Study: DC area ranked No. 3 for top 2023 summer destination – WTOP News

You may see more and more tourists crowding the National Mall or taking in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, this summer. The D.C. metro area was ranked No. 3 for best summer vacation spot, according to a study from WalletHub.

D.C. ranked high in attractions and activities.

“Not only are there a lot of attractions, but they’re very diverse. And just having so much history certainly helps that in D.C.,” said Jill Gonzalez, an analyst with WalletHub.

“D.C. actually ranked as the second safest of all these metro areas, which you know, is becoming increasingly important, I think to families are so in terms of safety, both violent and property crime rates, were, you know, better than most of these other places,” she told WTOP.

The D.C. area also ranked high in weather and travel costs. Gonzalez pointed to ease of access with three major airports in the area.

The only area where D.C. performed poorly was, unsurprisingly, “local costs.”

Atlanta, Georgia, took the top spot this year.

“Atlanta is one of the easiest places to get to,” Gonzalez said. “Cost of living is slightly better than a lot of the northeastern cities. So that helps. And there is a lot to do there in the summer.”

If you want to get out of town for a few days, nearby Richmond ranks in the top 10 this summer as well.

“Richmond is climbing year after year, because it offers more and more activities and attractions, a growing brewery scene,” said Gonzalez. “A good place to go.”

Honolulu, Hawaii, was ranked No. 2 while Wichita, Kansas, came in at No. 4.

See more rankings below:

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