We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you ... you're just helping re-supply our family's travel fund.
Buying a home in a ghost town sounds like something out of a movie, yet in parts of the United States it’s surprisingly possible, and often far more affordable than most people imagine. Many of these once-thriving mining or railroad communities supported hundreds or even thousands of residents before the economy shifted and people moved away. What remains today are atmospheric landscapes, weathered buildings, long stretches of silence, and a rare invitation to own history for under $100,000. For adventurous buyers, these forgotten places feel nostalgic rather than abandoned, offering space, heritage, and a deep sense of timelessness.
1. Lobo, Texas
Lobo once supported more than 300 people during its livelier mid-20th-century years, yet today the desert has reclaimed most streets, leaving behind a scattering of lonely structures and a strangely peaceful calm. Over past years, pieces of the town or neglected buildings have circulated around the $80,000 to $100,000 range, making it one of the few truly authentic ghost settings still within reach. The climate brings roughly 260 sunny days yearly, summer highs often reaching 37°C, and the nearest major city, El Paso, sits around 190 kilometers away, meaning buyers must appreciate distance, self-reliance, and big empty horizons.
2. St. Elmo, Colorado
High in the Rockies at roughly 3,000 meters, St. Elmo once flourished with close to 2,000 residents during its 1880s mining boom before silence slowly settled in. Today its preserved wooden storefronts and aging cabins create one of the most cinematic ghost-town atmospheres in the West, and while many restored places exceed six figures, small older structures or seasonal listings sometimes approach the $90,000 to $100,000 mark. Winter temperatures can fall below −15°C, snow regularly blocks roads, and services are limited, yet that isolation and mountain air are exactly what gives the town its enchanting appeal.
3. Garnet, Montana
Garnet grew rapidly in the 1890s, supporting shops, saloons, families, and nearly 1,000 residents before mining fortunes faded and life quietly drifted away. Now surrounded by dense forests at around 1,800 meters elevation, it remains one of the best preserved historic communities in Montana, and nearby rustic cabins or land parcels occasionally flirt with the $90,000 to $100,000 range, especially when renovation is required. Winters easily drop to −10°C, grocery runs may involve 40 to 50 kilometers of travel, and wildlife frequently wanders close by, yet the chance to own something this atmospheric feels worth every inconvenience.
4. Jerome Vicinity, Arizona
At its copper-driven height, Jerome and its surrounding mountain communities housed nearly 15,000 people, while today much of the region feels suspended between life and memory, dotted with aging houses and steep hillside streets. Around nearby semi-abandoned patches, older wooden homes or stone shells sometimes appear under $100,000, especially those needing stabilization, roofing, or interior repair. Summers often push beyond 35°C, rainfall averages roughly 360 millimeters yearly, and Phoenix sits nearly 180 kilometers away, yet the sweeping desert views, 19th-century history, and strangely artistic energy make ownership here feel adventurous rather than lonely.
5. Bodie Region, California
Bodie once roared with close to 10,000 hopeful residents during the 1870s gold rush before fortune faded and the wind became its loudest resident. Although the preserved core town is protected, surrounding rural regions occasionally present aging structures, remote dwellings, or historic-style properties under $100,000, typically needing serious renovation. The elevation stands near 2,500 meters, winter snow can exceed a meter, and temperatures often plunge below −20°C, meaning only committed buyers should attempt life here. Still, being surrounded by more than 150 preserved buildings and endless high-desert silence makes every day feel dramatically rooted in history.
6. Rhyolite Area, Nevada
Rhyolite exploded into existence around 1905, quickly gaining rail connections, electric lights, and nearly 8,000 residents before collapsing in barely a decade, leaving behind ghostly ruins that still dominate the desert. In the wider surrounding region, older homes, desert cabins, or abandoned-feeling dwellings periodically list under $100,000, though most require structural work or off-grid living solutions. Located roughly 190 kilometers from Las Vegas and bordering Death Valley, summers climb beyond 40°C and yearly rainfall averages under 120 millimeters. For those drawn to silence, cinematic scenery, and raw survival beauty, it feels haunting in the best possible way.
7. Custer County Ghost Pockets, South Dakota
Across Custer County you’ll find scattered remnants of late-1800s mining settlements that once supported hundreds of hardworking residents before gradual economic shifts emptied many of them. Today, rustic cabins, historic farmhouses, and near-ghost-town dwellings occasionally appear between $70,000 and $100,000, particularly those needing modernization or careful restoration. Winter temperatures can fall near −12°C, the area sits at high elevation, and thick pine forests stretch across kilometers of rolling landscape. With Mount Rushmore just about 45 kilometers away and outdoor adventure everywhere, buying here feels like inheriting a quiet fragment of frontier life rather than just a property.
8. Central Kansas Fading Townships
In central Kansas, several once-busy railroad and farming communities that once supported anywhere from 500 to 2,000 residents now sit half-empty, giving them a soft ghost-town aura rather than complete abandonment. Historic homes here are shockingly affordable, with many listings ranging from $40,000 to $95,000 depending on condition, age, and needed upgrades such as plumbing, roofing, or electrical rewiring. Average rainfall sits near 700 millimeters yearly, winters commonly reach −10°C, and major cities can be 80 kilometers or more away. Still, the brick storefronts, calm streets, and infinite prairie horizons create a nostalgic, peaceful lifestyle rarely found elsewhere.