2023’s Best Summer Travel Destinations

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterMay 16, 2023

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer
May 16, 2023

Inflation may be putting a strain on people’s finances, but it’s not dampening their summer plans. In fact, nearly 85% of Americans plan to travel this summer, with 44% taking more than one trip. The only question is: Where should you go? You might have a few destinations already in mind, but your travel budget might not agree, especially with how pricy gas and airline tickets can be. It’s ideal to have fun while keeping your spending in check.

So which places offer the most bang for the buck? To find out, WalletHub developed a ranking of the cheapest U.S. destinations that are also the easiest to reach. In total, we analyzed 100 of the largest metro areas across 41 key indicators. Our data set ranges from the cost of the cheapest flight to the number of attractions to the average price of a two-person meal.

Compared with other rankings that focus on each destination’s scenic quality, this report focuses primarily on the cost and convenience of traveling to each location as well as its affordability. However, it does take into account the number of attractions and variety of activities in each destination to ensure visitors will stay busy and entertained throughout the trip. As you plan your trip, make sure to check out WalletHub’s Best Travel Credit Cards and Currency Exchange reports.

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best Places to Visit in Summer

Rank	Destination (Metro Area)	Total Score	Travel Costs & Hassles	Local Costs	Attractions	Weather	Activities	Safety
1	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA Metro Area	66.63	9	20	16	15	8	55
2	Urban Honolulu, HI Metro Area	65.33	6	96	18	1	2	4
3	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area	64.07	21	78	15	19	17	2
4	Wichita, KS Metro Area	63.50	7	6	76	33	91	5
5	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metro Area	63.22	27	83	2	66	7	25
6	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metro Area	62.41	36	76	3	55	5	59
7	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metro Area	62.12	19	43	24	40	12	24
8	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL Metro Area	62.03	37	46	6	62	1	51
9	Richmond, VA Metro Area	60.92	24	22	43	32	26	23
10	Springfield, MO Metro Area	59.92	4	5	72	27	65	94
11	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metro Area	59.66	22	9	21	38	35	80
12	Salt Lake City, UT Metro Area	59.35	3	71	32	11	30	85
13	Greenville-Anderson, SC Metro Area	59.07	13	17	59	N/A	14	42
14	Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX Metro Area	58.12	69	23	10	21	18	49
15	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metro Area	58.00	23	75	19	42	15	52
16	Oklahoma City, OK Metro Area	57.73	33	1	49	17	83	77
17	Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area	57.65	8	25	51	76	54	27
18	El Paso, TX Metro Area	57.61	56	16	65	10	52	18
19	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metro Area	57.55	26	93	1	49	13	66
20	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metro Area	57.21	49	36	34	75	23	1
21	St. Louis, MO-IL Metro Area	56.95	57	12	28	12	33	70
22	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL Metro Area	56.78	28	80	14	67	6	61
23	Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area	56.76	42	50	41	22	58	17
24	Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV Metro Area	56.43	77	62	4	77	3	65
25	Pittsburgh, PA Metro Area	56.21	31	45	40	71	25	20
26	Dayton-Kettering, OH Metro Area	56.12	5	35	89	65	75	39
27	Tulsa, OK Metro Area	55.88	32	4	61	18	71	92
28	Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metro Area	55.81	16	82	57	26	32	40
29	Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Metro Area	55.67	63	49	37	48	11	14
30	Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Metro Area	55.40	83	24	35	16	41	8
31	Knoxville, TN Metro Area	55.27	66	7	80	36	29	46
32	Jacksonville, FL Metro Area	54.54	59	15	27	61	20	68
33	Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area	54.34	81	51	60	3	10	67
34	New Orleans-Metairie, LA Metro Area	54.23	53	61	13	39	21	84
35	Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metro Area	54.17	64	2	63	29	100	54
36	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metro Area	54.01	40	33	17	70	16	86
37	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Metro Area	53.96	14	98	7	80	4	32
38	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metro Area	53.90	75	8	9	50	31	87
39	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Metro Area	53.85	20	52	50	56	61	60
