America's 25 Best Beach Towns

Nothing inspires those summer feels like sand between your toes. And what better way to get those feels than by heading to the beach?

For some people, this feeling is a once-in-a-while luxury. For others, it's something they get to enjoy 365 days a year: Millions of Americans call the country's many beach towns home, giving them the opportunity to swim in the waves all year round (weather permitting, of course). While this may sound like an enviable, expensive dream to most, financial advisory site WalletHub claims it’s more attainable than you might think.

The site recently published a list ranking 192 beach towns that fit the bill of suitable living. That means each place on the list takes into account key indicators that would make a place appealing to home buyers, including beach water quality, housing costs, climate, and safety. They also included lifestyle factors, such as the number of nightlife establishments per capita, to ensure that the data took socializing into consideration.

If you happen to prefer freshwater over salt, WalletHub has you covered: The researchers broke the rankings into the top beach towns by lakes and oceans; the list below, however, concentrates on water of the salty, sea variety. Scroll down to see America's 25 best beach towns, as well as an interactive map that breaks down the data behind each town's individual ranking.

1. Naples, FL

1. Lahaina, HI

1. Newport Beach, CA

1. Carlsbad, CA

1. Boca Raton, FL

1. Sarasota, FL

1. North Myrtle Beach, SC

1. Encinitas, CA

1. Santa Monica, CA

1. Venice, FL

1. Jupiter, FL

1. Mill Valley, CA

1. Coronado, CA

1. Destin, FL

1. Laguna Beach, CA

1. Hermosa Beach, CA

1. Key Biscayne, FL

1. San Clemente, CA

1. Jacksonville Beach, FL

1. Coral Gables, FL

1. Vero Beach, FL

1. Fernandina Beach, FL

1. Morro Bay, CA

1. Myrtle Beach, SC

1. Seal Beach, CA

Source: WalletHub