South Haven Ranked As Best Underrated Beach Town In The US

When you think of some of the most well known and popular beach towns in the country, you might think of Miami Beach in Florida. Myrtle Beach in North Carolina, Waikiki in Hawaii, and Malibu in California may cross your mind too. These are all famous, globally recognized places. But what about underrated beach towns?

Google Maps

With the surge of summer travel, if you're looking for a beach town that is less crowded, affordable and close consider this... MSN and the Points Guy came out with the list of the top underrated beach town in the US. South Haven placed 2nd on the list behind Block Island, Rhode Island. We don't have to travel far to enjoy an unpopulated coastal town. Situated in West Michigan on Lake Michigan, the Points Guy describes South Haven as,

"Though it’s a small town, there’s plenty to do with more than 70 shops and dining spots to choose from. There are seven public beaches, a dozen wineries, local farmers markets, scenic drives and other ways to fill your summer days."

Janna Hoke/ WGRD

As the Points Guy reminds us, not all beaches are on the ocean! South Haven offers a walk-able downtown with unique shops and restaurants, and maritime history, arts, and live music.

ErimacGroup/GettyStock/ThinkStock

Between Aug. 12 and 15, you’ll even get to check out South Haven’s National Blueberry Festival. Known as the "Blueberry Capital of the World", The Blueberry Festival in South Haven is one of the country's oldest continuously-running fruit festivals! Michigan as a whole produces upward of 100 million pounds of blueberries each year.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

Filed Under: beach towns, beaches, Grand Rapids, Lake Michigan, Michigan, South Haven, Underrated beaches