40	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Metro Area	53.81	34	21	75	9	80	98
41	Tucson, AZ Metro Area	53.73	25	70	23	57	38	74
42	Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA Metro Area	53.23	41	26	73	44	46	64
43	Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY Metro Area	53.08	10	60	53	82	50	44
44	Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Metro Area	52.77	2	69	45	79	36	78
45	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area	52.56	86	32	20	41	27	50
46	Syracuse, NY Metro Area	52.54	18	64	71	84	55	33
47	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metro Area	52.53	71	27	26	23	48	69
48	Columbia, SC Metro Area	52.08	55	13	69	28	69	91
49	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN Metro Area	51.56	80	53	22	6	49	79
50	Lafayette, LA Metro Area	51.08	45	34	84	47	90	57
51	Chattanooga, TN-GA Metro Area	50.29	74	40	56	14	47	89
52	Columbus, OH Metro Area	50.25	88	30	58	20	57	37
53	Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT Metro Area	49.99	29	74	93	68	87	30
54	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA Metro Area	49.84	35	92	66	7	76	58
55	Boise City, ID Metro Area	49.69	94	56	48	30	63	12
56	Madison, WI Metro Area	49.62	47	66	47	87	42	19
57	Albuquerque, NM Metro Area	49.51	73	39	39	5	44	99
58	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area	49.45	60	91	12	73	28	10
59	Greensboro-High Point, NC Metro Area	49.14	65	18	82	35	88	72
60	Cleveland-Elyria, OH Metro Area	49.01	87	44	38	51	45	36
61	Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL Metro Area	48.97	39	68	64	N/A	24	53
62	Corpus Christi, TX Metro Area	48.83	51	29	79	34	67	97
63	Jackson, MS Metro Area	48.80	90	14	97	8	99	34
64	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Metro Area	48.79	50	72	77	72	62	16
65	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metro Area	48.11	95	47	86	60	59	9
66	Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA Metro Area	48.06	85	81	30	31	43	47
67	Portland-South Portland, ME Metro Area	47.90	30	90	44	93	19	6
68	Birmingham-Hoover, AL Metro Area	47.66	92	10	70	24	66	96
69	Akron, OH Metro Area	47.55	46	57	83	74	93	48
70	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metro Area	47.45	67	67	29	43	51	90
71	Lexington-Fayette, KY Metro Area	47.43	76	37	55	54	84	45
72	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metro Area	47.33	72	84	11	90	22	22
73	Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metro Area	47.23	48	65	78	N/A	74	13
74	Kansas City, MO-KS Metro Area	47.21	98	11	31	37	64	82
75	Colorado Springs, CO Metro Area	47.09	52	58	33	78	68	73
76	Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metro Area	47.07	79	19	46	13	78	100
77	Rochester, NY Metro Area	46.90	68	77	54	85	34	21
78	Fresno, CA Metro Area	46.79	58	87	67	2	89	81
79	Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL Metro Area	46.74	44	73	99	45	72	38
80	Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR Metro Area	46.41	70	28	91	25	94	93
81	Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN Metro Area	46.24	82	48	36	52	60	83
82	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA Metro Area	46.23	17	99	5	95	9	75
83	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metro Area	45.55	15	94	42	88	53	43
84	Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL Metro Area	45.48	61	42	100	59	92	29
85	Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA Metro Area	45.44	11	86	52	89	82	76
86	McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX Metro Area	45.20	99	3	90	58	95	28
87	Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA Metro Area	45.01	54	89	94	81	81	3
88	Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL Metro Area	44.97	96	55	98	64	37	11
89	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Metro Area	44.90	43	79	25	92	40	63
90	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metro Area	44.39	78	88	87	69	77	7
91	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metro Area	44.23	91	41	74	86	73	26
92	Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Metro Area	44.13	93	38	85	53	97	41
93	Toledo, OH Metro Area	43.89	84	59	81	63	85	62
94	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metro Area	43.38	12	97	8	94	39	71
95	Bakersfield, CA Metro Area	41.85	89	85	68	4	98	95
96	North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL Metro Area	41.84	62	63	95	N/A	79	31
97	Lansing-East Lansing, MI Metro Area	40.05	97	31	92	82	96	56
98	Baton Rouge, LA Metro Area	39.95	100	54	62	46	56	88
99	Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA Metro Area	39.59	1	100	88	91	70	35
100	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA Metro Area	34.71	38	95	96	95	86	15

