Study Reveals Top American Staycation Destinations

Many Americans find that staycations can be just as relaxing as a getaway vacation, but without the expense and hassle. For people who appreciate their home and community, a staycation is a perfect choice to recharge. The team at Rove Lab studied where staycations are the most popular and analyzed data to determine the ranking.

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Here are the top 10 places where staycations were most popular:

• North Dakota
• Hawaii
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Connecticut
• Rhode Island
• Delaware
• Colorado
• Texas
• Kansas

North Dakota comes first, and maybe that’s no surprise when 22 million visitors come to the state every year to explore national parks, world-class hiking, and other attractions. North Dakota is a peaceful, beautiful state where people can make the most out of a staycation. Hawaii comes in second place for similar reasons. Hawaii is a dream vacation destination for people all over the world. There’s no need to stray far when you can relax on some of the world’s best beaches in your own backyard. But there’s another factor to consider for Hawaiians. It’s an expensive state to travel in and out of. Most people need to fly to leave the islands, and that airfare is costly because of Hawaii’s isolated location.

There are many benefits to taking a staycation beyond saving money on transportation and lodging. A staycation offers the chance to sleep in, appreciate your community and home, and practice hobbies and self-care. You can also prioritize spending time with people you love and pets you can’t bring on vacation. There’s no need to pack, no reason to rush to the airport, and you can take a break that helps the environment by cutting the carbon emissions of travel.

There are so many benefits to taking a staycation. They reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, which is essential for our overall health and happiness. The only real benefit missing from a staycation is the mass of new opportunities. New experiences form new neural pathways in our brains, and that helps us see things from new perspectives, which can be a huge mood boost as well as enhancing problem-solving skills. There are ways to have new experiences on a staycation, too. You can refresh and redesign your living space for a new environment. You can treat your community like you’re a tourist there. Look for new places and experiences you’ve never had and indulge with excitement and an open mind.

Staycations remind us that we don’t have to run away to seek out rest. The best adventures can be quiet ones, like an afternoon drive to a new café or restaurant, a hike you’ve never been on, or enjoying the view from your own porch. It’s a call to reconnect with your own home and spend time exploring hidden gems in your local city. You can read, garden, or explore your surroundings. No matter what you choose, you’ll finish refreshed, and this Rove Lab study shows that many Americans have already experienced the benefits of a staycation.