Ever fancied taking on the title of Sheriff? If so, you won't find a better opportunity than these towns for sale. From picture-postcard European hamlets to American Wild West towns frozen in time, these unique settlements are the ultimate real estate investments. Click or scroll on to discover the best communities on the market right now...

When you think about real estate in California, you might picture the plush mega-mansions of Los Angeles, or the mid-century modern pads of Palm Springs, but if you fancy a slice of the good life, you might want to consider an altogether different type of property. The town of Bridgeville in Humboldt County is currently up for grabs for $1.5 million (£1.1m) via Realty World.

The quaint hamlet was founded in the late 19th century and sits alongside idyllic woodland landscapes. The scenic Van Duzen River runs through the town, which features a dramatic bridge, after which the settlement was named. 

The 83-acre community made headlines as the first town to be listed on eBay when it landed on the online buying site in 2002. After the initial sale fell through, real estate developer Bruce Krall snapped up Bridgeville, selling it once more via eBay in 2006. But months later, following the sudden passing of the settlement's new owner, it was placed back on the market.

The community underwent renovations in the early 2000s, however, there's still plenty of work needed to breathe new life into this timeworn town. Nevertheless, there's no shortage of potential here: as well as the substantial acreage on offer, the sale price includes a number of homes and cabins, a 150-year-old post office, a vacant café and a cemetery. Are you up for the challenge?

Over in New Mexico, USA, you could bag yourself a western movie ranch, complete with everything except the cowboys! For sale with Sotheby's International Realty, Gabriella is thought to be the largest and most authentic western town in Catron County – and it could soon be yours.

A fascinating replica of a Catron County Wild West town from the 1880s, when the notorious outlaw Thomas “Black Jack” Ketchum ruled the roost, Gabriella beautifully preserves the history of America's iconic boomtowns. Spanning 58 acres, the ranch comes equipped with a hotel, a log cabin, a dance hall, saloon, billiard hall, photography studio, stagecoach and barbershop, complete with an antique chair.

Over the years the town has been used as a filming location, as well as for private parties and gunslinger re-enactments. Yet the possibilities for Gabriella are endless. The lucky new owner could open a working museum, create a unique wedding venue, or simply design themselves a truly one-of-a-kind home.

According to the real estate listing, the creator of this unique ranch has paid great attention to detail throughout the estate and the interiors of the buildings have been designed with authenticity in mind. If this unique ghost town is your sort of thing, then it's currently up for grabs for a cool $1.6 million (£1.2m).

On the market for $5.5 million (£4.1m), Tuthill is located in the town of Pittston, Maine. Sitting on more than 50 acres of land, the picturesque settlement includes 25 buildings and structures that were the brainchild of local antiques dealer Kenneth Tuttle. 

With his heart set on building an antique village, Tuttle bought the main house in 1967 and expanded his settlement from there, saving historic buildings from other towns that were going to be demolished. While the community may have been established in the not-so-distant past, the structures date back to the 19th and 20th centuries and include a showroom for over 30 cars, along with numerous barns.

The stunning backdrop of the village boasts a pond, apple trees and flowering bushes. Other stunning antique buildings include a historic restored antiques shop, an old church meeting hall, two shops and a mechanic's garage. 

Established in the 1700s, the quaint community of Sätra Brunn was originally founded as a wellness village when a natural mineral spring was discovered on the site. It went on to become a popular destination for those in search of relaxation and respite. Fast forward some 300 years and health and wellbeing are still very much at the heart of this unique development, which is now on the market with Christie’s International Real Estate for just over $8.4 million (£6.2m).

The vast settlement encompasses around 59 sprawling acres and is home to 70 buildings, from picturesque residences to a hotel, preschool, conference centre, restaurant, church, spring, gym and bathhouse. According to the listing, the annual turnover of the village was between $3.4 million (£2.5m) and $3.9 million (£2.8m) in 2019, plus Sätra Brunn has also been bottling its natural spring water since 2015, so the lucky buyer could end up with a healthy side business, too.

Home to possibly the world’s cutest houses, it’s hard not to be charmed by the village's array of colourful painted buildings. A tight-knit community, Sätra Brunn plays host to an array of celebrations throughout the year, from Midsummer, Christmas and New Year's festivities to concerts and weddings. The current owners acquired the village in 2002 and are keen to pass the mantle to a buyer who wants to preserve the community’s rich history and help its business ventures thrive.

Got $15.9 million (£11.7m) going spare? Then this upscale village, located on a dreamy private island in Georgia's Golden Isles, could be yours. Little Hawkins offers an ideal hideaway from modern life without sacrificing any creature comforts. Surrounded by waterfront views and coastal salt marshes, wildlife is plentiful here, with dolphins, otters, turtles and a myriad of fish and birds making a regular appearance.

Within easy reach of the mainland, there’s a private dock suitable for a 40-foot boat, or you can drive over the community's private 110-foot concrete bridge. For more far-flung destinations, there's even an airport located on neighbouring Sea Island.

The village itself, which is on the market with Private Islands Inc, is comprised of four buildings nestled within a three-acre gated community. A luxurious property serves as the main residence, flanked by two cottages and a clubhouse, complete with an outdoor pool, spa and bar. If that wasn't enough, the lot also enjoys over 700 feet of water frontage. 

The historic railroad town of Nipton in California is on the market for just over $3.1 million (£2.3m). While it's not far from the California-Nevada state line and the bright lights of Las Vegas, this small town is a world away from the glitz and glamour of the strip.

The settlement hit the headlines a few years ago when a cannabis company reportedly bought the estate with plans to turn it into a marijuana-themed retreat. However, their plans fell through and now Nipton is back up for sale and looking for a new mayor. 

With some development work having already been carried out by the previous owners, the small town boasts five eco-cabins and 10 tipis – perfect for hosting guests. A restoration project has also been carried out across some of the town's historical buildings, giving the outpost a new lease of life. 

For the sale price, the buyer will acquire 80 acres of land, which include a general store, a haberdashery store, a cafe and a hotel with five rooms. There's also a 30-unit trailer park, a schoolhouse, haybarn and a number of art exhibits with links to the renowned Burning Man festival.

Nestled in the arid desert of Yavapai County, the town of Cleator was founded in the late 1800s as a gold-mining outpost. Spanning almost 40 acres, this compact settlement is now on the market with North & Co for $999,999 (£739k), after receiving a substantial price cut.

Once flanked by mining camps and the Prescott and Eastern Railroad, the settlement bustled with workers and their families in the 19th and early 20th centuries. However, by the 1930s, many of the town's mines had folded – the final blow came a few years later when the railroad closed. Home to around 1,500 people in its heyday, the outpost was all but deserted. While some consider Cleator a ghost town, it's still home to a handful of people who've formed a small, tight-knit community. 

Left to languish for years, Water Valley is an abandoned town with plenty of potential. Spanning seven acres close to Williamsport, Tennessee, this former community has a rich history and an array of characterful extras that were hastily left behind when the town was abandoned in the mid 20th-century.

On the market with Compass for a mere $725,000 (£532k), the tiny town comes complete with four historic buildings and a truly picturesque surrounding landscape. Named after its flooding waters, caused by the town's proximity to Leiper's Creek, Water Valley was established when a new post office opened its doors in 1874. Formerly known as Spencer's Mill, the community was once a busy stop for the Middle Tennessee Railroad, but when the line closed in the early 1930s, the community began to decline.

Yet before the residents upped sticks, Water Valley was thriving. It boasted four general stores, selling everything from handmade brooms to wild animal pelts, as well as a church, doctor’s surgery, dentist's office and blacksmiths. A school was opened in 1949 but it closed 10 years later, which marked the beginning of the end for the town. 

Step inside the town's historic buildings and you'll be transported to another time. Although the shelves of this store are empty, it isn't difficult to imagine it bursting with life. There are endless period fixtures around that could be salvaged, too, including old metal advertising signs, antique furnishings and rusting milk churns. Yet much work would be needed to render the town's buildings habitable, so if you're keen to take on an extreme fixer-upper, Water Valley might just be the place for you...

On the market for around $502,000 (£371k), the hamlet offers six buildings in various states of repair. A stone and wood building, the main property is fully habitable and encompasses 1,700 square feet spread over three floors. Outside, there's a pretty garden with a hammock overlooking spectacular views of the surrounding hills and mountains.

Xerdiz is the ideal property for those yearning to escape the rat race in favour of a more self-sufficient lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. A business-savvy buyer could even transform some of the structures into holiday lets, providing a rural spot for visitors to reconnect with nature.

On the market for $4.5 million (£3.3m) with Vladi Private Islands, the settlement is home to five beautiful cottages overlooking the beach and the tranquil Caribbean Sea. Featuring stylish wood-clad interiors, each residence has two air-conditioned bedrooms as well as a private cabana – the perfect spot to soak up the tropical sunshine. 

With its dazzling white-sand beaches and azure shoreline, this paradise island for sale is primed to continue its success as a profitable luxury community. A mere mile away from the Belize Barrier Reef, a renowned underwater beauty spot known for its world-class snorkelling and diving, there’s plenty of activities to draw in punters too. 

The rural hamlet of Campo in San Diego County has hit the market for a reported $6 million (£4.4m). Just one hour east of San Diego, the town comes with 28 buildings and is ideal for someone looking to take on a town that's already up and running. 

Not quite a ghost town, Campo is currently home to around 100 people and comes with working buildings including a post office and church. However, the current residents are looking for the new owner to expand the town, adding facilities such as a gym, laundromat and recreation centres.

Spread over 16 acres, the small community is peppered with abandoned clapboard homes like this one. With a little work, these neglected structures could provide charming houses for new residents looking to relocate to the town.

Located within the unparalleled rural idylls of Tuscany's Val d'Orcia region, this small historic hamlet offers a picturesque slice of Italy's rich past. On the market for $9.1 million (£6.7m) with Casa Tuscany, the settlement includes just over 741 acres and has no shortage of development potential, with an olive grove and vineyard just waiting to be brought back to life.

Situated 20 minutes away from San Giovanni d’Asso and Pienza, two important Tuscan towns, the hamlet features an abandoned farm perched on a hill. Once a bustling agricultural hub, it's since been left to languish and its buildings, including a cheese factory, dining hall, residential apartments, office, barns and pigsties, are now in need of restoration. Elsewhere in the village, there's also the ruins of an old furnace, which includes permission to rebuild the structure for residential use.

With accommodation spread across three vast floors, the grand stately home has been in the same family since the 1500s. Aside from some restoration work required across the attic and roof, the property is resplendent, with stunning coffered ceilings, antique flooring and fixtures and elegant double-height living spaces, while a swimming pool is also situated in the grounds. This unique business opportunity could be a real passion project for an investor with a penchant for history. 

If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle, it doesn’t get much better than Pakatoa Island. Developed as a resort town in the 1950s, its amenities may need a little updating, but the self-contained community has everything in place to become a flourishing destination for homeowners and holidaymakers once more.

Listed with Private Islands Inc, there’s just shy of 60 acres of land on offer for the hefty price tag of $25.7 million (£18.9m). However, the significant sum isn't without justification – in addition to the commercial facilities, there are two dazzling beaches on the east coast of the island and one on the north side, as well as a wharf and jetty that allow easy access to the mainland. 

Located on the slopes on the south side of the island are an array of self-contained residential chalets. With the potential to offer a healthy rental income, there’s a total of 24 beachfront cabins and 38 homes offering two to three bedrooms. While the settlement has been unoccupied in recent years, it’s been maintained by an on-site caretaker. With power, water, sewage and connections in place, all the enclave needs is a buyer to take this former resort town under their wing.

Got $46.7 million (£34.5m) going spare? Then this dreamy Italian hamlet could soon be yours. Perched high on a hilltop, the charming village of Poggio Santa Cecilia in Italy's scenic Tuscany region was abandoned in the 1960s and has sadly fallen into a state of disrepair over the last 60 years. 

Located in 1,730 acres of land, the village includes the remains of a medieval castle that could make the ultimate fixer-upper, as well as a vast 18th-century villa and a church complete with a bell tower. The grounds also include partially restored stables, an olive mill and a labyrinth of underground cellars. 

On the market with Essentis Group, the sale includes 50 separate buildings plus 200 acres of woodland, two lakes, 23 acres of fruit trees and 55 acres of vineyards. Ready to breathe new life into this historic settlement?

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This abandoned Scottish village was deserted for good in 1926. When it came to the market, only the remnants of the residences, mill, kiln and old church remained standing amongst the woodland. Steeped in history, the settlement reportedly came with one usual feature: a ghost, specifically that of the Lady of Lawers. Rumoured to haunt the village to this day, the 17th-century soothsayer is remembered for making prophecies, some of which are said to have come true. 

Previously on the market for $7.5 million (£5.5m), Mellonsfolly Ranch is located in the heart of New Zealand. Surrounded by 900 acres of rolling hills, the listing for the unique settlement offered three main homes as well as two rental houses, plus a replica of an 1860s Wyoming frontier town. The ranch features a courthouse that's actually a secret cinema, a sheriff's office, a saloon and a billiards lounge.

The tranquil village of El Mortorio is nestled in the middle of the verdant Spanish countryside, surrounded by rolling fields and mountains, including the picturesque Picos de Europa. Previously on the market with Iberia North for around $2.3 million (£1.7m), the listing offered 12 rustic buildings and 20 building plots amounting to seven acres of land – the perfect blank canvas for an ambitious buyer with a vision.

The Wild West ghost town of Pearce was on the market for $944,000 (£697k) when it was snapped up in 2021. Once home to one of the richest gold mines in all of Arizona, it was founded in 1895 and attracted adventurers seeking their fortunes. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the small town features original store façades, a working blacksmith shop and airy living quarters.

Nestled near Big Bend National Park in west Texas, the 62-acre town of Villa de la Mina includes a large mine and comes complete with a railroad track. A slice of Wild West nostalgia, cinnabar, a blood-red mercury sulphide mineral, was mined here in the early 1900s. Previously on the market for $1.8 million (£1.3m), sadly deserted, the ghost town has been left to wrack and ruin, with many of the settlement's abandoned spaces calling out for a new lease of life. 

Located in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, this abandoned village comes with more than three acres of land and was up for sale with Watts & Morgan for $703,000 (£519k). The hamlet used to be a boys' holiday camp and features a courtyard and war memorial, a church, accommodation dormitories and a gym. 

Originally built in the 1920s and 1930s as a Hydro town for 2,000 residents, Tarraleah was recently on the market for a reported $9.2 million (£6.8m). The sale included 35 acres of land, a private water supply, electricity, working sewage, fibre cabling and road networks. The lucky new owner also gained a spa, an award-winning hotel, a function centre, caravan park, church and café, as well as an array of restored and new-build homes.

Located in the heart of Georgia, Toomsboro was one of the larger towns for sale with around 700 residents. Included in the sale were 37 parcels of land in around 40 acres which included a syrup mill, an old bank and a railroad depot. Toomsboro is also home to the Swampland Opera House, which was opened in 1975 as a music venue and was once a regular stop on the circuit for bluegrass, rock, gospel and country and western performers. 

Nestled in Irvington, Alabama, Safe Harbor Landing is a residential community of 99 homes. The prefab homes are rented out with the aim to provide affordable accommodation to families in the workforce economy, drawing in an annual revenue of upwards $614,000 (£454k) at the time of sale. 

The tiny village of O Penso in Northern Spain sits in just over 100 acres of land and included a cattle barn, two additional barns, bakery complete with two bread ovens and a water well in the sale. Abandoned over a decade ago the characterful stone buildings had seen better days. 

This quaint hamlet in Normandy in northern France sits on a natural hilly site that’s surrounded by woodland. Included in the sale was a three-storey main house, two detached cottages and a rundown fourth property that certainly wasn't for the faint-hearted. 

This spooky abandoned mining town in British Columbia was put on the market again in 2017 after a previous offer fell through. The lucky buyer got 50 acres of untouched Rocky Mountain land and 22 empty homes in need of renovation.

This South Dakota ghost town in deepest cowboy country was not a purchase for the faint-hearted. The buyer would have got a notoriously rough bar and garage for their money as well as a 'haunted' house – we wonder if ghosts were included? 

This small village went back on the market in 2017 after the winning bidder of an online auction pulled out. The historic Connecticut village is packed with 18th- and 19th-century buildings, and could be converted into anything from a retirement community to a living museum.

Ever dreamed of owning your very own casino town? Cal-Nev-Ari in Nevada could have been yours in 2017 for $8 million (£5.9m). Your cash would have got you a casino, airstrip, diner, a portfolio of homes and a convenience store.

Nestled in the Gran Sasso national park in Italy's Abruzzo region, this abandoned shepherd's village came with a dilapidated medieval church and 10 houses crying out for some serious TLC.

Slap bang in the center of the mountainous Aveyron region, this dinky hamlet is a spacious four-house complex surrounded by acres of landscaped gardens.