2026 boat value guide · updated 2026-10-16
How much is my boat worth?
Real 2026 asking prices by brand and type from 1,780 priced boats for sale across the US right now, the seven factors that move the number, what your boat is worth by age, and when it pays to sell — plus a free online boat appraisal that does the math for your exact boat.
The short answer
Most used boats in the United States sell for between $10,000 and $75,000. Older sterndrive runabouts and two-tube pontoons from the 1990s–2000s bring $5,000–$20,000 (a tired one is priced for the trailer). A five- to fifteen-year-old outboard bowrider, fishing boat or pontoon from a mainstream brand runs $20,000–$60,000. Late-model tritoons, wake boats and center consoles sit at $60,000–$200,000, and offshore center consoles and cruisers from Grady-White, Boston Whaler, Sea Ray and their peers run from $200,000 to well past $500,000. Personal watercraft are their own market at $4,000–$18,000. Everything below explains where your boat lands and why.
2026 boat values by brand
Live asking prices from priced boats currently listed on US Marine Connection(dealers and private sellers; brands with at least five priced listings). Dealer asking prices run above what a private sale brings; see the note below the table.
| Brand | Median asking | Lowest | Highest | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamaha | $15,599 | $3,999 | $186,249 | 415 |
| Sea-Doo | $18,149 | $4,999 | $41,997 | 153 |
| Skeeter | $86,150 | $20,998 | $129,311 | 107 |
| Sportsman | $149,995 | $37,995 | $513,335 | 95 |
| Bennington | $58,900 | $9,999 | $532,790 | 68 |
| Robalo | $116,775 | $29,977 | $592,340 | 66 |
| Stingray | $40,470 | $6,995 | $88,946 | 62 |
| Bayliner | $32,436 | $500 | $119,930 | 40 |
| Scout | $84,900 | $31,000 | $1,373,549 | 35 |
| G3 | $24,997 | $10,999 | $50,628 | 34 |
| Harris | $55,371 | $5,495 | $192,657 | 33 |
| Key West | $74,977 | $34,977 | $338,505 | 25 |
| Sea Pro | $114,977 | $29,977 | $309,977 | 25 |
| Pathfinder | $144,924 | $24,000 | $375,986 | 22 |
| Sea Ray | $70,498 | $3,835 | $425,500 | 22 |
How to read it: the median is the middle asking price, so half the listings ask more and half ask less. The lowest and highest show how wide a brand's range is: a $4,000 Yamaha is a ten-year-old WaveRunner, an $85,000 Yamaha is a new twin-engine 222 jet boat. A private sale for an ordinary example in good condition usually settles below the median. Brand names link to our buying guides.
Boat values by type
| Type | Median asking | Lowest | Highest | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal watercraft | $15,599 | $3,999 | $41,997 | 501 |
| Center console | $114,977 | $4,500 | $1,513,412 | 465 |
| Bowrider / deck boat | $57,780 | $500 | $550,858 | 338 |
| Pontoon & tritoon | $47,656 | $2,999 | $532,790 | 198 |
| Fishing boat | $64,977 | $3,500 | $299,000 | 165 |
| Cruiser / yacht | $194,900 | $5,000 | $1,446,240 | 53 |
| Ski & wake | $79,595 | $7,000 | $259,950 | 47 |
| Sailboat | $14,900 | $4,995 | $120,000 | 7 |
| Other | $7,748 | $4,900 | $25,000 | 6 |
Type sets the ceiling. Offshore center consoles and cruisers dominate the top of the market because length, twin or triple outboards and hardtops add up fast; a personal watercraft is capped at the price of a new one regardless of brand. Pontoons and bowriders are the volume segments where condition and engine matter far more than the badge, and wake boats are priced on their surf systems and hours under ballast as much as on the hull.
