New York City is among the best summer travel destinations for 2026, a new WalletHub study found.
According to WalletHub, about 72% of Americans plan on traveling this summer, with 37% of them planning to take more than one trip. The real question is, where should people travel this summer to make the most out of their trip?
“When picking a summer travel destination, it’s easy to focus just on the types of activities you want to do or certain cities you’ve always wanted to see,” WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said. “However, choosing a destination that’s not only entertaining but also affordable is important when travel, dining and activity costs have surged so much in recent years.”
To determine the best travel destinations this summer for Americans to get the best bang for their buck, WalletHub ranked the cheapest and most accessible cities in the United States. The study compared 100 U.S. cities across 41 indicators, ranging from the cost of the cheapest flight to the number of attractions to the average price of a two-person meal.
Here is what to know about the rankings for NY cities.
Why is NYC among the best summer travel destinations?
New York City scored the No. 16 spot for WalletHub’s best summer travel destinations, with an overall score of 63.60.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metro Area scored the No. 6 spot for the attractions rank, No. 5 for the activities rank, No. 88 for the local costs rank, No. 43 for the travel costs and hassles rank, No. 66 for the weather rank and No. 46 for the safety rank.
The other NY metro area cities didn’t rank so well on WalletHub’s list. Here is where they placed:
WalletHub’s 10 best summer travel destinations
WalletHub’s 10 worst summer travel destinations
How WalletHub assessed best summer travel destinations
To determine the best U.S. summer vacation destinations, WalletHub compared 100 of the most populated metro areas across six categories: travel costs & hassles, local costs, attractions, weather, activities and safety.
The travel costs & hassles category analyzed these factors:
The local costs category analyzed these factors:
The attractions category analyzed these factors:
The weather category analyzed these factors:
The activities category analyzed these factors:
The safety category analyzed these factors:
Data used to create the ranking was collected as of April 14, 2026, and was sourced from multiple entities, including the U.S. Census Bureau, TripAdvisor, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and World Sea Temperature.
—Madison Scott is a New York Connect reporter, covering entertainment, breaking and consumer news, and trending topics with a focus on stories that matter to readers across New York state. She also has an interest in how the system helps or doesn’t help families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at MDScott@USATodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NYC ranked among top U.S. summer travel spots for 2026. See why
Reporting by Madison Scott, New York Connect Team / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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