken, New Jersey). She's a solo travel advocate, dumpling addict, and reluctant runner — who managed to finish the NYC marathon three times. She's also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Romania and Poland. Rachel started her editorial career chasing celebrities as a magazine editor (Popstar associate editor, CosmoGirl entertainment editor, J-14 editor-in-chief, Us Weekly senior editor). Along the way, she also started chasing passport stamps and is now a freelance writer and editor contributing to Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, and The Washington Post, among others. She also edits standalone entertainment and travel magazines. Prior to this, she worked in television publicity at The WB Television Network, and also interned at Nickelodeon and "Dawson's Creek." * 25+ years of media experience in television, magazines, and digital brands * 20+ years of editorial experience as a journalist, writer, and editor * TaiwaneseAmerican.org's 100 Passionate People Pioneer * Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Professional Gallery Wall of Fame * Received a bachelor's degree in communication studies from the University of California, Los Angeles * Received a master's degree in magazine, newspaper, and online journalism from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications * Completed writing courses through UCLA Extension, Media Bistro, Gotham Writers Workshop, Yale Writers' Workshop, and the Highlights Foundation * Founding executive board member of the alumni group Newhouse 44 and still serves as a member * 15+ years of experience as a judge for the Mirror Awards Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on November 2, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Living near one of the country's 63 national parks may be a privilege, but it can also come at a serious premium. A 2021 study from nature and outdoor site Outforia showed that it can cost nearly 390% more to live near a U.S. national park than in other areas of the respective states. Topping the list of greatest premiums for proximity is Grand Teton National Park, where the average home price in Moose is $1,353,588, which is 389.9% more than the rest of Wyoming's average of $276,278. In second place is Indiana Dunes National Park, with a $807,779 property average in Dune Acres, which is 328.5% more than Indiana's $188,505 average. Rounding out the top three is Glacier National Park, where $976,177 can get you a home in West Glacier, which is 166% more than Montana's $367,030 average. Getty Images The premium percentages then drop significantly for the remaining top 10: Living near Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio, for example, is 65.4% more, followed by Yellowstone in Montana at 52%, Acadia in Maine at 40.2%, Hot Springs in Arkansas at 29.2%, Rocky Mountain in Colorado at 20.2%, Channel Islands in California at 13%, and Haleakala in Hawaii at 8.8%. "The luxury of living in some of the most pristine and jaw-dropping environments can understandably come with quite the price tag," the study said, adding that "not all national parks are more expensive than average, with some places offering a surprisingly affordable average property price." Getty Images On the other end of the scale, the average property value in International Falls near Voyageurs is $78,128, which is 74.4% less than Minnesota's average of $305,474. Next is Congaree, where Eastover's average is $67,192, which is 70.9% less than South Carolina's $230,901, and Petrified Forest, where Holbrook's average is $145,972, which is 60.2% less than Arizona's $366,343. Other national parks where property prices are lower include Hawaii Volcanoes, which is 58.8% less, Canyonlands in Utah at 57.6% less, Mount Rainier in Washington at 57.1% less, Lassen Volcanic in California at 56% less, Kings Canyon in California at 54.2% less, Mesa Verde in Colorado at 53.5% less, and Joshua Tree at 50.9% less. The study looked at 50 national parks, eliminating 13 where data was either unavailable or the nearest town was vague. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit