Trying to figure out where your next summer getaway trip will break the bank? Well, look no further than the Capital City deep in the heart of Texas, as the metro was recently named one of the nation’s top summer travel destinations of 2026.
WalletHub, in a new report, ranked the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metro area as the No. 3 best place to visit in the U.S. this summer, and the overall best in the Lone Star State. While the Austin metro was the only Texas city to make WalletHub’s top 10, other Texas areas like San Antonio, Houston and Dallas were also recognized further down on the list as budget-friendly travel spots for summer.
To find which cities offer the most bang for your buck, WalletHub developed a ranking of the cheapest U.S. destinations that are easy to reach due to how pricey gas and airline tickets currently are. The report analyzed 100 of the largest metro areas across 41 key indicators, including the cost of the cheapest flight, the number of attractions in each city and the average price of a two-person meal.
“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,” said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lugo. “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. It can also allow you to have a longer, more relaxing trip.”
With a total score of 68.22, the Austin metro came in third overall and stood out for having a low travel cost and hassles rank as well as activities rank. In Austin, the city offers numerous low-cost activities and tourist attractions like Zilker Park, Barton Springs Pool, the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail and more.
For those who want to beat the heat in downtown Austin, there are also tours of the Texas State Capitol and museums such as the LBJ Presidential Library and the Texas State History Museum. After Austin, the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area was named the 11th best summer travel destination in the U.S., per WalletHub.
The Alamo City area had a total score of 64.64, and had a low overall cost rank of 11 and attractions rank of 20. San Antonio also offers its own unique array of tourist attractions like the historic Alamo downtown, SeaWorld San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
Other Texas metros that made the report’s best cost-effective summer destinations were Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro (No. 20), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (No. 21) and El Paso (No. 33).