UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.
#4. Mustang Island, TX
Median home value: $131,000
Your neighbors here will include dolphins popping up in the surf as well as spoonbills and pelicans soaring overhead. If birding becomes your new hobby, you can enjoy the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail or play tourist on your own island and take part in free, guided Saturday birding tours.
Port Aransas is located on Mustang Island, which is about 30 minutes across the bay from downtown Corpus Christi. An oasis to enjoy: Mustang Island State Park, a five-mile stretch of sandy beach along the coastline where you can surf, build sandcastles, kayak or just soak up the sun.