Trip Ideas Ski Trips 10 Most Affordable Ski Towns to Rent In The top cities may surprise you. 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 December 9, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email A love for winter sports often comes with a high price tag. But for those on a budget, there are still plenty of ski towns with affordable rentals — they just might not be where you expect. Rent.com looked at all U.S. towns within 25 miles of a ski resort or slopes to come up with its list of top 10 cheapest places to score a two-bedroom rental. Topping the list was a surprising spot in southern New Mexico: Alamogordo. Near the Sacramento Mountains' Ski Cloudcroft, with 25 trails for all levels, the region is often better known for its ties to aviation and space history, as well as its proximity to White Sands National Monument. But with a two-bedroom rental available for just $510 a month and slopes nearby, Alamogordo is also Rent.com's cheapest ski town in the country. Second place brought another surprising entry: Burton, Michigan. Here, monthly rent averages $647, and it's in the midst of lakes, forests, and both downhill and cross-country skiing at Pine Knob Ski & Snowboard Resort, home to 17 trails and a terrain park for both skiers and snowboarders. The bronze medal spot went to Brigham City, Utah. Average rentals here are $696 a month, plus there's easy access to Snowbasin (with 3,000 skiable acres) and Powder Mountain (with a whopping 154 trails on 8,464 acres — the most of any resort in the nation). mdesigner125/Getty Images The rest of the list stretches across the nation. New Kensington, Pennsylvania, near Boyce Park and its 10 trails, has two-bedroom rentals for $725 a month, coming in fourth. Meanwhile, fifth place went to Casper, Wyoming, with $804 rentals near Hogadon Basin Ski Area, which has more intermediate and expert runs among its 28 trails. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, came in sixth with $833 average monthly rentals near Great Bear Ski Valley; Painesville, Ohio, landed in seventh with $840 rentals near Alpine Valley; Saint Ann, Missouri, in eighth with $850 rentals near Hidden Valley; Portage, Wisconsin, in ninth with $895 rentals near Cascade Mountain; and Middletown, Connecticut, in 10th with $950 rentals near Mount Southington. Here are the top 10 most affordable ski towns and their average two-bedroom rental prices, according to Rent.com. Alamogordo, New Mexico: $510/month Burton, Michigan: $647/month Brigham City, Utah: $696/month New Kensington, Pennsylvania: $725/month Casper, Wyoming: $804/month Sioux Falls, South Dakota: $833/month Painesville, Ohio: $840/month Saint Ann, Missouri: $850/month Portage, Wisconsin: $895/month Middletown, Connecticut: $950/month Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit