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Orlando ranked #1 location for staycations

Orlando ranked #1 location for staycations

by DeVore Design, August 28, 2017

You don’t have to go away to really “get away” if you’re in need of a summer escape. And we don’t mean getting lost in your imagination or a gripping novel, however far such avenues can transport you. Rather, a “staycation” might be in order, especially if you aren’t inclined to drive or fly long distances or simply can’t afford to use your vacation time, the unfortunate reality for nearly a third of us who work.

Source: WalletHub

There are certain places that offer a plethora of options for entertainment and relaxation at the right price point, making those cities the perfect spots for staying local.

To help you decide whether to leave home or bring vacation to your front door, WalletHub’s number crunchers compared the 150 largest cities based on 36 key indicators of a fun-filled yet wallet-friendly staycation. Read on for the full ranking, our methodology and useful staycationing tips from experts.

Best Places for a Staycation

Overall Rank
(1 = Best)		 City Total Score ‘Recreation’ Rank ‘Food & Entertainment’ Rank ‘Rest & Relaxation’ Rank
1 Orlando, FL 63.66 13 1 20
2 Chicago, IL 61.49 1 11 10
3 San Diego, CA 59.32 6 5 18
4 Seattle, WA 59.21 3 6 25
5 Tampa, FL 58.80 15 15 3
6 Las Vegas, NV 58.62 37 2 30
7 Atlanta, GA 57.92 10 9 15
8 Portland, OR 57.68 7 3 70
9 San Francisco, CA 56.73 4 4 79
10 New York, NY 53.11 12 10 76
11 Scottsdale, AZ 52.70 46 33 2
12 Honolulu, HI 52.16 11 14 80
13 Denver, CO 51.45 19 16 60
14 Minneapolis, MN 51.38 25 20 27
15 Philadelphia, PA 49.85 5 19 116
16 Austin, TX 49.71 22 17 86
17 Boston, MA 49.66 9 53 43
18 Pittsburgh, PA 49.66 31 12 88
19 Fort Lauderdale, FL 49.61 14 45 37
20 Tucson, AZ 49.58 33 18 44
21 Sacramento, CA 49.54 41 31 13
22 Boise, ID 49.10 38 36 22
23 New Orleans, LA 49.05 42 13 63
24 Richmond, VA 48.95 24 30 42
25 Salt Lake City, UT 48.93 43 23 61
26 Virginia Beach, VA 48.81 18 63 19
27 Springfield, MO 48.22 90 58 4
28 Madison, WI 48.14 30 65 7
29 St. Louis, MO 47.52 40 8 117
30 Knoxville, TN 47.39 53 32 55
31 Cincinnati, OH 46.94 16 22 120
32 Washington, DC 46.74 2 21 148
33 Houston, TX 46.15 55 7 119
34 Miami, FL 45.93 21 25 121
35 Nashville, TN 45.29 47 42 45
36 Omaha, NE 44.73 17 44 107
37 Sioux Falls, SD 44.56 106 46 36
38 St. Petersburg, FL 44.41 35 61 58
39 Reno, NV 44.40 56 24 105
40 Cleveland, OH 44.33 45 62 39
41 Los Angeles, CA 43.79 65 28 78
42 Grand Rapids, MI 43.76 76 59 40
43 Jacksonville, FL 43.68 28 56 94
44 Albuquerque, NM 43.52 52 34 87
45 San Antonio, TX 43.26 81 27 74
46 Lincoln, NE 43.22 23 85 82
47 Baltimore, MD 43.12 26 29 134
48 Tempe, AZ 43.06 125 64 8
49 Spokane, WA 43.05 62 73 38
50 Tallahassee, FL 42.99 29 75 89
51 Colorado Springs, CO 42.99 51 37 90
52 Kansas City, MO 42.70 68 55 46
53 Amarillo, TX 42.65 112 100 21
54 Raleigh, NC 42.61 57 43 81
55 Milwaukee, WI 42.57 34 40 118
56 Columbus, OH 42.57 85 35 56
57 Cape Coral, FL 42.40 59 130 12
58 Jackson, MS 42.21 141 126 1
59 Phoenix, AZ 41.85 83 48 51
