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June 6, 2025
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(June 6, 2025) -- Around 82% of Americans plan to travel this summer, but inflation may prompt people to cut back on their expenses and opt for a less extravagant trip. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need to travel far to have a great time. You might be surprised to find that your local cities can offer plenty of options for entertainment and relaxation at a great price point.

To determine the best places for a fun-filled yet wallet-friendly staycation, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 41 key metrics. Our dataset ranges from parks per capita to restaurant meal costs.

“It’s fun to visit an exotic location on vacation, but during rougher economic times, a staycation can save you a lot of money while being just as memorable. Not only do you avoid the cost of overnight accommodations and minimize travel costs, but you can also discover all kinds of fun activities close to home that you might not have tried out otherwise. Plus, you’ll feel more rested if you spend less time in transit and more time sleeping in your own bed.”

~ Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Main Findings

 Best Places for a Staycation

 

Overall Rank

  

City

 

Total Score

  

Recreation Rank

  

Food & Entertainment Rank

  

Rest & Relaxation Rank
1 Cincinnati, OH 65.24 8 10 5
2 Orlando, FL 64.63 25 1 12
3 Las Vegas, NV 63.94 12 3 14
4 Honolulu, HI 60.56 1 16 125
5 Chicago, IL 59.92 5 17 71
6 St. Louis, MO 59.39 51 2 25
7 Tampa, FL 58.72 34 13 20
8 Salt Lake City, UT 58.53 7 22 49
9 Atlanta, GA 58.41 14 9 86
10 San Diego, CA 57.80 13 19 41
11 Portland, ME 57.68 2 43 89
12 Tucson, AZ 57.51 23 27 16
13 Scottsdale, AZ 57.14 44 31 1
14 New Orleans, LA 57.14 35 4 77
15 Denver, CO 56.63 11 25 63
16 Portland, OR 56.61 24 6 97
17 Pittsburgh, PA 56.55 41 11 58
18 Charleston, SC 55.50 37 28 32
19 Albuquerque, NM 54.93 42 26 27
20 Philadelphia, PA 54.89 9 23 108
21 Columbia, SC 54.18 149 21 9
22 San Francisco, CA 53.82 6 7 170
23 Shreveport, LA 53.46 146 51 3
24 Houston, TX 53.45 26 8 136
25 New York, NY 52.92 4 57 144
26 Fort Lauderdale, FL 52.89 3 49 133
27 Richmond, VA 52.39 30 20 98
28 Springfield, MO 52.38 159 60 7
29 Austin, TX 52.07 29 12 139
30 Chattanooga, TN 51.90 59 46 44
31 Louisville, KY 51.73 43 47 48
32 St. Petersburg, FL 51.24 36 55 75
33 Milwaukee, WI 51.16 19 18 137
34 Seattle, WA 51.12 21 15 149
35 Burlington, VT 51.01 18 74 84
36 Boise, ID 50.93 45 66 54
37 Knoxville, TN 50.82 89 37 46
38 Overland Park, KS 50.76 105 112 11
39 Omaha, NE 50.70 39 61 67
40 Reno, NV 50.56 74 50 18
41 Virginia Beach, VA 50.32 49 107 23
42 Los Angeles, CA 50.18 16 48 129
43 Tulsa, OK 50.16 84 85 2
44 Missoula, MT 50.12 58 121 21
45 Tempe, AZ 50.00 27 53 107
46 Wilmington, DE 49.79 69 56 73
47 Washington, DC 49.69 10 24 172
48 Fort Smith, AR 49.50 131 145 4
49 Miami, FL 49.27 33 5 175
50 Rochester, NY 49.17 52 38 114
51 Minneapolis, MN 49.10 40 58 101
52 Amarillo, TX 49.01 171 83 13
53 Billings, MT 48.98 112 68 47
54 El Paso, TX 48.89 110 29 24
55 Mobile, AL 48.64 152 63 38
56 Plano, TX 48.32 55 105 52
57 San Antonio, TX 48.24 79 14 117
58 Rapid City, SD 48.20 93 75 43
59 Birmingham, AL 48.12 134 33 82
60 Henderson, NV 48.10 75 99 15
61 Cleveland, OH 48.09 53 36 116
62 Huntsville, AL 47.96 145 97 30
63 Kansas City, MO 47.85 104 30 72
64 Sacramento, CA 47.79 63 32 109
65 Jackson, MS 47.53 179 118 6
66 Vancouver, WA 47.43 98 87 60
67 Fayetteville, NC 47.33 180 98 17
68 Norfolk, VA 47.09 38 127 87
69 Columbus, OH 47.03 68 71 70
70 Oklahoma City, OK 46.91 121 52 19
71 Akron, OH 46.57 107 109 34
72 Lincoln, NE 46.50 82 86 42
73 Sioux Falls, SD 46.49 150 80 65
74 Colorado Springs, CO 46.30 78 45 94
