Not even triple-digit heat will deter tourists from visiting Austin this summer, a new survey from WalletHub has confirmed. The City of Weird has climbed into the No. 5 spot on the personal finance website's list of the "Best Summer Travel Destinations" in 2025.
The report annually ranks 100 U.S metros based on attractions, safety, activities, weather, local costs, and travel costs and hassles. Factors that determine each city's ranking include flight costs, the number of affordable restaurants with high ratings, crime rates, and more.
The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area in Florida is the No. 1 most sought after summer travel destination in 2025.
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown rose one spot from its 2024 ranking, and it's still a far leap ahead from its former No. 14 rank in 2023.
Here's how WalletHub broke down Austin's ranking in each of the six main categories:
- No. 10 – Attractions rank
- No. 21 – Local costs rank and weather rank
- No. 25 – Activities rank
- No. 44 – Safety rank
- No. 65 – Travel costs and hassles rank
Austin predictably ranked the highest in the attractions category, and there's surely no shortage ofthings to do in the city, from dining at ahighly acclaimed steakhouse or checking out live music at aunique new venue.
But there's so much more that goes into choosing the right place for a memorable summer trip, says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. Creating and sticking to a vacation budget that considers all costs of a trip, such as meals and local transportation costs, is a good place to start.
"[C]hoosing 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," Lupo says. "It can also allow you to have a longer, more relaxing trip."
The study's scope isn't just limited to just Austin proper, which also means tourists may flock to popular suburbs likeGeorgetown to explore its downtown boutiques, or head toDripping Springs to enjoy the Hill Country views.
Other top Texas summer travel destinations
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (No. 10) was the only other Texas metro to earn a spot in the top 10 summer travel destinations, while San Antonio-New Braunfels ranked 18th.
Surprisingly, El Paso (No. 31) ranked four spots ahead of Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (No. 35). The final two Texas metros that earned spots in the study are Corpus Christi (No. 80) and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission (No. 97).
The top 10 best summer travel destinations in 2025 are:
- No. 1 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
- No. 2 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia
- No. 3 – Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia
- No. 4 – Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
- No. 5 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
- No. 6 – Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
- No. 7 – Salt Lake City, Utah
- No. 8 – Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware-Maryland
- No. 9 – Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida
- No. 10 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
