The Global Ski Real Estate Index

Full data set — coming soon

Where property meets powder.

PowderMetrix ranks the world's ski towns on the numbers that decide a mountain home — snowfall, value and market momentum. Developed by Jim Williams of Williams Realty.

99

Index leader — Niseko

+12%

Strongest momentum — Niseko

$420k

Entry point — Hakuba median

590″

Deepest snow — Niseko

The index

Every town, one score

A blend of snowfall (40%), market momentum (30%) and value (30%). Higher is a better all-around mountain market.

01

Niseko

Hokkaido, Japan

99
02

Hakuba

Nagano, Japan

83
03

Brighton

Utah, USA

81
04

Solitude

Utah, USA

79
05

Revelstoke

British Columbia, Canada

78
06

Snowbird

Utah, USA

76
07

Alta

Utah, USA

73
08

Chamonix

Haute-Savoie, France

72
09

Whistler

British Columbia, Canada

66
10

Steamboat

Colorado, USA

64
11

Stowe

Vermont, USA

64
12

Palisades Tahoe

California (Lake Tahoe), USA

63
13

Jackson Hole

Wyoming, USA

60
14

Park City

Utah, USA

58
15

St. Anton

Tyrol, Austria

57
16

Deer Valley

Utah, USA

56
17

Incline Village

Nevada (Lake Tahoe), USA

53
18

Saas-Fee

Valais, Switzerland

52
19

Vail

Colorado, USA

52
20

Zermatt

Valais, Switzerland

42
21

St. Moritz

Graubünden, Switzerland

33
22

Aspen

Colorado, USA

31

Figures shown are preliminary placeholders. Final index data is being collected and will be published soon, curated by Williams Realty.

Research by Williams Realty

The 2026 Powder Value Index

How many real-estate dollars are paid for each inch of average annual snowfall? Lower is better — more snow value per real-estate dollar.

Williams Realty Powder Value Index 2026 — bar chart comparing real-estate dollars paid per inch of average annual snowfall across 16 ski resorts

Working 2026 comparison by Williams Realty. Market benchmarks vary by data class; see the methodology below before drawing conclusions.

Property comparisons

Compared by ski access

Every property is measured along the actual route you'd walk or ski to the lift — not a straight line on a map — and sorted into clear access tiers.

Under 1,000 feet

Within 1,000 ft of a lift or a run that provides access to the ski area.

True ski-in/ski-out

Ski directly from the door to a lift or access run, and back.

Short walk

Within 1,000 ft of a lift or access run, but a brief walk is needed.

1,000 – 3,000 feet

Walk-in/walk-out

A practical route to the lift or run that can be walked in ski boots.

⚑ Flagged: Needs a shuttle, or the walk is too long, steep, or unsafe to be practical.

MarketTrue ski-in/ski-outShort walkWalk-in/walk-outFlagged
AltaUtah, USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
AspenColorado, USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
BrightonUtah, USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
ChamonixHaute-Savoie, FranceComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
Deer ValleyUtah, USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
HakubaNagano, JapanComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
Incline VillageNevada (Lake Tahoe), USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
Jackson HoleWyoming, USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
NisekoHokkaido, JapanComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
Palisades TahoeCalifornia (Lake Tahoe), USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
Park CityUtah, USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
RevelstokeBritish Columbia, CanadaComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
Saas-FeeValais, SwitzerlandComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
SnowbirdUtah, USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
SolitudeUtah, USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
St. AntonTyrol, AustriaComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
St. MoritzGraubünden, SwitzerlandComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
SteamboatColorado, USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
StoweVermont, USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
VailColorado, USAComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
WhistlerBritish Columbia, CanadaComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon
ZermattValais, SwitzerlandComing soonComing soonComing soonComing soon

Ski-access data is being collected market by market and will be published soon.

Featured towns

Four markets, side by side

Snowfall sets the ceiling; price and momentum decide the entry. The full picture, town by town.

Alta

Utah, USA

$2.45M

Average snowfall547″

Season

Nov – Apr

YoY change

+5.4%

Vertical

2,180 ft

Skier-only and buried by the Wasatch lake effect. Inventory is tiny and rarely trades — legacy cabins at a premium that never seems to soften.

Niseko

Hokkaido, Japan

$780k

Average snowfall590″

Season

Dec – Mar

YoY change

+12.0%

Vertical

3,080 ft

The world's deepest, most consistent powder — and the most internationally liquid ski property market in Asia. Foreign freehold ownership, strong rental yields.

Chamonix

Haute-Savoie, France

$760k

Average snowfall375″

Season

Dec – Apr

YoY change

+7.0%

Vertical

9,186 ft

Permanent Mont Blanc views in a year-round town with serious big-mountain pedigree. Scarce building land keeps the market tight.

Steamboat

Colorado, USA

$1.29M

Average snowfall337″

Season

Nov – Apr

YoY change

+5.6%

Vertical

3,668 ft

Champagne powder is literally trademarked here. A ranch-town main street that still feels like a town, with a growing four-season economy.

Market notes

Life at the top of the list

Beyond the numbers — what it's actually like to own at the base area before the first lift.

Niseko, Hokkaido$780k median

Niseko

Hokkaido, Japan

590″ snow+12.0% YoYDec – Mar

The world's deepest, most consistent powder — and the most internationally liquid ski property market in Asia. Foreign freehold ownership, strong rental yields.

Hakuba, Nagano$420k median

Hakuba

Nagano, Japan

430″ snow+9.6% YoYDec – Apr

Ten resorts in one valley beneath the Japan Alps — and the most accessible entry price on the index. 1998 Winter Olympics territory on the way up.