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that metro area, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Travel Costs & Hassles

Lowest Costs & Fewest Hassles

Lowest Costs & Fewest Hassles
1. Santa Rosa, CA
2. Milwaukee, WI
3. Salt Lake City, UT
4. Springfield, MO
5. Dayton, OH

Highest Costs & Most Hassles

Highest Costs & Most Hassles
96. Cape Coral, FL
97. Lansing, MI
98. Kansas City, MO
99. McAllen, TX
100. Baton Rouge, LA

Local Costs

Lowest Costs

Lowest Costs
1. Oklahoma City, OK
2. Augusta, GA
3. McAllen, TX
4. Tulsa, OK
5. Springfield, MO

Highest Costs

Highest Costs
96. Honolulu, HI
97. Seattle, WA
98. San Diego, CA
99. San Francisco, CA
100. Santa Rosa, CA

Attractions

Most

Most
1. Los Angeles, CA
2. New York, NY
3. Chicago, IL
4. Las Vegas, NV
5. San Francisco, CA

Fewest

Fewest
96. Oxnard, CA
97. Jackson, MS
98. Cape Coral, FL
99. Palm Bay, FL
100. Deltona, FL

Activities

Most

Most
1. Orlando, FL
2. Honolulu, HI
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. San Diego, CA
5. Chicago, IL

Fewest

Fewest
96. Lansing, MI
97. Des Moines, IA
98. Bakersfield, CA
99. Jackson, MS
100. Augusta, GA

Safety

Most Safe

Most Safe
1. Minneapolis, MN
2. Washington, DC
3. Scranton, PA
4. Honolulu, HI
5. Wichita, KS

Least Safe

Least Safe
96. Birmingham, AL
97. Corpus Christi, TX
98. Little Rock, AR
99. Albuquerque, NM
100. Memphis, TN

Ask the Experts: Tips for Saving on Summer Travel

You shouldn’t have to wipe out your savings just to enjoy a nice summer vacation. For budget-friendly advice and other useful travel insight, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

What are your predictions for the 2023 summer travel season (percent of Americans traveling; most popular destinations; busiest travel times)?
Do you think the federal government should block airlines from overbooking flights?
What are the most costly travel mistakes?
In evaluating the best summer travel destinations, what are the top five indicators?
Will the current economic downturn affect traveling this summer?

Ask the Experts

Susan Weidmann
Ph.D., CHIA – Assistant Professor, Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education – Appalachian State University
Read More

Dan Plunkett
Ph.D. – Director - UWL Tourism Research Institute, Associate Professor, Recreation Management & Therapeutic Recreation – University of Wisconsin -- La Crosse
Read More

Mary Jo Ross
Ph.D., CSEP, CPCE, Associate Professor, College of Business – Slippery Rock University
Read More

Justin Taillon
Professor and Department Head, Hospitality & Tourism Management – Highline College
Read More

Ara Pachmayer
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, School of Applied Health – Cal Poly Humboldt
Read More

Suzanne Bagnera
Ph.D. – Director of the Hospitality Institute |Workforce Education Division – Indian River State College
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the best summer vacation spots, WalletHub compared 100 of the most populated metro areas (or Metropolitan Statistical Areas, as identified by the U.S. Census Bureau) across six key categories: 1) Travel Costs & Hassles, 2) Local Costs, 3) Attractions, 4) Weather, 5) Activities and 6) Safety.

