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The 15 Best U.S. Cities for Traveling on a Budget

Orlando, Atlanta, and D.C. top the list for budget-friendly fun.
ByCaLea Johnson|
Lake Eola and the Orlando Skyline are must-sees if you visit Orlando, Florida.
Lake Eola and the Orlando Skyline are must-sees if you visit Orlando, Florida. | Kelly Verdeck Photography/GettyImages

Many people use summer as an opportunity to take a much-needed vacation, but traveling isn’t always cheap. You have to consider costs for hotel stays, activities, food, and plane tickets before booking your trip. Fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice a good time to enjoy an affordable vacation, as evidenced by the list below.

  1. America’s Top 15 Summer Travel Destinations

The personal finance site WalletHub ranked the best cities in the U.S. for traveling on a budget. To do this, analysts compared 100 of the most crowded metro areas using 41 weighted metrics distributed across six categories: travel costs and hassles, local costs, attractions, weather, activities, and safety. After grading the factors on a scale of 1 to 100, the researchers calculated each city’s weighted average and ranked the final scores.

A variety of metros in the South, Midwest, and eastern U.S. performed well, with Orlando, Florida, coming out on top. The Florida destination can thank its many activities, from theme parks to boat tours, for its high ranking. It’s also the place for luxury getaways, if you’re willing to spend a more money to relax. However, the city offers plenty for frugal travelers as well, with the cheapest three-star hotel room there costing only $42 a night.

Atlanta, Georgia, is easily accessible from many populous parts of the country, which is partially why the location ranks second overall. It also performed second-best in terms of low travel costs and hassles, coming behind Santa Rosa, California. Additionally, Atlanta is home to many attractions like shopping centers and amusement parks.

Washington, D.C., is the third-best place to travel for many reasons. It has impressive (and free) museums for history lovers, beautiful parks for nature enthusiasts, and affordable, highly-rated restaurants for foodies. The District of Columbia also boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the nation.

Here’s the full list from WalletHub:

America’s Top 15 Summer Travel Destinations

  1. Orlando, Florida
  2. Atlanta, Georgia
  3. Washington, D.C.
  4. Honolulu, Hawaii
  5. Austin, Texas
  6. Cincinnati, Ohio
  7. Salt Lake City, Utah
  8. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  9. Miami, Florida
  10. Dallas, Texas
  11. Knoxville, Tennessee
  12. Tampa, Florida
  13. Richmond, Virginia
  14. Chicago, Illinois
  15. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 

Looking to take a road trip this summer? Consider this ultimate road trip route that hits all 48 contiguous states.

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