Nantucket carries the bigger name and the higher ceiling.
But through the heart of the luxury market, Avalon and Stone Harbor compete more closely than many buyers might expect.
An inventory snapshot found 167 Nantucket properties listed for sale on Zillow this week. Avalon had 72 and Stone Harbor had 45, giving Seven Mile Island a combined 117.
While Nantucket carried about 43% more inventory, Realtor.com places Nantucket’s median listing price at approximately $4.4 million.
Nantucket actually lands between the two Seven Mile Island towns.
Stone Harbor stands at approximately $4.7 million, while Avalon sits near $4 million.
The markets remain close on price per square foot as well.
Realtor.com estimates Nantucket’s median asking price at approximately $1,800 per square foot. Stone Harbor follows at $1,700, with Avalon at $1,500.
The separation arrives at the top.
Nantucket Owns the Ultra-Trophy Tier
Seven Mile Island currently tops out just below $24 million.
A nine-bedroom Stone Harbor home at 2 88th Street is listed for $23.995 million. Avalon’s market leader, a new six-bedroom home at 5499 Dune Drive, is asking $23.95 million.
Nantucket’s ceiling reaches $39.9 million.
The eight-bedroom property spans more than 10,000 square feet and includes a pool house. Its asking price stands nearly $16 million above Seven Mile Island’s most expensive offering.
It is not alone.
Nantucket’s current inventory includes additional properties asking $34.5 million, $33 million, $29 million and $26.85 million.
Nantucket has an entire tier of inventory that does not exist on Seven Mile Island.
That is where the two markets part ways.
The Difference Is Land
At the ultra-trophy level, Nantucket sellers can offer more than a large coastal house.
The island’s highest-priced properties frequently include multiple residences, guesthouses, pool houses, outbuildings and extensive private grounds.
A $33 million Nantucket offering on Polpis Road includes 12 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms and more than 17,000 square feet of living space.
Another property asking $19.95 million includes four outbuildings.
Seven Mile Island cannot easily reproduce that product.
Avalon and Stone Harbor derive much of their value from scarcity.
That scarcity is reflected not only in listing prices but also in public assessments.
Earlier this month, Ironside found nearly $1.9 billion in assessed value concentrated along beach-block residential properties in Avalon, Stone Harbor and Sea Isle City.
Large houses, pools and water access are compressed onto expensive parcels in two tightly developed shore towns.
Nantucket’s physical scale allows buyers to purchase privacy, acreage and compound living.
Seven Mile Competes Below the Summit
The trophy gap should not obscure how strongly Seven Mile Island performs beneath it.
Avalon and Stone Harbor carry numerous listings between $5 million and $10 million.
Recent Ironside reporting found more than $50 million in asking value went under contract across Seven Mile Island in a single week, underscoring that buyer demand extends well beyond a handful of trophy listings.
Seven Mile remains a legitimate competitor through most of the luxury market.
It also offers a broader entry point.
Condos and smaller attached residences give buyers access to Avalon and Stone Harbor well below $2 million.
Nantucket Inventory Is Moving Faster
Nantucket also holds an advantage in market time.
Realtor.com reports a median of 67 days on market for Nantucket listings. Avalon and Stone Harbor each stand at 88 days.
The 21-day difference does not independently prove stronger demand. Property mix, price distribution and listing practices can affect the comparison.
But it shows Nantucket’s larger and more expensive inventory is not simply sitting idle.
Buyers are absorbing it at a faster median pace.
That contrasts with Ironside’s most recent Shore Stress Test, which found buyers continue to negotiate meaningful discounts across Seven Mile Island even as luxury inventory remains active.
Two Luxury Markets, One Major Divide
Nantucket wins the overall inventory count. It commands more per square foot and operates at a higher ceiling.
Seven Mile Island still holds its ground across the center of the market — a trend reflected repeatedly in Ironside’s recent coverage of luxury contracts, pricing and inventory across Avalon and Stone Harbor.
Its median asking prices sit squarely in Nantucket territory. Stone Harbor even edges above it.
The decisive difference comes at the summit.
Everywhere below it, the market matchup is much closer.
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