Best Used Pontoon Boats Under $30,000

Where the prices come from

BoatsArena does not have listings up yet, so the used numbers below come from BoatVerdict, which collects asking prices from classified sites, removes reposted boats and publishes medians by model and by model year. Every figure is an asking price as of 14 Nov 2026, not a sale price. Some model years rest on three to five listings, and I flag those as thin. If a number looked unreliable to me, I left it out.

Start with what new boats cost. Boating's test of the 2025 Sun Tracker Party Barge 20 DLX listed a $30,995 base price. Sylvan's Mirage series starts at $31,772 and Starcraft's VX at $31,352, according to the builders. Every dollar under that ceiling buys you age, so the question is how much age, and on which boat.

Sun Tracker Party Barge 20 DLX

If you want the safest bet under $30,000, this is it. There are a lot of them, and BoatVerdict points out that prices are easy to compare because so many were sold as near-identical packages through Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's. Boating's test boat measured 21'11" overall with an 8'6" beam, a 32-gallon tank and a rating of 10 people or 1,370 pounds. It rides on 24-inch logs under a 3/4-inch treated plywood deck. With the maximum Mercury 115 Command Thrust it topped out at 31 mph and ran 12.7 mph at 3,000 rpm on 2.4 gallons an hour, which Boating figured at 5.3 mpg.

BoatVerdict had 34 priced 20 DLX listings across 15 states, with a median ask of $25,000 and the middle half between $19,000 and $29,500. By year, the 2014 median was $18,000 and the 2023 median was $27,500, so newer boats hold up well and the savings come from going back a few seasons. A 2018 or 2019 boat sat in the low to mid $20,000s, though each of those years had only four listings. Compare Sun Tracker boats for sale by state.

Sun Tracker 18 Party Barge DLX and 18 Bass Buggy DLX

Shorter boats cost less and are easier to tow and store. The 18 Party Barge DLX had 29 priced listings with a median ask of $19,000 and a middle range of $16,000 to $24,500. The 2020 model year was the best covered, with nine listings and a $22,000 median.

If you fish, the 18 Bass Buggy DLX is the one to look at. BoatVerdict had 40 priced listings with a median ask of $21,000 and most between $17,500 and $26,000. Even 2023 boats had a $26,000 median, so a late-model Bass Buggy fits the budget comfortably.

Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 DLX, if you need the room

Boating tested the 2026 Party Barge 22 DLX at 24'2" overall. With a Mercury 150 it hit 32 mph and cruised most efficiently at 16 mph on 3.5 gallons an hour. Boating put the price just under $40,000 with a Mercury 90, or just under $46,000 with the 150 including freight and prep. Boating notes the 2026 boat carries a 10-year bow-to-stern warranty and a lifetime warranty on the hull and deck.

Used, BoatVerdict's 17 priced listings had a median ask of $32,000 and a middle half from $23,500 to $36,000. You can get one under $30,000, but it will usually be an older boat or a smaller motor, so check what is hanging on the transom before you call.

Bennington SX and older S models

Bennington, founded in 1997 and based in Elkhart, Indiana, sits a tier above Sun Tracker. According to Boating, Bennington calls the SX its most popular line and the 22 SX Quad Bench its most popular model. A new one is a different price class: Boating's 2020 SX 22 Swingback test boat, with the SPS package of three 25-inch tubes and a Yamaha F150, came to $67,614. It ran close to 40 mph and got 4.6 mpg at 11.4 mph.

BoatVerdict's year-by-year medians show where the budget lands. The 2014 model year, with 15 listings, had a median ask of $19,000. The 2016 median was $29,000 on nine listings, and 2017 and 2018 jumped to $35,000 and $36,000. Under $30,000 you are mostly shopping 2016 and older, so the boat's history matters more than the badge. Keep in mind that many Benningtons on the market are tritoons, which changes the ride and the engine you can hang; I covered that in pontoon vs tritoon. See current Bennington listings.

Sylvan Mirage and Starcraft GX

Sylvan and Starcraft are sister brands under Smoker Craft, which also builds Smoker Craft, SunChaser and Starweld boats. Sylvan traces its pontoon history to 1948. Its value line, the Mirage, comes in lengths from 19' to 22'10" in the cruise and fish layouts, with up to 250 hp, and starts at $31,772. Used Sylvans are a thinner market. BoatVerdict had 49 live listings across the brand, with medians of $18,000 for 2016, $20,000 for 2017, $22,000 for 2019 and $24,000 for 2020. Most of those years had only three listings, 2020 had seven, so treat them as a rough guide. Browse Sylvan pontoons for sale.

Starcraft's GX is the rare case where a new boat fits the budget. Starcraft lists it from $23,970, in lengths from 16' to 22'10" on a 96-inch beam with a 150 hp maximum. The step-up VX starts at $31,352. I did not quote a used Starcraft price, because the brand's used data mixes in small aluminum fishing boats and the pontoon numbers get lost in it. Price a used Starcraft pontoon against a Sylvan of the same year and length instead. Check Starcraft listings.

Avalon and Manitou: usually a stretch

Avalon is based in Alma, Michigan, and its 2018 and 2019 model years both showed a median ask of $40,000 on BoatVerdict, on seven and five listings. A used Avalon under $30,000 will mostly be an older boat. The exception is Avalon's own entry line: the compact Venture starts at $24,790 with a motor, in lengths from 15 to 23 feet and 7.5- or 8-foot-wide floorplans. If your lake is small, a new Venture might beat a used boat. See Avalon pontoons for sale.

Manitou is known for its V-Toon design, which uses a larger 27-inch center tube set 1.25 inches below the outer tubes. Used prices run high. BoatVerdict's 2017 and 2020 medians were $40,000 and $36,000, each on just three listings. If you find one under $30,000, expect it to be older or to need work.

What to check on a used pontoon

Get down on the dock and look under the boat. Dents, weld patches and corrosion along the tube seams tell you how it was docked, beached and stored. Then walk the whole deck slowly, including the corners under the furniture, and feel for give. Rot in the plywood often costs more to fix than an older value pontoon is worth.

Lift every seat cushion and check the bases and hinges, check the Bimini frame for bends, and run the stereo, lights and bilge pump if it has one. On the motor, read the hours off the engine itself and ask for service receipts. Pontoon trailers get less attention than the boat, so spin the wheels, check the bearings and the bunks, and look at the tires' date codes. Then take it out for a sea trial with a full crew aboard if you can, since that is how you will actually use it.