75 Phoenix, AZ 46.29 66 62 93
75 Fargo, ND 46.28 140 90 51
77 Providence, RI 46.06 54 67 121
78 Ontario, CA 46.06 91 143 53
79 Augusta, GA 46.02 177 126 8
80 Jacksonville, FL 45.89 32 78 138
81 Nashville, TN 45.85 71 44 113
82 Gulfport, MS 45.75 102 114 55
83 Cape Coral, FL 45.46 60 152 50
84 Baton Rouge, LA 45.26 81 54 99
85 Spokane, WA 45.15 92 95 40
86 Las Cruces, NM 45.09 123 141 28
87 Grand Rapids, MI 44.99 72 84 112
88 Bakersfield, CA 44.97 169 79 10
89 Buffalo, NY 44.92 56 59 141
90 Corpus Christi, TX 44.83 94 102 57
91 Nampa, ID 44.46 136 164 21
92 Dallas, TX 44.32 62 69 123
93 Boston, MA 44.21 14 40 180
94 Winston-Salem, NC 44.12 142 81 35
95 Bismarck, ND 43.94 83 115 92
96 Indianapolis, IN 43.88 99 39 120
97 Glendale, AZ 43.83 111 101 64
98 Fort Worth, TX 43.76 130 92 29
99 Riverside, CA 43.64 124 111 31
100 Madison, WI 43.61 20 94 171
101 Raleigh, NC 43.57 95 41 126
102 Salem, OR 43.56 153 96 85
103 Cedar Rapids, IA 43.27 151 117 76
104 St. Paul, MN 43.17 47 72 162
105 Greensboro, NC 43.05 139 65 66
106 Mesa, AZ 43.05 100 106 68
107 Modesto, CA 42.97 156 103 83
108 Fort Wayne, IN 42.97 147 82 61
109 Chandler, AZ 42.81 129 93 56
110 Columbus, GA 42.76 178 108 59
111 Tacoma, WA 42.58 116 77 122
112 Toledo, OH 42.56 96 100 88
113 Peoria, AZ 42.37 90 148 81
114 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 42.13 175 142 36
115 Lexington-Fayette, KY 42.02 133 89 79
116 Newport News, VA 41.92 167 140 69
117 Montgomery, AL 41.87 173 122 80
118 Stockton, CA 41.82 122 139 39
119 Lubbock, TX 41.79 172 113 26
120 Pembroke Pines, FL 41.69 65 160 106
121 South Burlington, VT 41.58 57 149 127
122 Huntington Beach, CA 41.54 28 137 146
123 Charlotte, NC 41.38 103 34 153
124 Anchorage, AK 41.04 48 73 176
125 Dover, DE 40.69 80 165 103
126 Moreno Valley, CA 40.55 174 159 37
127 North Las Vegas, NV 40.52 137 157 33
128 Baltimore, MD 40.51 64 42 177
129 Fontana, CA 40.41 135 162 78
130 Aurora, IL 40.35 73 167 102
131 Cheyenne, WY 40.30 143 154 90
132 Irvine, CA 40.17 46 136 160
133 Nashua, NH 40.16 88 169 96
134 Tallahassee, FL 40.06 164 76 140
135 Durham, NC 40.05 125 64 131
136 Casper, WY 39.71 126 104 142
137 Memphis, TN 39.70 120 70 143
138 Detroit, MI 39.65 86 88 156
139 Wichita, KS 39.64 141 35 145
140 Brownsville, TX 39.62 176 168 45
141 Garden Grove, CA 39.45 22 146 158
142 Long Beach, CA 39.43 70 91 168
143 Fresno, CA 39.25 154 116 74
144 Arlington, TX 39.21 119 124 104
145 Gilbert, AZ 39.18 161 134 62
146 Oxnard, CA 38.98 106 170 100
147 Charleston, WV 38.84 165 119 134
148 San Bernardino, CA 38.73 170 131 110
149 Little Rock, AR 38.46 160 110 135
150 Aurora, CO 38.31 117 120 132
151 Worcester, MA 38.08 109 147 130
152 Glendale, CA 37.83 31 155 165
153 Chesapeake, VA 37.61 97 156 128
154 Columbia, MD 37.54 166 174 91
155 Manchester, NH 36.90 158 158 118
156 West Valley City, UT 36.84 50 181 95
157 Grand Prairie, TX 36.68 113 177 115
158 Oceanside, CA 36.60 67 166 148
159 San Jose, CA 36.49 76 138 166
160 Warwick, RI 36.30 77 151 157
161 Santa Rosa, CA 35.73 87 161 152
162 Lewiston, ME 35.57 132 179 111
163 Laredo, TX 35.40 115 173 124
164 Des Moines, IA 35.22 155 125 147
165 Garland, TX 35.09 138 135 151
166 Juneau, AK 35.07 17 133 182
167 Port St. Lucie, FL 34.99 181 130 105
168 Jersey City, NJ 34.51 127 128 167
169 Huntington, WV 34.21 101 171 150
170 Bridgeport, CT 33.84 61 172 163
171 Newark, NJ 33.84 118 153 159
172 Santa Clarita, CA 33.73 162 163 119
173 New Haven, CT 32.81 148 132 174
174 Anaheim, CA 32.40 157 123 169
175 Santa Ana, CA 32.27 128 144 173
176 Oakland, CA 31.71 85 129 181
177 Irving, TX 31.64 168 150 155
178 Hialeah, FL 31.48 108 176 164
179 Chula Vista, CA 29.01 163 178 154
180 Pearl City, HI 28.44 182 180 161
181 Fremont, CA 27.22 144 175 179
182 Yonkers, NY 25.55 114 182 178

