Best Summer Travel Destinations

Adam McCann, Financial WriterMay 17, 2022

Adam McCann, Financial Writer
May 17, 2022

While the COVID-19 pandemic put many Americans’ summer travel plans on hold during the past two years, travel is much safer and much more feasible this year due to vaccines and the lack of restrictions. In fact, nearly 80% of American travelers plan to take a trip in 2022. 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 after the financial difficulties of the pandemic. Regardless, 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 43 key indicators. Our data set ranges from the cost of the cheapest flight to the number of attractions to COVID-19 cases.

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	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL Metro Area	69.97	35	25	6	62	1	8
2	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area	67.10	9	76	13	19	12	15
3	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metro Area	66.84	18	50	25	40	10	2
4	Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX Metro Area	64.37	32	27	11	21	23	38
5	Salt Lake City, UT Metro Area	63.85	5	72	32	11	31	32
6	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metro Area	63.51	28	94	2	49	9	18
7	Urban Honolulu, HI Metro Area	63.16	11	98	19	1	2	33
8	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metro Area	62.97	3	59	31	75	20	14
9	Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Metro Area	62.95	2	28	34	48	13	72
10	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metro Area	62.06	29	6	20	38	38	55
11	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL Metro Area	61.94	55	77	14	67	3	10
12	Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area	61.84	66	16	61	3	14	37
13	Raleigh-Cary, NC Metro Area	61.43	49	18	41	22	59	23
14	Jacksonville, FL Metro Area	61.14	60	19	29	61	25	16
15	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metro Area	61.10	12	69	18	42	19	51
16	Oklahoma City, OK Metro Area	60.91	27	4	44	17	80	48
17	Tulsa, OK Metro Area	59.67	51	2	60	18	78	44
18	Knoxville, TN Metro Area	59.65	36	7	75	36	50	54
19	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Metro Area	59.58	30	96	7	80	5	6
20	St. Louis, MO-IL Metro Area	59.56	63	21	28	12	24	66
21	El Paso, TX Metro Area	59.42	76	13	73	10	76	12
22	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Metro Area	59.32	31	12	65	9	83	74
23	Columbia, SC Metro Area	59.11	42	9	68	28	63	64
24	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metro Area	58.87	50	85	4	66	7	77
25	New Orleans-Metairie, LA Metro Area	58.62	62	60	15	39	18	49
26	Springfield, MO Metro Area	58.52	8	38	64	27	69	82
27	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA Metro Area	58.45	15	32	17	15	11	98
28	Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL Metro Area	58.43	33	29	99	45	79	7
29	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA Metro Area	58.38	16	92	63	7	73	13
30	Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL Metro Area	58.22	34	74	70	N/A	15	9
31	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area	58.15	67	22	21	41	32	47
32	Pittsburgh, PA Metro Area	58.05	26	66	37	71	27	25
33	Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area	57.89	13	57	54	76	52	31
34	Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Metro Area	57.86	80	36	40	16	36	28
35	Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI Metro Area	57.51	7	46	45	79	39	41
36	Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA Metro Area	57.29	68	43	69	44	37	20
37	Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metro Area	57.23	21	58	16	70	21	76
38	Lafayette, LA Metro Area	57.04	19	37	83	47	87	43
39	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN Metro Area	57.00	81	42	22	6	42	53
40	Wichita, KS Metro Area	56.91	47	5	78	33	89	60
41	Richmond, VA Metro Area	56.80	25	47	47	32	30	89
42	Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metro Area	56.68	54	3	66	29	99	78
43	Fresno, CA Metro Area	56.47	52	82	72	2	85	21
44	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metro Area	56.24	93	83	1	55	4	59
45	Dayton-Kettering, OH Metro Area	55.69	6	14	88	65	67	90
46	Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metro Area	55.67	53	80	59	26	34	36
