Staycation - All I Ever Wanted

Destination vacations – that involve traveling somewhere at least a few hours away and usually require an overnight say – remain at the top of my must do list each year. These types of vacations offer a break from the mundane, day to day life burdens that are hard to escape when you’re at home.

However, destination vacations usually require more money and time away from work, which can be difficult to manage.

Enter, the staycation. Staycations allow you to vacation in your own area/state and can be managed without an overnight stay – both of which can save you time and money.

While some cities and states offer more vacation-like activities than others, it’s possible to have a staycation no matter where you live, especially if you’re within a couple hours of a major city or key tourist attractions.

Lucky for me, I live less than an hour away from one of the Top 10 Staycation cities in the U.S. – sweet home Chicago! For anyone who follows my blog, you will know that hanging out in downtown Chicago is a favorite activity of mine all throughout the year. But even medium or smaller size cities offer can offer the perfect balance of charm, affordability and unique experiences – and many times, without the touristy crowds.

If your summer vacation has you staying a little closer to home this year, be sure to check out WalletHub’s latest ranking of the Best & Worst Cities for Staycations in 2024. WalletHub compared 182 U.S. cities (including 150 of the most populated) across three key categories – recreation, food & entertainment and rest & relaxation – and each were further evaluated based on 42 relevant sub-metrics – all rated on a 100-point scale with 100 being the most favorable for staycationers. From there, each city’s weighted average was calculated and used to create an overall score, which was then ranked from best (highest score) to worst (lowest score).

Check out the list below to see where your city ranks….or find the staycation city closet to you!

Top 25 of the Best and Worst Cities for Staycations