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4 Tampa Bay area cities among best beach towns in the US

Elena Cox, Stacker

Starfish and shells in sand. (Getty Images)

Summer vacation is mostly over across the U.S., with kids already headed back to school. So now is the perfect time to start planning next year’s beach vacation.

Travelers were busy during summer 2023. On Memorial Day weekend, largely considered the unofficial start of summer, the Transportation Security Administration screened 9.8 million people, surpassing pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. Trips abroad spiked in popularity as people made up for time lost during pandemic-era travel restrictions.

However, as inflation made travel more expensive, budget-conscious travelers cut costs by driving to their destinations and staying stateside. During the Fourth of July, AAA projected 43.2 million people would travel by car, a new record.

Beach destinations are popular this year, according to a survey from vacation rental platform Vacasa, and outdoor recreation remains a top priority. Not only are beaches a great place to unwind and create family bonding moments, but they also boost people’s mental health.

So what makes a good beach town? Access to a beach, of course, but also plenty of indoor and outdoor activities to keep kids entertained, warm weather, and a long beach season—the average number of days beaches are open for swimming. So perhaps it’s not surprising that Hawaii and Florida cities dominate this list. But besides the Aloha and the Sunshine states, beachgoers can enjoy the sand and surf in places off the beaten path in Texas and on the Eastern Seaboard.

To be considered a beach town, each city needed at least one beach on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National List of Beaches. The EPA list includes beaches that are only used recreationally and open to the public for free or for a fee; it has more than 6,000 beaches on the United States’ Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts and on the Great Lakes identified by states and tribes in response to the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000. The act requires states to report water quality monitoring to an EPA database.

Stacker determined rankings by a number of factors, with the most weight given to the number of beaches within a quarter mile of a city or town and the total shoreline of those beaches. Weather patterns and the duration of each beach’s swim season affect town scores. The ranking also takes into account the prevalence of beach-related businesses, unemployment rates, and median home prices.

The data was analyzed before the devastating wildfires in Hawaii, so the ranking includes Lahaina, which was obliterated by the blaze. Hawaii’s governor estimates it will take years to rebuild the historic site. 

Read on to get some vacation planning inspiration.

Correction
A previous version of this article contained multiple errors in data analysis that skewed the overall ranking of beach towns, including incorrectly identifying the number of beaches in some towns and mischaracterizing some municipalities as beach towns. The article has been updated to correct the errors.
 

100. Vero Beach, Florida

99. Destin, Florida

98. Morehead City, North Carolina

97. Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

96. Laie, Hawaii

95. New Smyrna Beach, Florida

94. Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina

93. Kaunakakai, Hawaii

92. Riviera Beach, Florida

91. Deerfield Beach, Florida

90. Wainiha, Hawaii

89. Kahului, Hawaii

88. Waialua, Hawaii

87. St. Augustine Beach, Florida

86. Nanakuli, Hawaii

85. Malibu, California

84. Orange Beach, Alabama

83. Kalihiwai, Hawaii

82. Marco Island, Florida

81. Long Branch, New Jersey

80. St. Augustine, Florida

79. Kaanapali, Hawaii

78. Manasota Key, Florida

77. Pass Christian, Mississippi

76. Fort Walton Beach, Florida

75. Buxton, North Carolina

74. Huntington Beach, California

73. Sargent, Texas

72. Pompano Beach, Florida

71. Pupukea, Hawaii

70. Venice, Florida

69. Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

68. Laurel, Florida

67. Tampa, Florida

66. Paia, Hawaii

65. Salvo, North Carolina

64. Sarasota, Florida

63. Jupiter Island, Florida

62. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

61. Hallandale Beach, Florida

60. Miramar Beach, Florida

59. Carolina Beach, North Carolina

58. Norfolk, Virginia

57. Kailua, Hawaii

56. Quintana, Texas

55. Biloxi, Mississippi

54. Portland, Texas

53. Wailea, Hawaii

52. Long Beach, Mississippi

51. Jacksonville, Florida

50. Makaha, Hawaii

49. Ormond-By-The-Sea, Florida

48. Lower Grand Lagoon, Florida

47. North Topsail Beach, North Carolina

46. Kaneohe Base, Hawaii

45. Waimea, Hawaii

44. Avon, North Carolina

43. Miami Beach, Florida

42. Atlantic City, New Jersey

41. Beaufort, North Carolina

40. Haena, Hawaii

39. Virginia Beach, Virginia

38. Lamar, Texas

37. Princeville, Hawaii

36. Waianae, Hawaii

35. St. George Island, Florida

34. Jekyll Island, Georgia

33. Los Angeles, California

32. Hanalei, Hawaii

31. Makena, Hawaii

30. Hilo, Hawaii

29. Port Aransas, Texas

28. Ocracoke, North Carolina

27. Clearwater, Florida

26. South Padre Island, Texas

25. Nags Head, North Carolina

24. Maalaea, Hawaii

23. East Honolulu, Hawaii

22. Lahaina, Hawaii

21. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

20. Haleiwa, Hawaii

19. Surfside Beach, Texas

18. Oak Island, North Carolina

17. San Diego, California

16. Emerald Isle, North Carolina

15. Palacios, Texas

14. Napili-Honokowai, Hawaii

13. Hollywood, Florida

12. Urban Honolulu, Hawaii

11. Gulfport, Mississippi

10. Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

9. Kihei, Hawaii

8. Freeport, Texas

7. Daytona Beach, Florida

6. Texas City, Texas

5. Aransas Pass, Texas

4. Jamaica Beach, Texas

3. Bolivar Peninsula, Texas

2. Galveston, Texas

1. Corpus Christi, Texas