The seven factors that decide the number
1. Engine hours and engine age
Hours are a boat's mileage, and the engine is usually the single most valuable component on board. A four-stroke outboard that has been serviced on schedule is good for 2,000 hours or more; a gas sterndrive somewhat less; a supercharged PWC engine less again. Most private boats accumulate 30 to 75 hours a season, so a ten-year-old boat with 400 hours is normal, one with 1,200 is well used, and one with 40 has been sitting, which brings its own problems (stale fuel, dried seals, corroded connections). Buyers price hours together with age and records; a folder of oil-change and impeller receipts is worth real money.
2. Engine type and brand
Outboard-powered boats hold value better than sterndrives of the same age because they are cheaper to maintain, easier to repower, and what the market wants now. Among outboards, Yamaha and Mercury four-strokes carry the strongest resale, and a repower — a new outboard on a sound older hull — recovers most of its cost, which is why 'repowered in 2023' leads so many listings. Sterndrives (MerCruiser, Volvo Penta) depreciate faster and need outdrive service (bellows, gimbal bearing, manifolds and risers in salt water), but they make older Sea Rays, Bayliners and Crownlines the cheapest way onto the water. Inboard wake boats are a market of their own where the surf system matters as much as the engine.
3. Fresh water or salt
Two identical boats, one from a Michigan lake and one from a Florida canal, can differ by a quarter or more in price. Salt water attacks aluminum outdrives and jet pumps, corrodes wiring and hardware, and fouls hulls that sit in wet slips. A freshwater boat that was trailered or lifted and stored covered is the best case; a saltwater boat that was flushed after every run and kept on a lift is fine; a saltwater boat that lived in a slip without bottom paint or flushing is priced as a project. Ask where the boat lived and look for white corrosion on the lower unit, exhaust and trim rams.
4. Hull, transom and deck condition
The hull is what a surveyor looks at first. Soft spots in the deck, a transom that flexes when you lean on the outboard, wet stringers under the floor, and osmotic blisters on the bottom subtract quickly because the repairs cost thousands and take the boat out of service for a season. Gelcoat oxidation, spider cracks around hardware, and faded graphics are cosmetic but still change what a buyer will pay at first sight. On aluminum boats, check for weeping rivets and corrosion pitting; on pontoons, look at the tubes for dents and weld repairs.
5. Trailer, canvas and electronics
A roadworthy trailer with working brakes and lights can be worth several thousand dollars on its own, and many buyers will not consider a boat without one. Bimini tops, full covers, snap-in carpet and upholstery age in the sun and are the most common cosmetic expense on any used boat. Electronics are the opposite of the hull: a modern Garmin or Simrad chartplotter with sonar adds value while it is current, then depreciates like any gadget. A T-top, tower, wet bar, ballast system or trolling motor adds value only if it works and if the buyer wanted it anyway.
6. Brand and model demand
Grady-White, Boston Whaler, Lund, Bennington, MasterCraft and Malibu hold value because buyers in their segments seek them out by name; a used example rarely sells at a discount and usually has an engine problem attached if it does. Volume builders (Bayliner, older Sea Ray sterndrives, entry-level pontoons) made excellent boats in large numbers, which is exactly why they sell modestly: supply is deep. Demand also shifts by segment. Center consoles, tritoons and surf boats are the hot segments of the used market and sell fastest; project sailboats and older cabin cruisers can sit for a season.
7. Model year and the depreciation curve
Boats lose the most value in their first three to five years, then flatten out. Lightly used near-new boats are the steepest loss for the first owner and the best value for the second. From about year five to year fifteen, condition and hours matter far more than the model year. Past fifteen years the engine dominates: an older hull with a recent repower is priced on the engine, while the same hull with its original power is priced as a repower candidate — often for the trailer plus a little.
