America’s Most Luxurious Ski Towns Revealed: The Priciest Winter Wonderlands Where Ultrawealthy Skiers Flock for Snow Season

Fans of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” have been captivated by the show’s stunning mansions, with breathtaking views of snow-capped mountains peeking through expansive floor-to-ceiling windows.

Much of the show is filmed in Park City, UT—a ski town that captivates the imagination and serves up an Instagram-worthy backdrop for the winter wonderland of your dreams.

But Park City is just one of the incredibly lavish locales where the ultrawealthy base themselves for ski season, and where house prices regularly soar into the tens of millions. Park City currently has 15 homes listed on Realtor.com®, with starting prices of more than $20 million.

Yet it reached just the fifth spot on our list of most luxurious ski towns, all of which boast a large percentage of listings that are priced over the $5 million mark. Topping the list is Telluride, CO, with Aspen, CO, following closely behind.

“Three of these ski towns have a third or more of their for-sale listings on the market for $5 million or more,” says Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com.

“Telluride, Aspen and Teton Village (Jackson Hole) are no strangers to the luxury segment, but for context, just 0.6% of all home listings nationwide are priced above that threshold.

“Nine of these most luxurious ski markets, all out West, are home to some of the best skiing in the country—arguably the world—so there’s no surprise that they can demand top-tier home prices.”

1. Telluride, CO

Number of listings: 226

Number of listings over $5 million: 87

Share of listings over $5 million: 38.50%

Telluride offers luxury living with spectacular mountain views. It’s long been a playground for the rich and famous, including Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Jerry Seinfeld, and Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.

Telluride Ski Resort attracts people from around the world and covers more than 2,000 acres of skiing terrain. It’s home to the highest concentration of 13,000- and 14,000-foot peaks in North America and gets around 300 inches of snow annually.

2. Aspen, CO

Number of listings: 650

Number of listings over $5 million: 240

Share of listings over $5 million: 36.92%

Living in Aspen, CO, means having access to world-class skiing and snowboarding just minutes from your doorstep. Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk all make up the Aspen Skiing Company, offering more than 5,500 acres of terrain across four mountains.

Aspen is a celebrity favorite, with stars like Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, and Kevin Costner calling it home. NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson has a vacation home there, which he rents out for a jaw-dropping $120,000 per month.

Homebuyers are drawn to Aspen for its unique blend of natural beauty, world-class amenities, and tight-knit community.

“Aspen’s real estate market is one of the most dynamic and competitive in the world, driven by its status as a premier luxury destination,” says global luxury real estate advisor Soffia Wardy, of Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty. “The market consistently attracts high-net-worth buyers seeking exceptional properties, ranging from ultramodern ski-in/ski-out homes to timeless mountain retreats. Limited inventory, combined with strong demand, keeps property values robust, often setting record-breaking price points.”

3. Teton Village, WY

Number of listings: 75

Number of listings over $5 million: 25

Share of listings over $5 million: 33.33%

Teton Village, WY, is at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and offers some of the best skiing in the world. It also provides residents with top-tier shopping and dining options.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is renowned for its challenging terrain and expert-level runs. It receives around 450 inches of snow per year.

4. Big Sky, MT

Number of listings: 353

Number of listings over $5 million: 85

Share of listings over $5 million: 24.08%

The town of Big Sky, MT, is home to Big Sky Resort—one of the largest ski resorts in the United States, with 5,850 acres of terrain. It sits just outside Yellowstone National Park.

“Big Sky is a fabulous place to live,” says Nancy Bauchman, director of Big Sky Community Organization. “My husband and I live at the Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, where we have a great golf course, downhill skiing, mountain biking and hiking right out our back door. There is not a friendlier, more beautiful mountain town in the country.”

5. Jackson, WY

Number of listings: 331

Number of listings over $5 million: 77

Share of listings over $5 million: 23.26%

Jackson, WY, is a thriving mountain town full of luxury real estate. People are drawn to this area because it has low property taxes and no state income tax.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort caters to skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels and has two mountains called Rendezvous and Après Vous, with 2,500 acres of skiable terrain.

