The Best Cities for Staycations in 2024

(6/10/24) Would you really be surprised if I told you that Orlando was recently ranked the top city in the country for staycations?

In addition to being the home of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, the Central Florida city has water parks, nightlife, festivals, zoos, restaurants, museums, and sports and recreational venues galore. That’s why it was no surprise (to me, anyway) that Orlando topped the list when personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2024’s Best & Worst Cities for Staycations.  

WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 42 key metrics, including parks and museums per capita to restaurant costs. With about 82 percent of Americans planning to travel this summer, and high expenses forcing many people to stay close to home, the report demonstrates that you don’t have to travel far to have a great time.

Coming in second was Honolulu, which offers numerous opportunities for outdoor enjoyment, whether it’s tennis, golf, hiking, surfing, biking, or working on your tan while lounging on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Honolulu also boasts a large number of reasonably-priced spas, as well as affordable good-quality restaurants and coffee shops, the WalletHub report said.

The third-best city for a staycation may be a surprise: It’s Cincinnati, Ohio. According to WalletHub, Cincinnati is especially good for outdoor activities, with a large number of parks, swimming pools and baseball fields. It also has a lot of affordable restaurants, including beer gardens and ice cream shops for those looking to get their fix of alcohol or sweets.

Rounding out the list of the top 10 cities for staycations are Las Vegas, Tampa, Chicago, San Diego, Atlanta, New Orleans and Tucson. And, ranking at the bottom of the list are Fremont, Calif. and Irving, Texas.