60 Tacoma, WA 41.83 95 51 75
61 Peoria, AZ 41.81 44 139 11
62 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 41.34 32 134 47
63 Charlotte, NC 41.14 61 49 85
64 Rochester, NY 40.74 91 26 137
65 Huntington Beach, CA 40.67 39 99 92
66 Fayetteville, NC 40.54 146 111 9
67 Overland Park, KS 40.33 133 105 23
68 Tulsa, OK 40.30 86 92 32
69 St. Paul, MN 40.24 36 54 132
70 Chattanooga, TN 40.23 94 38 115
71 Santa Clarita, CA 40.12 8 131 110
72 Mesa, AZ 40.07 69 72 64
73 Akron, OH 40.03 104 112 33
74 Glendale, CA 39.97 20 132 84
75 Dallas, TX 39.94 78 39 106
76 Lexington-Fayette, KY 39.88 87 68 54
77 Baton Rouge, LA 39.82 77 66 69
78 Columbus, GA 39.74 123 110 14
79 Birmingham, AL 39.60 136 41 98
80 Augusta, GA 39.47 150 78 35
81 Norfolk, VA 39.47 27 109 113
82 Modesto, CA 39.42 133 96 24
83 El Paso, TX 39.35 105 60 52
84 Little Rock, AR 39.28 102 87 57
85 Henderson, NV 39.24 79 97 50
86 Buffalo, NY 39.14 54 52 127
87 Grand Prairie, TX 39.14 119 143 5
88 Des Moines, IA 38.70 111 113 62
89 Shreveport, LA 38.49 149 79 34
90 Stockton, CA 38.33 109 108 17
91 Glendale, AZ 38.29 48 140 67
92 Long Beach, CA 38.29 93 107 49
93 Huntsville, AL 38.29 92 80 95
94 Indianapolis, IN 38.28 63 71 104
95 Garden Grove, CA 38.15 74 129 59
96 Greensboro, NC 37.99 50 117 100
97 Plano, TX 37.62 66 98 91
98 Moreno Valley, CA 37.57 89 141 26
99 Memphis, TN 37.54 88 69 96
100 Oklahoma City, OK 37.32 117 77 41
101 Laredo, TX 37.27 115 138 6
102 Chandler, AZ 37.25 96 121 48
103 Bakersfield, CA 37.24 138 90 29
104 Newport News, VA 37.22 127 103 68
105 Fontana, CA 37.19 84 149 16
106 Winston-Salem, NC 36.90 82 124 72
107 Aurora, CO 36.87 73 84 108
108 Santa Rosa, CA 36.84 70 119 101
109 Montgomery, AL 36.69 129 91 73
110 Corpus Christi, TX 36.41 80 123 83
111 Vancouver, WA 36.21 142 94 71
112 Pembroke Pines, FL 35.96 145 102 65
113 Louisville, KY 35.95 67 57 139
114 Chesapeake, VA 35.75 60 95 123
115 Mobile, AL 35.68 147 74 93
116 Fort Wayne, IN 35.62 64 82 131
117 Garland, TX 35.57 110 127 28
118 San Jose, CA 35.48 100 83 97
119 Anchorage, AK 35.24 49 86 143
120 Providence, RI 35.17 120 47 140
121 Detroit, MI 34.89 71 93 125
122 Oceanside, CA 34.83 103 106 111
123 Wichita, KS 34.57 101 67 126
124 Durham, NC 34.53 72 101 124
125 Fort Worth, TX 34.40 107 89 102
126 Arlington, TX 34.08 108 104 103
127 Toledo, OH 34.03 122 76 99
128 San Bernardino, CA 33.57 124 137 77
129 Brownsville, TX 33.52 148 147 31
130 Fresno, CA 33.09 118 88 109
131 Irvine, CA 33.05 58 128 138
132 Anaheim, CA 32.95 121 50 133
133 Riverside, CA 32.55 98 120 122
134 Ontario, CA 32.47 126 150 53
135 Gilbert, AZ 32.28 116 144 66
136 Aurora, IL 32.16 75 145 114
137 Lubbock, TX 31.53 97 125 130
138 Worcester, MA 30.65 135 118 136
139 Irving, TX 30.00 113 116 135
140 Jersey City, NJ 29.34 137 115 129
141 North Las Vegas, NV 28.56 130 142 112
142 Oakland, CA 28.07 99 70 150
143 Port St. Lucie, FL 27.78 131 81 149
144 Hialeah, FL 27.12 132 114 142
145 Newark, NJ 27.12 128 122 146
146 Fremont, CA 26.96 139 133 144
147 Santa Ana, CA 26.82 114 136 145
148 Oxnard, CA 26.38 144 148 128
149 Yonkers, NY 25.92 140 146 141
150 Chula Vista, CA 23.58 143 135 147