Brighton, Utah$850k median

Brighton

Utah, USA

500″ snow+7.4% YoYNov – Apr

Big Cottonwood's laid-back locals' hill with the same legendary lake-effect snow. Among the last truly affordable ownership pockets in the Wasatch canyons.

Solitude, Utah$920k median

Solitude

Utah, USA

500″ snow+6.8% YoYNov – Apr

The name says it — quiet lift lines, Honeycomb Canyon powder, and a European-style village. Small inventory keeps values resilient.

Revelstoke, British Columbia$640k median

Revelstoke

British Columbia, Canada

420″ snow+8.1% YoYDec – Apr

North America's biggest vertical drop, a real railroad town, and prices still far below Whistler. The classic early-stage resort market thesis.

Snowbird, Utah$1.1M median

Snowbird

Utah, USA

500″ snow+5.9% YoYNov – May

Little Cottonwood Canyon's steeps and 500-inch seasons, an hour from downtown Salt Lake. A serious skier's mountain with undervalued slope-side stock.

Alta, Utah$2.45M median

Alta

Utah, USA

547″ snow+5.4% YoYNov – Apr

Skier-only and buried by the Wasatch lake effect. Inventory is tiny and rarely trades — legacy cabins at a premium that never seems to soften.

Chamonix, Haute-Savoie$760k median

Chamonix

Haute-Savoie, France

375″ snow+7.0% YoYDec – Apr

Permanent Mont Blanc views in a year-round town with serious big-mountain pedigree. Scarce building land keeps the market tight.

Whistler, British Columbia$1.28M median

Whistler

British Columbia, Canada

465″ snow+3.2% YoYNov – May

The benchmark North American resort market: deep, liquid, and globally recognized. Mature by design — growth comes from the mountain's fame, not discovery.

Steamboat, Colorado$1.29M median

Steamboat

Colorado, USA

337″ snow+5.6% YoYNov – Apr

Champagne powder is literally trademarked here. A ranch-town main street that still feels like a town, with a growing four-season economy.

Stowe, Vermont$1.05M median

Stowe

Vermont, USA

314″ snow+6.1% YoYNov – Apr

New England's classic ski town. Most slope-side stock is at Spruce Peak; the village is a scenic drive away.

Palisades Tahoe, California (Lake Tahoe)$1.75M median

Palisades Tahoe

California (Lake Tahoe), USA

400″ snow+4.3% YoYNov – May

Olympic Valley's big-mountain terrain, now gondola-linked to Alpine Meadows. Village condos carry the ski-access premium.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming$4.1M median

Jackson Hole

Wyoming, USA

459″ snow+5.0% YoYDec – Apr

Steep, deep and tax-friendly. Teton Village holds the ski-access stock; the town of Jackson is a 12-mile drive.

Park City, Utah$1.65M median

Park City

Utah, USA

300″ snow+4.8% YoYNov – Apr

Two resorts, one historic mining town, and the largest lift-served terrain in the US. Thirty-five minutes from a major international airport.

St. Anton, Tyrol$1.6M median

St. Anton

Tyrol, Austria

280″ snow+4.9% YoYDec – Apr

The Arlberg's legendary off-piste and après in a walkable village. Secondary-residence rules make genuine second homes rare.

Deer Valley, Utah$2.95M median

Deer Valley

Utah, USA

300″ snow+6.2% YoYDec – Apr

Skier-only, famously groomed, and one of the most prestigious addresses in American skiing. A massive new terrain expansion is reshaping the market.

Incline Village, Nevada (Lake Tahoe)$2.1M median

Incline Village

Nevada (Lake Tahoe), USA

300″ snow+3.5% YoYDec – Apr

Lakefront living on Tahoe's Nevada side, with Diamond Peak on its doorstep and no state income tax.

Saas-Fee, Valais$1.15M median

Saas-Fee

Valais, Switzerland

200″ snow+4.4% YoYNov – Apr

The 'Pearl of the Alps' — a compact, car-free glacier village where much of the stock sits close to the lifts.

Vail, Colorado$3.6M median

Vail

Colorado, USA

354″ snow+3.9% YoYNov – Apr

America's largest single-mountain resort. Values drop sharply as you move from the Village and Lionshead toward the free bus routes.

Zermatt, Valais$3.1M median

Zermatt

Valais, Switzerland

180″ snow+3.8% YoYNov – May

Car-free village under the Matterhorn, with lifts linked to Cervinia in Italy. Tight land and foreign-buyer quotas keep supply thin.

St. Moritz, Graubünden$4.2M median

St. Moritz

Graubünden, Switzerland

140″ snow+3.1% YoYNov – Apr

Old-world glamour on the Engadin plateau. Strict limits on foreign ownership make trophy stock exceptionally scarce.

Aspen, Colorado$8.5M median

Aspen

Colorado, USA

300″ snow+4.2% YoYNov – Apr

Four mountains and the most expensive ski real estate in America. Downtown sits at the base of Aspen Mountain.

Methodology

How the index works

One score, three signals — so a deep-snow bargain and a blue-chip classic can be compared on the same scale.

Snowfall — 40%

Long-term average annual snowfall from resort records. Depth is the foundation of every ski market: it drives demand, rental seasons and scarcity.

Momentum — 30%

Year-over-year price appreciation. Where the market is heading matters as much as where it stands, especially in early-stage resort towns.

Value — 30%

Affordability relative to every other market on the index. The best number is useless if the entry price has already run away.

Developed by Jim Williams · Williams Realty

PowderMetrix is curated by Jim Williams of Williams Realty, drawing on resort records and market data to help buyers find the right mountain town.

Work with Williams Realty

Your next mountain home, decided by data.

Full town profiles, head-to-head comparisons and live index updates are on the way from Williams Realty.

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