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

In-Depth Look at the Best Cities for Staycations

Cincinnati, OH

Cincinnati is an ideal city for staycations, particularly for outdoor enthusiasts. The city boasts a vast array of parks, swimming pools, and baseball fields to keep residents entertained and active.

In addition, Cincinnati ranks among the best cities in terms of the prevalence of affordable restaurants with at least 4.5 out of 5 stars. After all, most people don’t want to cook for themselves or do dishes while taking a staycation. The city also features many beer gardens and ice cream shops for those seeking to satisfy their cravings for alcohol and dessert.

To top things off, Cincinnati has a relatively low cost of hiring a maid for a house cleaning, at around $92, so after you’re done with a fun day trip, you can come home to a clean house without having to do any of the work.

Orlando, FL

Orlando, FL, is the second-best city for a staycation, thanks to its numerous attractions and activities. Orlando has an extremely high number of amusement parks, water parks, nightlife activities, festivals, zoos and arcades per capita, so it’s easy to fill a week with different fun outings every day.

Orlando is also a great place to eat out, with plenty of affordable restaurants rated at least 4.5 stars out of 5 and very diverse restaurant types. There are also lots of ice cream shops for dessert during the hot summer.

Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas is the third-best city for a staycation. The city offers plenty of opportunities to play golf or basketball, swim, hike, or rent bikes, so you can enjoy the outdoor scenery while staying active.

It is also no surprise that Las Vegas has a large number of casinos, if you're willing to try your luck, and plenty of arcades, making it an exciting destination for both adventure seekers and those looking to indulge in some nostalgic fun.

Finally, Las Vegas has a lot of affordable, good-quality restaurants, and it boasts a high number of spas, which are a great day trip idea during a staycation. s.

Methodology 

In order to determine the best staycation spots, WalletHub compared 182 U.S. cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Recreation, 2) Food & Entertainment and 3) Rest & Relaxation.

We evaluated those dimensions 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 staycationers. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), the square root of the population was used to calculate the “Number of Residents” in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities.

We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Recreation – Total Points: 33.33

  1. Public Golf Courses per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  2. Tennis Courts per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  3. Swimming Pools per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  4. Basketball Hoops per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  5. Baseball & Softball Diamonds per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  6. Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  7. Playgrounds per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  8. Walk Score: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  9. Bike Score: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  10. Bike Rental Facilities per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  11. Hiking Trails per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  12. Shopping Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  13. Water & Amusement Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  14. Boat Tours & Water Sports per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.30 Points)

  15. Miles of Bicycle Lanes, Paths & Routes per Square Mile: Half Weight (~1.15 Points)

Food & Entertainment – Total Points: 33.33

  1. Movie Costs: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  2. Average Price for Two Tickets to the Theater: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  3. Bowling Costs: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  4. Average Cocktail Price: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  5. Nightlife Options per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  6. Casinos per Capita*: Half Weight (~0.85 Points)

  7. Festivals per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  8. Museums per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  9. Zoos & Aquariums per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  10. Paintball Fields per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  11. Arcades per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  12. Presence on TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Amusement Parks or Water Parks” List: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)
    Note: This metric measures the presence and prevalence of a city in TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Amusement Parks or Water Parks” List.

  13. Theaters & Concert Halls per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  14. Coffee & Tea Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  15. Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  16. Beer Gardens per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  17. Restaurants per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  18. Restaurant-Meal Costs: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  19. Prevalence of Affordable Restaurants with 4.5+ Stars: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

  20. Diversity of Restaurants: Full Weight (~1.71 Points)

Rest & Relaxation – Total Points: 33.33

  1. Cost of House-Cleaning Service: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)

  2. Spas & Wellness Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)

  3. Massage Costs: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)

  4. Beauty-Salon Costs: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)

  5. Public Beaches per Capita*: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)

  6. Idealness of Summer Weather: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
    Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking.

Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking.

Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of May 12, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, The Trust for Public Land, League of American Bicyclists, Walk Score, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Expatistan, Numbeo, MassageBook, GolfLink, Areavibes, Thumbtack and WalletHub research.

 

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