Top 10 US Staycation Destinations

With travel costs rising as demand returns to pre-pandemic levels, many travelers will opt for a convenient staycation at some point in 2023. That could mean staying put in a major city or making a short trip from the nearby suburbs. The experts at Travel Lens recently analyzed 40 of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S., looking at factors such as safety, affordability, food, entertainment and climate to determine the best overall locations for a staycation in 2023.

Destinations' overall scores were based on the average cost of accommodations for a weekend night, the number of restaurants and attractions per 10,000 people, the average annual temperature and the total number of violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2021 (within the state). This year's top 10 includes a few surprises as well as perennial staycation favorites.