47	Columbus, OH Metro Area	55.46	74	31	56	20	57	39
48	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA Metro Area	55.44	10	95	5	95	8	27
49	Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA Metro Area	55.24	72	89	30	31	45	11
50	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metro Area	54.87	85	41	26	23	47	40
51	Greenville-Anderson, SC Metro Area	54.87	24	24	55	N/A	17	85
52	Kansas City, MO-KS Metro Area	54.84	61	8	35	37	68	80
53	Albuquerque, NM Metro Area	54.71	38	17	36	5	41	99
54	Tucson, AZ Metro Area	54.24	22	61	23	57	33	94
55	Madison, WI Metro Area	54.09	14	53	49	87	40	70
56	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metro Area	54.02	70	48	27	43	49	61
57	Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN Metro Area	54.00	83	35	38	52	54	26
58	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metro Area	53.98	92	11	9	50	28	73
59	Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL Metro Area	53.84	69	34	100	59	91	4
60	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Metro Area	53.40	58	33	52	56	62	69
61	Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY Metro Area	53.36	20	55	57	82	46	58
62	Corpus Christi, TX Metro Area	53.27	59	23	81	34	70	79
63	Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR Metro Area	53.24	41	20	90	25	92	92
64	Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV Metro Area	53.23	86	79	3	77	6	86
65	Akron, OH Metro Area	53.22	39	49	79	74	96	42
66	Toledo, OH Metro Area	52.86	43	30	76	63	90	67
67	Chattanooga, TN-GA Metro Area	52.80	82	40	51	14	51	83
68	Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT Metro Area	52.64	40	62	92	68	74	50
69	Greensboro-High Point, NC Metro Area	52.23	65	45	77	35	88	65
70	Boise City, ID Metro Area	51.15	78	75	48	30	64	57
71	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metro Area	50.68	37	93	43	88	56	19
72	Colorado Springs, CO Metro Area	50.64	46	71	33	78	66	71
73	Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metro Area	50.63	75	56	80	N/A	77	22
74	Portland-South Portland, ME Metro Area	50.61	23	84	42	93	22	34
75	North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL Metro Area	50.38	79	73	91	N/A	71	5
76	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metro Area	50.27	73	87	10	90	16	46
77	Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metro Area	50.23	71	44	46	13	82	95
78	Cleveland-Elyria, OH Metro Area	50.14	91	54	39	51	44	52
79	Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL Metro Area	49.83	95	67	98	64	43	1
80	Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metro Area	49.69	87	63	87	60	61	29
81	Rochester, NY Metro Area	49.53	64	68	50	85	35	68
82	Baton Rouge, LA Metro Area	49.04	98	15	62	46	53	56
83	Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA Metro Area	48.65	1	100	89	91	60	17
84	Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA Metro Area	48.33	17	70	53	89	81	87
85	Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA Metro Area	48.19	57	86	95	81	93	24
86	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area	48.19	77	91	12	73	29	75
87	Syracuse, NY Metro Area	47.93	48	65	67	84	55	91
88	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metro Area	47.89	4	97	8	94	26	81
89	Bakersfield, CA Metro Area	47.08	90	90	82	4	98	30
90	Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Metro Area	46.93	97	39	86	53	95	35
91	Lexington-Fayette, KY Metro Area	45.40	89	51	58	54	84	88
92	McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX Metro Area	44.85	100	1	94	58	97	84
93	Jackson, MS Metro Area	44.82	84	10	97	8	100	96
94	Birmingham-Hoover, AL Metro Area	44.09	88	78	71	24	72	93
95	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metro Area	43.61	96	64	74	86	75	45
96	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metro Area	42.38	94	88	84	69	58	62
97	Lansing-East Lansing, MI Metro Area	42.12	99	26	93	82	94	63
98	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Metro Area	41.59	56	81	85	72	65	97
99	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA Metro Area	41.37	45	99	96	95	86	3
100	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Metro Area	41.29	44	52	24	92	48	100

