Although more and more time is spent traveling and vacation periods are shorter and spread across the year, there are relatively few residents who do not dream of owning a beachside apartment or a country house. It is a place to spend a few days with family or friends. Of course, not everyone achieves this and they remain a minority.
According to the latest INE Population Core Characteristics and Housing Survey, only 12.2% of households in the Alicante province have a second residence nearby, about 94,000 homes. This figure stays over 1000 points below the national average of 15.5% and higher, with notable differences across the region.
Among municipalities with populations over 50,000 in the province, Alcoy is more likely to report a second home than others, possibly because it is farther from the sea. In Alcoy, up to 22.3% of families own an additional property, a figure closer to Madrid (22.1%) or Zaragoza (22.5%) than to the rest of the province.
Behind these numbers are the residents of the city of Alicante, where 16.5% of households own a second property; in nearby Hand with 13.9%; Elche with 13.8%; and Benidorm with 12.7% as well.
By contrast, the municipalities with the lowest share of second-home ownership are San Vicente del Raspeig at 8.6% and Torrevieja at 9.9%, respectively.
in the same city
Location plays a key role in where a second home is found. In 46.3% of cases the property is within the same city but in a different district than the main residence. It is far less common to have a second home in another province or autonomous community, accounting for about 18% of households with a second property, and even fewer among nearby areas. A minority, around 5.5%, report a second home abroad.
The surge of buyers from the East has impacted Alicante’s real estate market, particularly as many families own a second property in the same municipality as their primary residence. This is more common in Alicante and Elche, where a holiday-centered urban core near San Juan and the waterfront or in Elche’s different neighborhoods favors such arrangements.
In contrast, Alcoy shows only 10% of second homes within the same municipality, while in Torrevieja or Benidorm the share barely reaches 13%. The first case reflects a desire to be nearer the shore, while in the second, the beach is practically at street level, so buyers often look elsewhere.
The INE survey also allows examination of second-home distribution by sociodemographic variables, such as family structure. For example, childless couples living at home show a higher propensity to own a second home, at around 17% for this housing type. In contrast, single people or single-parent households report a lower share, roughly 9%.
Income level remains a significant factor in whether a household owns a second property. While not the sole determinant, it helps explain disparities: 7% of households earning less than 1,000 euros monthly own a second home, compared with 27.6% of families earning more than 3,000 euros per month.
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Regardless of the circumstances, owners of a second home typically use it. In Alicante, nearly half of second-home owners spend more than 60 days a year there, indicating substantial occupancy. By contrast, only about 10% use it for less than 15 days annually.
Compared with other provinces, Zaragoza shows a 22.2% rate of households with a second home, Madrid 22.1%, and Vizcaya 21.5% as the districts with the highest activity for long-term use. Las Palmas and Girona sit at the lower end with around 8%. Within the Valencian Community, Castellón residents report 20.6% and Valencians 19.2% owning a second home.