6. Park City, UT

Number of listings: 1,746

Number of listings over $5 million: 331

Share of listings over $5 million: 18.96%

Home to the world-renowned Sundance Film Festival, Park City, UT, is an incredible place to live and ski. The city’s famous Main Street is lined with trendy restaurants, galleries, and boutiques.

With more than 7,300 acres of skiable terrain, the Park City Mountain Resort is the largest ski resort in the United States. It features a variety of runs for all skill levels and gets around 350 to 400 inches of snow annually.

“Park City offers an unparalleled lifestyle with fresh air, endless trails, and outdoor adventure,” says Molly Crosswhite, of Selling the Slopes in Park City, UT, who was born and raised there. “It is safe, the people are happy, and everyone who lives here does so by choice. The school district is phenomenal, the shopping and dining are plentiful, and the opportunities to get involved in the community are endless.”

7. Vail, CO

Number of listings: 461

Number of listings over $5 million: 78

Share of listings over $5 million: 16.92%

Vail, CO, is one of the most famous ski towns in the United States—and it’s a great place to live, according to local experts.

“There are virtually unlimited outdoor recreational activities year-round, and that is largely what draws people there,” says Colorado-based Seamus Nally, CEO of TurboTenant. “It’s definitely not a cheap place to live; but for many, the beauty and all the area has to offer is worth the cost.”

Vail Ski Resort is one of the largest ski areas in the world, with 5,300 acres of skiable terrain, and it has an average annual snowfall of 350 inches.

8. Incline Village, NV

Number of listings: 414

Number of listings over $5 million: 49

Share of listings over $5 million: 11.84%

Incline Village, NV, is a lakeside community on the northern shore of Lake Tahoe. Residents enjoy the safe and quiet community feel of living in a small town while also taking advantage of the endless recreational and outdoor activities available year-round.

“Although the housing market is expensive like any high-end mountain town, there is more inventory to explore than we’ve seen in the last five years,” says Tiffany Banks, CEO of Nevada Realtors. “Residents love the convenience of getting a few runs in during lunch on a perfect bluebird powder day.”

In Incline Village, the beautiful, family-friendly Diamond Peak Ski Resort has 655 skiable acres and 30 runs. The Tahoe area also offers the highest concentration of ski resorts in North America.

9. Cashiers, NC

Number of listings: 181

Number of listings over $5 million: 21

Share of listings over $5 million: 11.60%

Cashiers, NC, is a scenic, sleepy city that receives about 50 inches of snow annually. It’s situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it’s perfect for nature lovers. It’s also just two-and-a-half hours from Atlanta, where you can get your big-city fix.

Sapphire Valley Ski Resort offers skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, and ice skating. It has a 1,600-foot main run with a vertical drop of 200 feet.

10. Sun Valley, ID

Number of listings: 154

Number of listings over $5 million: 17

Share of listings over $5 million: 11.04%

Sun Valley, ID, is a resort town with a thriving arts scene. It has majestic rivers running through it and is surrounded by the Smoky Mountains.

“We have seen many full- and part-time residents investing in our market for their mountain retreat lifestyle,” says real estate agent Rachel Wolfe, of Windermere Real Estate in Sun Valley. “Our market has steadily been rising in prices since the recession, and we saw a big increase in prices during the pandemic and a few years following. The past year, the market has been more steady, but there has been lots of movement in vacant land and luxury market sales.”

SKI Magazine ranked Sun Valley the No. 1 ski resort in North America for three years in a row. Its two mountains, Bald Mountain and Dollar Mountain, have over 2,500 acres of diverse terrain collectively and get around 220 inches of snow per year.

11. Steamboat Springs, CO

Number of listings: 603

Number of listings over $5 million: 61

Share of listings over $5 million: 10.12%

At 6,700 feet in the Rocky Mountains, Steamboat Springs, CO, is a laid-back town that’s popular with families and retirees.

Steamboat Ski Resort has 297 trails on over 2,965 acres. It boasts a distinctive type of snow called “champagne powder,” which has an average water content of just six percent, far lower than the typical 15 percent found at most other locations, giving it a notably light and fluffy texture.