The Best US Cities for a Summer Staycation

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.