Artwork-2017-Best & Worst Cities for Staycation report-v1

Ask the Experts

There’s a difference between a staycation and business as usual in the context of staying local. And it all has to do with how you spend your time in the city you call home. For advice on making the best of your staycation, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

  1. What are some tips for having a truly relaxing staycation?
  2. What activities can families do locally without breaking the bank?
  3. What is the best time of year to have a staycation?
  4. In evaluating the best cities for staycations, what are the top five indicators?

What are some tips for having a truly relaxing staycation? 

Don’t try and cram too much in. Take stock of interests of each member involved and try to hit at least one of each person’s interests. Mix it up — if mom likes nice restaurants and daughter want to horseback ride, can we do a family ride and then hit mom’s favorite restaurant afterwards? Also, remember it is “ok” to break up the group — dad and son go mountain biking while mom and daughter ride horses. Also, a big one in this arena — set some ground rules to help yourself and others avoid getting sucked into typical household duties. “No logistical discussions” or “no chores allowed,” the kids will love it.

What activities can families do locally without breaking the bank?

Lots of museums, outdoor parks, sculpture gardens, and scenic drive tours are free or inexpensive. Look in your area’s tourism site and find out what’s going on.

What is the best time of year to have a staycation? 

Staycations can happen any time of year. Think about your area and the things you want to do and set the staycation up around that. If you live in an area with great winter activities take it February, if summer spots are where it’s at shoot for June or July.

In evaluating the best cities for staycations, what are the top five indicators?

  • Variability in activities and attractions to suit multiple needs.
  • Good Restaurants.
  • Friendly, at least partially tourism based economy.
  • Good climate for what you are looking for.
  • Stress free public transit system or easy navigation roadways.

What are some tips for having a truly relaxing staycation?

First, let’s get some definitions out of the way. Vacation has had several meanings over the years — over the centuries, but is most often associated with physically and mentally vacating your current premise — taking a holiday from your normal surroundings. The definition of staycation varies from person to person. For most of us, it would be simply sleeping at home, but doing something a little out of the ordinary that would produce some of the same sense of newness and relaxation as traditional vacations. This could be getting to know your immediate community a little better or taking day trips to local attractions or restaurants that you’ve been meaning to visit. A lesser used meaning of the term would apply to those with deeper pockets, and could include staying within the borders of one’s country. “We’ve been to Europe so many times, we haven’t been to Wyoming yet, so let’s go there this summer.

Second, is the mildly crazy (and perhaps embarrassing) fact that a large percentage of residents of a community have seen less of their community than people that travel there for a vacation. If this is your reality, then the staycation is a great opportunity to do what you probably should have done long ago and to do something that is relaxing, enjoyable, and educational, that doesn’t break the bank. Depending on one’s sense of community, helping out a local charitable organization may be just the thing to help you recharge your physical and emotional energy.

