Can You Guess Our Top 7 Ski Towns Based Solely on Their Stats?
Identify our favorite ski towns by demographics, photos, and reader quotes.
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Ah, the good ol’ ski town debate. We can’t properly wrap up a ski season without musing about the best ski towns in North America. Is it about access to the slopes or great après-ski? The spirit of the community or affordable lodging and housing? Yes, and yes. It’s about all of it, depending on who you are and why you ski.
The topic of the best ski towns in North America is a hotly contested one among the SKI staff—and skiers everywhere. We spend a good chunk of time debating where to sip the best après lager, dig into the tastiest cheeseburger, and jam out to amazing live music. And like most of you, we rarely ever agree.
So in the spirit of compromise, we put our heads together on a list of the 7 Best Ski Towns in North America—but you have to guess what they are. Below, we provide a photo of closest ski resort, the town demographics, and a reader quote from 2023 SKI Magazine Reader Resort Survey.
Also Read: The Resorts That Have Trended Up—and Down—in SKI’s Reader Resort Survey
How well do you know your ski towns? Let’s find out.
The 7 Best Ski Towns in North America
No. 1
Stats
- Population: 2,595
- Median Household Income: $68,878
- Male/Female Ratio: 55/45
- Median Home Price: $4.9 million
- Median Age: 35
“Harder than heck to get to but it’s a scenic location and great snow, and usually not too crowded. The restaurants are pricey but delicious.”
Does it get any prettier than this place?
No. 2
Stats
- Population: 9.656
- Median Household Income: $100,00 CAD
- Male/Female Ratio: 54/46
- Median Home Price: $1.6 million CAD
- Median Age: 39.8
“Fantastic views, stellar town nearby, unbelievable back bowls. Great history with ski racing as home to Canada’s World Cup.”
What town are we talking about, eh?
No. 3
Stats
- Population: 8,374
- Median Household Income: $114,798 (USD)
- Male/Female Ratio: 51/49
- Median Home Price: $2 million (USD)
- Median Age: 41.1
“Amazing terrain and size, an authentic town with real amenities and world class restaurants, and a nightlife to boot. Family friendly services abound.”
Did you guess correctly? Find out here.
No. 4
Stats
- Population: 6,741
- Median Household Income: $89,625 (USD)
- Male/Female Ratio: 52/48
- Median Home Price: $2.9 million (USD)
- Median Age: 40.1
“Having four mountains, each with their own flavor, to choose from is awesome. Town is super cool and the atmosphere is superb.”
No. 5
Stats
- Population: 1,681
- Median Household Income: $64,714 (USD)
- Male/Female Ratio: 52/48
- Median Home Price: $1,23 (USD)
- Median Age: 39
“It’s known for its challenge but the groomers are spectacular and extensive and the town is picture-perfect. As soon as you arrive … you can feel thats its different than any other ski resort and wonderfully unique.”
Click to find out which town this is.
No. 5
Stats
- Population: 5,291
- Median Household Income: $74,065 (USD)
- Male/Female Ratio: 50/50
- Median Home Price: $1.2 million (USD)
- Median Age: 48
“It is the ultimate New England ski experience, from the mountain to the restaurants to the village. And there’s nothing comparable to the Spruce Peak base area east of the Rockies.”
No. 6
Stats
- Population: 10,698
- Median Household Income: $83,289 (USD)
- Male/Female Ratio: 55/45
- Median Home Price: $3 million (USD)
- Median Age: 33
“Beautiful valley, town, mountains, and people. … It has been ‘discovered’ several times, I hope it gets checked off the ‘done that list’ by as many people as possible. It has wonderful intermediate terrain, but you don’t really get the full effect unless you ride and ski the tram and for many, that’s a challenge.”
No. 7
Stats
- Population: 8,915
- Median Household Income (USD): $64,595
- Male/Female Ratio: 49/51
- Median Home Price: $1.5 million (USD)
- Median Age: 40.4
“Has been my favorite resort since it was called Big Mountain. A little off the beaten track, not corporate, tons of locals and local flavor, and great skiing. Fog sucks but you get over it. Would recommend to anyone who likes to ski.”