Whether you have actually constantly wanted to live by the water or you’re expanding your property portfolio, these are the leading locations to purchase a lake home.

-. -. -

Lydia Mansel is an author with more than 8 years of experience editing and writing for both brand names and online publications-with a specific concentrate on travel, style, and lifestyle. She’s likewise the creator of the travel site justpacked.com.

For numerous, lake houses are associated with summer nostalgia. Barbeques, refreshing dips in the chilly water, gorgeous sundowns, boat trips, and fireflies: If you’ve invested whenever by a lake in the warmer months, you’re most likely well-acquainted with this specific brand of getaway magic. You may even be seeking to recreate it on your own by buying your own lake home. If that holds true, however you’re not exactly sure which lake you wish to call your home (or your second home) simply yet, we can assist.

There are quite literally thousands of lakes with realty chances in the U.S., so we talked with a couple of experts to limit the selection. Below, they’re sharing their choices for the best places to buy a lake home this year.

Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

Eifel Kreutz/Adobe Stock

” Lake of the Ozarks is a great location to purchase a lakefront residential or commercial property today because, together with using dozens of year-round activities, the residential or commercial property is still cost effective,” says Elena Novak, lead real estate researcher at PropertyChecker.com. Missouri-based Matt Smith Real Estate Group reports that, in February of this year, the typical price of homes in this part of the state was $448,585, while Zillow estimates the typical home value in the city of Lake Ozark is simply above $340,000. “With realty costs rising, these homes might end up being out of reach within the next five years,” Novak warns-so if you’re interested in a peaceful lakefront home that’s just a number of hours from hubs like Kansas City or St. Louis, now’s the time to buy.

Southwest Lake Erie Region, Michigan and Ohio

Skylight Pictures/Getty Images

When identifying the finest places to purchase a lake house, Julie Brinkman, the CEO at Beyond, a profits management system for getaway leasings, was focused on locations that make the most financial sense for those looking for out residential or commercial properties to add to their rental portfolio. “The southwest Lake Erie region, bordering both Michigan and Ohio, has a typical annual income per listing of $34,000 and an average annual occupancy rate of 40 percent,” she states. As of May 2025, Zillow has a handful of homes in the area-in Luna Pier, Michigan