Third, whether the goal is a truly relaxing staycation or virtually any activity that one or more people may participate in, the next consideration is to find out what activities are most desirable to those involved. For example, someone that sits in an office all day may consider a hike on a mountain path to be relaxing, while someone that works on their feet most of the day, may want to do something less physically taxing, such as a spa retreat. As I write this, I can’t help but think about diversions that make me the happiest — music, woodworking, and anything to do with bodies of water, be it lakes, rivers, creeks, or oceans — seeing it, fishing, eating fish, and boating.

Fourth, staycations are often less stressful than many traditional vacations. Since you know the area much better than more distant locations, you will generally feel more comfortable with your surroundings. One of my most stressful experiences was a vacation in another country where we were constantly worried about catching the next bus or train, the best places to stay or dine. We would get to our hotel at night and be exhausted. Staycations, guided tours, and cruises are now much higher on our list of options. Just yesterday, I booked a short vacation for my family. Before we’ve even left the house, I’ve already spent several thousand dollars and in the end will probably spend over $5,000 for a less than a week out of town. This makes that fine-dining restaurant that we’ve been wanting to go to seem a lot more reasonable.

What activities can families do locally without breaking the bank?

Walking downtown, touring locally owned — non-chain shops, talking with workers about their knowledge of the local area or where they’re from. If you’re lucky, you may run into some of the crafters that make items that the shops are selling. Taking the kids to the local city hall or court house can be both a civics lesson and give one a sense of getting closer to one’s community. Volunteering for a local charity not only doesn’t break the bank, but teaches kids the importance of giving back. My family’ main activity in this area is the Flagstaff Family Food Center where we help prepare meals for those in need.

What is the best time of year to have a staycation?

I have two answers to this question. The first is whatever makes you happiest. For most of us this will be Spring — the greening of the environment and the proliferation of small animals and birds. The second, and I think the most truthfully beneficial, is that any time of year should be ideal for a staycation. It’s not healthy to stay cooped up inside for months waiting for your favorite season or weather. One benefit of this perspective is that this positive attitude will, or at least should, have an impact on most other facets of your life.

Finally, I’m appreciative of the opportunity to prepare these brief comments on staycations. It has helped me realize that my family and I need to take advantage of the many local opportunities that we have in our community.

Methodology

In order to determine the best staycation spots, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 150 most populated U.S. cities across three key dimensions: 1) Recreation, 2) Food & Entertainment and 3) Rest & Relaxation.

We evaluated those dimensions using 36 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 calculated the total score for each city based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to construct our final ranking.

Recreation – Total Points: 33.33

  • Public Golf Courses per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Tennis Courts per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Swimming Pools per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Basketball Hoops per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Baseball Diamonds per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Hiking Trails per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Running Trails per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Walking Trails per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Shopping Centers per Capita: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Water Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Boat Tours & Water Sports per Capita*: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
  • Miles of Bicycle Lanes, Paths & Routes per Square Mile: Half Weight (~1.33 Points)

Food & Entertainment – Total Points: 33.33

  • Movie Costs: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Bowling Costs: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Average Price of Party Ticket: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Nightlife Options per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Museums per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Zoos & Aquariums per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Paintball Fields per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Arcades per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Amusement Parks per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Theaters & Concert Halls per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Coffee & Tea Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Shops per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Beer Gardens per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Restaurants per Capita*: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Restaurant-Meal Costs: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Prevalence of Affordable Restaurants with 4.5+ Stars: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)
  • Diversity of Restaurants: Full Weight (~1.96 Points)

Rest & Relaxation – Total Points: 33.33

  • Cost of House-Cleaning Service: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
  • Spas & Wellness Centers per Capita*: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
  • Massage Costs: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
  • Beauty-Salon Costs: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
  • Public Beaches per Capita*: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
  • Idealness of Summer Weather: Full Weight (~5.56 Points)
    Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s Cities with the Best & Worst Weather ranking.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Council for Community and Economic Research, Golf.com, Under Armour, Eventbrite, Numbeo.com, Thumbtack, Trust for Public Land, Alliance for Biking & Walking, TripAdvisor, Yelp, ImproveNet and WalletHub research.

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