What a boat is worth by age
Find the model year first. Every boat built since 1972 carries a Hull Identification Number (HIN) on the starboard side of the transom; the last two characters are the model year. The outboard has its own serial-number plate on the bracket, and the engine year can differ from the hull year (a repower). Then find your band:
0–5 years
Sells at roughly 60–80% of the current new price for the same model, less for a boat that has been used hard. Buyers pay for the balance of the engine warranty (Yamaha and Mercury coverage often transfers), current electronics and a known history. This is the best value on the market for a buyer and the steepest depreciation for a seller.
5–15 years
The heart of the used market. Well-kept examples sell for 35–60% of new. Outboard boats from Grady-White, Boston Whaler, Sportsman, Lund and Bennington sit at the top of that range; sterndrive runabouts and entry pontoons at the bottom. Hours, records and where the boat lived decide the number within the band.
15–25 years
Where most older Bayliners, Sea Rays, Crownlines and first-generation wake boats live. A sound hull with its original engine is usually $5,000–$25,000 depending on size; the same boat repowered with a modern four-stroke can be worth double. Trailer condition becomes a large share of the price at this age.
25+ years
Two very different stories. A classic Boston Whaler Montauk, an older Grady-White with a repower, a Lund that stayed in fresh water, or a clean direct-drive ski boat still finds buyers at real money. A mass-market sterndrive runabout with original power and a soft floor is often worth $500–$3,000, much of that the trailer, and moving it can cost more than it brings.
What the market is asking right now, by decade of manufacture (median asking price of priced listings on US Marine Connection; decades with at least eight priced boats):
| Built | Median asking | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | $5,500 | 8 |
| 1990s | $8,999 | 20 |
| 2000s | $14,977 | 91 |
| 2010s | $37,492 | 202 |
| 2020s | $56,178 | 1452 |
Older decades can skew high because the 1990s boats that survive and get listed are disproportionately Grady-Whites, Whalers and repowered hulls; an ordinary 1990s runabout with its original sterndrive is not represented by that median.
Free online boat appraisal
Get the number for your exact boat
Our free boat value estimator compares your make, model, year and condition against live asking prices from boats for sale across the US, including repowered and refitted examples, and gives you a realistic private-sale range in seconds. No account, no obligation.
What's my boat worth?When to sell, and when not to
Sell now if the boat is not being used. A boat that sits loses value every year through the slow deterioration described above — stale fuel, dried impellers and seals, sun on the vinyl, storage fees — and there is no appreciation waiting for an ordinary hull. Every season it sits is a season of depreciation you are paying for without using.
Time it to the season. Boat buying peaks from late February through June as buyers plan for summer; a second, smaller window opens at end-of-season sales in September when dealers clear inventory. Listing in late winter with photos taken on the water the previous summer catches the most buyers with the most competition for your boat. Listing in November means waiting out the winter with the boat on your storage bill.
Sell before the big service bill. If the outdrive needs bellows and a gimbal bearing, the outboard is due for a 300-hour service, or the trailer needs brakes, decide whether you want to pay for it or price around it. Small, visible items (an impeller, new batteries, a detail) pay for themselves; a four-figure drivetrain job usually does not unless it makes the boat sellable at all.
Do not refit before sellingunless a marine surveyor or dealer has told you the work will return its cost. Do spend a weekend on a proper detail: compound and wax the hull, clean the bilge, wipe the engine bay, and treat the vinyl. It changes how the boat feels in the first minute of a buyer's visit, which is when most sales are decided.
Consider a dealer trade or consignment when the boat is worth more than about $40,000 and you would rather not host strangers and sea trials. You will net less than a private sale, but a dealer handles financing, surveys and paperwork. Below that level a private listing with honest photos and a price set from real comparables sells fastest.
Guide
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Photos that sell, pricing it from comparables, sea trials and surveys, and closing safely with a stranger.
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Common questions about boat value
How much is a used pontoon boat worth?
