Best vacation cities

WalletHub - With nearly 72% of Americans expected to travel this summer despite significant inflation driving up travel costs, the personal-finance company WalletHub has released its report on the 2026’s Best & Worst Cities for Staycations, along with expert insights and commentary.

To determine the top destinations for staying close to home, WalletHub evaluated more than 180 cities across 41 key factors that measure both affordability and entertainment value. The study considered metrics ranging from the number of parks per capita to the average cost of restaurant meals.
 

Best Cities for Staycations	Worst Cities for Staycations
1. Orlando, FL	173. Oakland, CA
2. Cincinnati, OH	174. Santa Ana, CA
3. Las Vegas, NV	175. Newark, NJ
4. St. Louis, MO	176. Hialeah, FL
5. Honolulu, HI	177. Laredo, TX
6. Salt Lake City, UT	178. Irving, TX
7. Atlanta, GA	179. Chula Vista, CA
8. Tampa, FL	180. Fremont, CA
9. Chicago, IL	181. Yonkers, NY
10. Portland, ME	182. Pearl City, HI

 
Best vs. Worst

• Boston has the most parks (per square root of population), which is 14.1 times more than in Hialeah, Florida, the city with the fewest.
   
• Honolulu has the most tennis courts (per square root of population), which is 18.4 times more than in Mesa, Arizona, the city with the fewest.
   
• Orlando has the most ice cream & frozen yogurt shops (per square root of population), which is 61.1 times more than in South Burlington, Vermont, the city with the fewest.
   
• Amarillo, Texas, has the lowest cost of house-cleaning services, which is 3.4 times less expensive than in Juneau, Alaska, the city with the highest.