Backstage Country

LISTEN LIVE

North Carolina Is One Of The Most Affordable Vacation Destinations

Your average North Carolina vacation costs just $143 per night a new study finds. Not sure where that trip was too but just my hotel last weekend was almost 3x…

Affordable Vacation Destinations
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Your average North Carolina vacation costs just $143 per night a new study finds. Not sure where that trip was too but just my hotel last weekend was almost 3x that. But as Memorial Day weekend approaches and school is wrapping up for the summer, parents are scrambling to plan family vacations. But this year despite lessened Covid restrictions and concerns there is a new obstacle to consider. Inflation, including high gas prices and unaffordable lodging. Is it even such a thing as affordable vacation destinations these days?

Wealthcare Financial analyzed Google trends and discovered that searches for "summer vacation" and similar phrases have risen in the past few days. Not only that but searches such as "discount travel deals" are also on the rise. In fact, they rose 60% in just 24 hours. Based on this info the managing partners at Wealthcare Financial put together a "2022 Summer Vacation Financial Report" which offers ideas for where travelers should go this summer for an affordable vacation. And two of the top affordable destinations are close by and some of my favorite places to visit!

Notable Findings: 

  • The average hotel room across the US costs $106 per night
  • Average meal price: $20
  • Highest meal price: Maine $43
  • Lowest meal price: Montana $10
  • Average gas price per gallon: $4.30
  • Lowest gas price per gallon: Georgia $3.95
  • Highest gas price per gallon: California $5.85

North Carolina did rank in the lowest of one category making it one of the most affordable vacation destinations. Which one? Keep reading to find out.

Data was analyzed and collected by Wealthcare Financial using the following sources:

Most Expensive States For Hotel Rooms

1. Hawaii

Average price: $310

HawaiiWarner Bros

2. New Mexico

$196

New Mexico

3. Delaware

$155

Delaware

4. New York

$152

New York

 

5. California

$146

California

Most Expensive States For Hotel Rooms

1. Arizona

$73

Arizona

2. North Carolina

$80

Beach in NC

3. Mississippi

$81

Mississippi

4. South Dakota

$82

South Dakota

5. North Dakota

$81

North Dakota

Most Expensive States For Food

1. Maine

$43

MaineJason Kempin/Getty Images

2. Delaware

$30

Delaware

3. Nebraska

$28

Nebraska

4. Rhode Island

$28

Rhode Island

5. North Dakota

$26

North Dakota

Least Expensive States For Food

1. Montana

$10

Montana

2. Michigan

$11

Michigan

3. Vermont

$12

Vermont

4. Washington

$12

Washington

5. Georgia

$13

Georgia

Most Expensive States For Gas

1. California

$5.85

California

2. Hawaii

$5.31

HawaiiWarner Bros

3. Nevada

$5.12

Nevada

4. Washington

$4.91

Washington

5. Oregon

$4.88

Oregon

Most Expensive States For Gas

1. Georgia

$3.95

Augusta Georgia Downtown

2. Kansas

$3.98

Liberty Memorial and Union Station aerial views, downtown Kansas City

3. Oklahoma

$4.00

OKC

4. Mississippi

$4.00

Mississippi

5. Arkansas

$4.00

Arkansas

Most Expensive States Overall

1. Hawaii

HawaiiWarner Bros

2. Maine

MaineJason Kempin/Getty Images

3. Delaware

Delaware

4. New Mexico

New Mexico

5. New York

New York

Least Expensive States Overall

1. Georgia

Georgia

2. Tennessee

Tennessee

3. Washington

Washington

4. Texas

Texas

5. Michigan

Michigan
Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.