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. Cincinnati, OH
3. Minneapolis, MN
4. Seattle, WA
5. Salt Lake City, UT

Highest Costs & Most Hassles

Highest Costs & Most Hassles
96. Albany, NY
97. Des Moines, IA
98. Baton Rouge, LA
99. Lansing, MI
100. McAllen, TX

Local Costs

Lowest Costs

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

Highest Costs

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

Attractions

Most

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

Fewest

Fewest
96. Akron, OH
97. McAllen, TX
98. Bakersfield, CA
99. Augusta, GA
100. Jackson, MS

Safety

Most Safe

Most Safe
1. Cape Coral, FL
2. Tampa, FL
3. Oxnard, CA
4. Deltona, FL
5. North Port, FL

Least Safe

Least Safe
96. Jackson, MS
97. Providence, RI
98. Atlanta, CA
99. Albuquerque, NM
100. Phoenix, AZ

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 2022 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?
How will the vaccine rollout help traveling this summer?

Ask the Experts

Min Park
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Academic Program Coordinator of Tourism and Events Management, School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management – George Mason University
Read More

Joshua Roe
Lecturer, School of Community Resources & Development, Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions – Arizona State University
Read More

Jan Louise Jones
Ph.D. – Lecturer, Coordinator for Hospitality and Tourism Management, Hospitality & Tourism Department, Pompea College of Business – University of New Haven
Read More

Jeffery C. Kreeger
Ph.D., CHIA – Director of Tourism & Hospitality Studies – Central Connecticut State University
Read More

Eve Marie Ruhlman
M.S. – Instructor, Department of Hospitality, Recreation & Tourism – California State University - East Bay
Read More

Jukka M. Laitamaki
Ph.D. – Clinical Professor – New York University, School of Professional Studies, Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality
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 43 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 4 and selected July 8 as the departure date and July 18 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: 16

Cost of Cheapest Flight: 30% (~4.80 Points)
Duration of Cheapest Flight: 10% (~1.60 Points)
Number of Connections on Cheapest Flight: 5% (~0.80 Points)
Cost of Shortest Flight: 30% (~4.80 Points)
Duration of Shortest Flight: 10% (~1.60 Points)
Number of Connections on Shortest Flight: 5% (~0.80 Points)
Share of Delayed Flights: 10% (~1.60 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: 16

Cost of Living: 26.77% (~4.28 Points)
Average Gas Prices: 26.77% (~4.28 Points)
Lowest Nightly Rate for Three-Star Hotel Room: 26.77% (~4.28 Points)
Average Price of Two-Person Meal: 19.69% (~3.17 Points)

Attractions - Total Points: 16

Number of Attractions: 50% (~8.00 Points)
Diversity of Attractions: 50% (~8.00 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: 16

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

Activities - Total Points: 16

Restaurants per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Prevalence of Affordable Restaurants with Ratings of 4.5+ Stars: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Amusement Parks per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Amusement Parks” List: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Note: Binary metric:
1 – City is present on Top 25 TripAdvisor Amusement Parks
0 – City is not present on Top 25 TripAdvisor Amusement Parks
Wellness & Spa Centers per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Retail Shopping Centers per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Music Venues per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Coffee & Tea Shops per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Ice-Cream & Frozen-Yogurt Shops per Capita*: 4.08% (~ 0.65 Points)
Tennis Courts per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Golf Courses and Country Clubs per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Baseball & Softball Diamonds per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Basketball Hoops per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Bike-Rental Facilities per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Food Festivals per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Quality of Parks: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Note: Based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Recreation” ranking.
Public Beaches per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Beaches” or “Top 25 Water Parks” List: 2.04% (~0.33 Points)
Note: Binary metric:
1 – City is present on Top 25 TripAdvisor Beaches or Water Parks
0 – City is not present on Top 25 TripAdvisor Beaches or Water Parks
Water Temperature: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Note: This metric was used as a proxy for cities located along a sea, ocean or lake.
Swimming Pools per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Water Parks per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Boat Tours & Water Sports per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Hiking Trails per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Beer Gardens per Capita*: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)
Time of Last Call: 4.08% (~0.65 Points)

Safety - Total Points: 20

Average Daily COVID-19 Deaths in the Past Week per Capita: 33.33% (~6.67 Points)
Average Daily COVID-19 Cases in the Past Week per Capita: 33.33% (~6.67 Points)
Violent-Crime Rate: 16.67% (~3.33 Points)
Property-Crime Rate: 16.67% (~3.33 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, Carnegie Mellon University – Delphi Group, the American Automobile Association, and WalletHub research.

Supporting Video Files:

Questions & Answers(1 question)

When are these polls taken? Who takes them? Some cities in this list don't even have kids activites in the downtown tourist area.

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