The 10 best places in the US to buy a winter home in 2019, ranked

Via Sotheby's

A variety of ski destinations made the list, including Stowe, Vermont.

• Vermont, Colorado, and California lead the list of top American winter destinations to buy a vacation home.
• That's according to a report by rental property management company Vacasa.
• The report ranks markets by high cap rates, which ensures buyers a high return on their real estate investment.

Americans interested in investing in a winter home this year should consider taking a look at Vermont, California, and Colorado.

In a recent report, Vacasa - the largest vacation rental property management company in North America - broke down the top 10 destinations for buying winter homes this season.

The list includes markets on both the east and west coasts, with an emphasis on mountainside or lakeside locations with access to outdoor activities.

While skiing was a major factor for most locations, the list also features some notable exceptions. Lesser-known locations such as Leavenworth, Washington are not located next to major ski lodges, while Mount Hood, Oregon and Pagosa Springs, Colorado are considered local gems with smaller crowds.

Read more: The 25 best ski resorts in America according to skiers and snowboarders

This season's Winter Market Report is based on cap rate, or the rate of return on a real estate investment. Thaddeus Hanscom, Vacasa's data trend analyst, told Business Insider that cap rate is calculated by income, minus expenses, divided by purchase price. To finalize the list, Vacasa first looked at markets with the highest average occupancy during winter months, and then ordered the list based on cap rate to find a top 10.

Keep reading to see the top locations for buying vacation homes this winter. We ranked markets in descending order and noted the median home price along with the rate of a one-year return on investment. Entries have been rounded to the nearest tenth.