Most used two-tube pontoons from the 2000s–2010s sell for $10,000–$30,000; a late-model tritoon with a 150 hp or larger outboard from Bennington, Harris, Crest or a similar brand runs $35,000–$90,000; luxury twin-engine tritoons can pass $120,000. Older 1990s pontoons in fair shape often bring $4,000–$10,000. The live median asking price for pontoons on US Marine Connection is in the type table above.
How much is a used center console worth?
Entry-level used center consoles under 22 feet typically sell for $20,000–$55,000; well-equipped 23- to 26-foot boats from Grady-White, Boston Whaler, Sportsman or Robalo $70,000–$180,000 depending on age and hours; and larger offshore center consoles with two or three outboards run from $200,000 to well past $500,000. The engines are most of the value at every size.
How much is a used bowrider worth?
Older sterndrive bowriders from Bayliner, Sea Ray, Stingray and Crownline sell for $5,000–$25,000; mid-2010s boats $20,000–$50,000; and late-model outboard bowriders and Yamaha jet boats $30,000–$90,000. Soft floors and neglected outdrives push older boats toward the bottom of each range.
How much is a used wake boat worth?
First-generation V-drive wake boats from the 2000s (Malibu Wakesetter, MasterCraft X-series, Moomba, Supra) typically bring $25,000–$65,000; Surf Gate and Gen 2 era boats from 2015 onward $60,000–$150,000; and flagship Malibu M-series and MasterCraft XStar models $130,000–$200,000. Hours under ballast, actuator condition and sun damage to the vinyl set the price.
How much is a used jet ski or WaveRunner worth?
Recreation personal watercraft (Yamaha VX and EX, Sea-Doo GTI and Spark) typically sell for $4,000–$11,000 used; supercharged performance craft (Yamaha FX and GP, Sea-Doo RXP-X and RXT-X) $8,000–$18,000. Hours, hull scrapes and a matching trailer decide where a craft lands. The live PWC median on this page comes from current listings.
How much is a Sea Ray boat worth?
Sea Ray's spread is wide because the lineup runs from 18-foot runabouts to 40-foot cruisers. A 1990s–2000s sterndrive bowrider is $5,000–$25,000; a Sundancer 260–320 from the same era $25,000–$90,000; and late-model SLX and SDX dayboats or outboard Sundancers $150,000–$450,000. See the brand table above for what Sea Rays are asking right now.
Are old boats worth anything?
It depends almost entirely on the hull and the engine. A classic Boston Whaler, a Grady-White or Lund with a repower, or a clean direct-drive ski boat is worth real money at any age. A 25-year-old volume-built runabout with a tired sterndrive and a soft floor usually has more sentimental than market value — often $500–$3,000, and much of that is the trailer.
How do I get a boat appraisal online?
Use the free instant boat appraisal on this site: enter the make, model, year and condition (engine hours and engine year help) and you get a value range in seconds based on live asking prices from comparable boats for sale across the US. For an insurance, financing or estate valuation you will need a marine surveyor's written report, which typically costs a few hundred dollars for a trailerable boat and more for a cruiser.
Does repowering a boat increase its value?
Usually yes. A new outboard on a sound hull recovers most of its cost and makes the boat dramatically easier to sell, because the engine is what buyers fear. Cosmetic refits are less certain: new upholstery, canvas and electronics improve saleability but rarely return their full cost. A bottom job, a fresh impeller and a detailed engine bay before listing are cheap and almost always pay for themselves.
Why do dealers ask more than my appraisal says?
Dealer asking prices include prep, a shop inspection, often a warranty or a trailer, financing and a showroom, and they are negotiable. A private sale realistically settles below dealer asking for the same boat. Our appraisal shows you both: the dealer comparables and a realistic private-sale range, so you can price for a fast sale or a top-dollar one.
Brand and type values on this page are computed from live listings on US Marine Connection and refresh hourly; the ranges in the text are our editorial read of the US used-boat market in 2026. Neither is a formal marine survey or appraisal. Ready to sell? Read how to sell your boat or list it free.