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by Eric Weiss
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Floridians looking to vacation without leaving home may already be in the best place in the country to do it.
A new WalletHub study ranks Orlando as the No. 1 city in America for staycations in 2026, putting Florida at the top of a national list that compared more than 180 U.S. cities on entertainment, recreation and relaxation options.
WalletHub said Orlando earned the top spot thanks largely to its deep lineup of things to do, including amusement parks, water parks, nightlife, festivals, zoos and arcades. The city also ranked No. 1 in the country for food and entertainment and No. 7 for rest and relaxation, according to the study.
Tampa also cracked the national top 10, coming in at No. 8 overall. The city ranked No. 13 for food and entertainment and No. 20 for rest and relaxation, giving the Tampa Bay area another strong showing for residents trying to save money by staying close to home.
Port St. Lucie, however, landed near the bottom of the national rankings, coming in at No. 157 out of 182 cities. The Treasure Coast city ranked below several other Florida communities included in the study, including Jacksonville, Cape Coral, Pembroke Pines and Tallahassee.
Florida’s performance did not stop there. Fort Lauderdale ranked No. 23 nationally, Miami ranked No. 31, and St. Petersburg ranked No. 42.
WalletHub said its study comes as many Americans are looking for cheaper ways to enjoy time off. Instead of paying for airfare, hotels or long-distance travel, a staycation can let families spend on local attractions, restaurants and entertainment while cutting out some of the biggest vacation costs.
See also: These are the best places to live in Florida, according to U.S. News
Florida cities showed particular strength in several categories. Fort Lauderdale ranked near the top nationally for public golf courses per capita and coffee and tea shops per capita. Miami ranked among the best cities for museums and spas per capita. Orlando and Miami were also among the top cities for ice cream and frozen yogurt shops per capita, while Orlando, Miami and Tampa ranked among the cities with the most zoos and aquariums per capita.
Still, not every Florida city landed near the top. Jacksonville ranked No. 67, Cape Coral ranked No. 101, Pembroke Pines ranked No. 118, Tallahassee ranked No. 141, Port St. Lucie ranked No. 157 and Hialeah ranked No. 176.
WalletHub’s national top 10 cities for staycations were:
Florida cities in the study ranked as follows:
To create the ranking, WalletHub evaluated cities using three broad categories: recreation, food and entertainment, and rest and relaxation. Metrics included parks per capita, restaurant costs, nightlife options, museums, spas, public beaches, summer weather and other local amenities.
For Florida, the takeaway is clear: residents do not necessarily need to leave the state — or even their own city — to find a vacation-worthy experience. According to WalletHub’s rankings, the Sunshine State has the best staycation city in the country and two cities in the national top 10.
2026 Sinclair, Inc.
