The 10 Best US Cities for a Summer Staycation

Royal Street in New Orleans. (Photo Credit: New Orleans & Company)

by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 8:00 PM ET, Tue June 6, 2023

10. New Orleans, Louisiana

1/10

New Orleans is tied for the most museums per capita and ranks 14th nationwide for both recreation and food and entertainment. When it comes to rest and relaxation, the Big Easy ranks a respectable 45th among the 182 cities analyzed.

9. Cincinnati, Ohio

2/10

Cincinnati is a surprising entry in the top 10, ranking sixth for recreation and seventh for food and entertainment in 2023. Interestingly, the Ohio city boasts the fifth-most swimming pools per capita.

8. San Diego, California

3/10

America's Finest City ranks as the nation's eighth-best summer staycation destination, finishing no worse than 29th in either of the three categories, including 11th for recreation, which takes into account factors such as public golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, parks, hiking trails and shopping centers per capita, among others.

7. Chicago, Illinois

4/10

Summertime in Chicago is tough to beat. The Windy City ranks ninth for recreation, boasting the third-most swimming pools per capita, according to WalletHub. The city's lakefront locale also means visitors can enjoy scenic parks and beaches this time of year.

6. Charleston, South Carolina

5/10

Charming Charleston, South Carolina is tied with New Orleans for the most museums per capita but visitors can also get outdoors to tour the city's scenic waterfront and take advantage of the nearby islands and beaches.

5. Salt Lake City, Utah

6/10

While ski season might be over, Salt Lake City still offers plenty of fun and relaxation for summer travelers, ranking eighth for recreation and 12th for rest and relaxation. Coffee and tea lovers will also be pleased to know that the Utah capital ranks first for most coffee and tea shops per capita.

4. Tampa, Florida

7/10

Tampa ranks sixth in the U.S. for rest and relaxation, which is better than any city in the top 10. The category considers factors such as spas, wellness centers and public beaches per capita, beauty, salon and massage costs, idealness of summer weather and the cost of house cleaning services.

3. Las Vegas, Nevada

8/10

Las Vegas is synonymous with entertainment so it's fitting the city ranks second in terms of food and entertainment. Sin City is unsurpassed when it comes to zoos and aquariums, spas and ice cream and yogurt shops per capita, tying for first in all three areas.

2. Orlando, Florida

9/10

The Theme Park Capital of the World ranks first for food and entertainment, tying for the most zoos and aquariums per capita, the most ice cream and frozen yogurt shops per capita, the most spas per capita and ranking fourth for the most coffee and tea shops per capita.

1. Honolulu, Hawaii

10/10

Ranking tops for recreation and 10th for food and entertainment, Honolulu is the number one summer staycation destination in the U.S. this year. The Hawaiian capital obviously isn't short on beautiful beaches but WalletHub also found that it's tied for the most spas per capita.

This summer is poised to be a busy one for travel as millions of Americans will head out on vacation. However, some may opt for a stay closer to home.

When it comes to the perfect summer staycation though, a handful of cities stand out. To determine the best places for an exciting yet wallet-friendly staycation, personal finance website WalletHub recently compared 182 U.S. cities across 42 key metrics, including factors such as parks and beer gardens per capita, restaurant meal costs and summer weather, among others.

The study looked at three categories—recreation, food and entertainment and rest and relaxation—and weighed them evenly. Total scores ranged from 23.02 (182nd) to 59.46 (First).

Here are the 10 cities that fared the best and emerged as the top U.S. cities for a summer staycation in 2023.