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Sorry Florida, Virginia is Actually the Best Summer Vacation State This Year

Move over Florida, you’re no longer the best state for a summer vacation, as Virginia takes home the top honors for 2023.

Our friends over at Gambling.com crunched all the numbers, and while the Sunshine State is high up there, it’s actually our neighbors to the north that should be your destination this year.

A lot of research went into picking out the best spots for your vacations this year, and with so many choices, it wasn’t easy.

“With this in mind, the data research team at Gambling.com decided to work out which states are the best to vacation in this summer,” Peter Welch said in his Gambling.com piece. “They did this by analyzing five different data points to create a final vacation score for each state. These data points are: accommodation availability, accommodation affordability, crime rate (lower is obviously better!), levels of sunlight and number of attractions (national historical monuments and state parks) in relation to each state’s size.”

Virginia scored well across all of the categories being measured, gaining a lot of ground over Florida in room affordability and crime rate in particular.

We’ll take a look at the best summer vacation state in our list below, which doesn’t include North Carolina. Our home state came in at a respectable 16 this year, with great scoring in the accommodation category, but marginal scores everywhere else.

Just in case you were looking for the most affordable spot, looks like it’s North Dakota this year.

“North Dakota leads the country in terms of affordable summer vacation accommodation. Over one week in the middle of June, 93.7% of the available lettings on popular site booking.com were priced at $200 per night or less — meaning it could be the best destination for families primarily focused on a budget-friendly break away.”

So, here’s the Top 10 best summer vacation states for 2023, with Virginia topping the list.

1. Virginia
Image courtesy Gambling.com

Room Availability Score: 73.4

Room Affordability Score: 55.1

Crime Rate Score: 85.8

Sunlight Score: 51.0

Attractions Score: 77.5

Summer Vacation Score: 68.6
2. Florida
Disney World is one of the most popular summer vacation spots in the country. Photo by Kent Phillips/Walt Disney World Resort via Getty Images

Room Availability Score: 100.0

Room Affordability Score: 24.4

Crime Rate Score: 61.3

Sunlight Score: 81.6

Attractions Score: 67.3

Summer Vacation Score: 66.9
3. Illinois
Chicago residents and tourists explore the Cloud Gate sculpture by Anish Kapoor. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

Room Availability Score: 63.2

Room Affordability Score: 73.4

Crime Rate Score: 71.5

Sunlight Score: 53.0

Attractions Score: 71.4

Summer Vacation Score: 66.5
4. Georgia
Centennial Park in Atlanta is a huge attraction in the Peach State. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Room Availability Score: 87.7

Room Affordability Score: 67.3

Crime Rate Score: 49.0

Sunlight Score: 69.3

Attractions Score: 57.1

Summer Vacation Score: 66.1
5. Ohio
A view of downtown Cincinnati at sunrise. Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

Room Availability Score: 69.3

Room Affordability Score: 83.6

Crime Rate Score: 57.2

Sunlight Score: 34.6

Attractions Score: 73.4

Summer Vacation Score: 63.6
6. Indiana
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the biggest attractions in Indiana. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Room Availability Score: 53.0

Room Affordability Score: 91.8

Crime Rate Score: 59.2

Sunlight Score: 44.8

Attractions Score: 59.1

Summer Vacation Score: 61.2
7. Kentucky
Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the state’s biggest draws. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Room Availability Score: 38.7

Room Affordability Score: 93.8

Crime Rate Score: 63.3

Sunlight Score: 55.1

Attractions Score: 55.1

Summer Vacation Score: 61.2
T8. Iowa
The Field of Dreams site in Dyersville, Iowa is a huge draw. Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Room Availability Score: 30.6

Room Affordability Score: 95.9

Crime Rate Score: 65.4

Sunlight Score: 46.9

Attractions Score: 61.2

Summer Vacation Score: 60.0
T8. New Jersey
The beaches on the Jersey Shore are always a huge draw. Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Room Availability Score: 46.9

Room Affordability Score: 36.7

Crime Rate Score: 91.9

Sunlight Score: 32.6

Attractions Score: 91.8

Summer Vacation Score: 60.0
T10. California
There’s no shortage of tourist opportunities in California. Photo by David McNew/Getty Images

Room Availability Score: 97.9

Room Affordability Score: 16.3

Crime Rate Score: 36.8

Sunlight Score: 91.8

Attractions Score: 51.0

Summer Vacation Score: 58.8
T10. Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is filled with history, and lots of vacation spots. Photo by Don Murray/Getty Images

Room Availability Score: 81.6

Room Affordability Score: 40.8

Crime Rate Score: 67.4

Sunlight Score: 18.3

Attractions Score: 85.7

Summer Vacation Score: 58.8