Here's where to find the most expensive and most affordable beach homes in the country

Beach season is in full swing. If you're fantasizing about owning a summer home within spitting distance of the ocean spray, your dreams could look eminently affordable or completely far-fetched depending on where you decide to buy.

Some spots will run you less than $125,000. In other places, you'd better be a millionaire or billionaire if you want to get a showing.

Realtor.com dug through its database to find the most affordable and the most expensive beachfront locales in America. It limited its scope to beach cities with populations between 1,000 to 100,000 and that had at least 30 properties on the market. And to ensure some geographic diversity, Realtor.com capped its list to two towns per state separated by at least 30 miles.

First, let's look at the eye-popping properties, where your neighbors are likely to be grizzled Wall Street titans and young tech stars.

In these ritzy summer vacation spots - think the Hamptons, Malibu, or Nantucket - the median price for property currently exceeds $3 million, according to a report from Realtor.com.

In Malibu, the most expensive beach town in the US, one neighborhood along the surf has earned the moniker "Billionaire's Beach." Music mogul David Geffen reportedly sold his home there last year for $85 million.

As fun as excursions to the Hamptons and Nantucket can be, these exclusive housing markets will sap your entire savings in a hot minute if you're not careful.

But if you look beyond the traditional summer hot spots, your dream of owning a sun-drenched cottage next to the ocean air may not be so far-fetched.

These are the 10 most affordable beach towns to buy a home in - each of which has a median home price below $250,000.