We evaluated those categories using 41 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for summer travel. Metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were measured by the square root of the population.

For our flight analysis, we collected data on March 6 and selected July 6 as the departure date and July 16 as the return date for the following reasons: 1) July is the most popular month for summer travel, according to an AYTM vacations survey, and 2) the average American considers 10 days to be the perfect length for a vacation, according to American Express data.

Finally, we determined each metro area’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Travel Costs & Hassles - Total Points: 18

Cost of Cheapest Flight: 30% (~5.40 Points)
Duration of Cheapest Flight: 10% (~1.80 Points)
Number of Connections on Cheapest Flight: 5% (~0.90 Points)
Cost of Shortest Flight: 30% (~5.40 Points)
Duration of Shortest Flight: 10% (~1.80 Points)
Number of Connections on Shortest Flight: 5% (~0.90 Points)
Share of Delayed Flights: 10% (~1.80 Points)

To determine the cheapest flight, we compared the cost of a round-trip flight between each of the 100 destinations and the six largest U.S. airport hubs in the following cities:

Atlanta
Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Los Angeles
New York

To determine the shortest flight, we compared the departure and return flights and chose the longer of the two. For instance, if a departure flight from Washington to Los Angeles took five hours, whereas the return flight from Los Angeles to Washington lasted six, we chose the latter.

Considering the disparities in flight costs and travel times, we also chose the best deals for each metric within a $30 range or one-hour window. For example, if the cheapest round-trip flight from Washington to Los Angeles cost $700, whereas the second-cheapest flight cost $25 more but reduced the total travel time by two hours, we chose the latter. Similarly, if the shortest round-trip flight from Washington to Los Angeles took six hours each way, whereas the second-shortest took 25 minutes longer but saved the traveler $200, we again chose the latter.

Local Costs - Total Points: 18

Cost of Living: 26.73% (~4.81 Points)
Average Gas Prices: 26.73% (~4.81 Points)
Lowest Nightly Rate for Three-Star Hotel Room: 26.73% (~4.81 Points)
Average Price of Two-Person Meal: 19.80% (~3.56 Points)

Attractions - Total Points: 18

Number of Attractions: 50% (~9.00 Points)
Diversity of Attractions: 50% (~9.00 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, which is a commonly accepted measure of market concentration that also works effectively as a general-purpose measure of diversity.

Weather - Total Points: 18

Note: Based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking, penalizing the metro areas with extreme weather.

Activities - Total Points: 18

Restaurants per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Prevalence of Affordable Restaurants with Ratings of 4.5+ Stars: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Amusement Parks per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Amusement & Water Parks” List: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Note: Binary metric:
1 – City is present on Top 25 TripAdvisor Amusement & Water Parks
0 – City is not present on Top 25 TripAdvisor Amusement & Water Parks
Wellness & Spa Centers per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Retail Shopping Centers per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Music Venues per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Coffee & Tea Shops per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Ice-Cream & Frozen-Yogurt Shops per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Tennis Courts per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Golf Courses and Country Clubs per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Baseball & Softball Diamonds per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Basketball Hoops per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Bike-Rental Facilities per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Food Festivals per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Quality of Parks: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Note: Based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Recreation” ranking.
Public Beaches per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Beaches” List: 2.04% (~0.37 Points)
Note: Binary metric:
1 – City is present on Top 25 TripAdvisor Beaches
0 – City is not present on Top 25 TripAdvisor Beaches
Water Temperature: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Note: This metric was used as a proxy for cities located along a sea, ocean or lake.
Swimming Pools per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Water Parks per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Boat Tours & Water Sports per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Hiking Trails per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Beer Gardens per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)
Time of Last Call: 4.08% (~0.73 Points)

Safety - Total Points: 10

Violent-Crime Rate: 50% (~5.00 Points)
Property-Crime Rate: 50% (~5.00 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Numbeo, Kayak, TripAdvisor, Yelp, The Trust for Public Land, World Sea Temperature, American Automobile Association and WalletHub research.

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