Travel
Delaware is home to the second cheapest U.S. city to visit, according to a new report
![Delaware is home to the second cheapest U.S. city to visit, according to a new report Delaware is home to the second cheapest U.S. city to visit, according to a new report](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/7f3fb6f68b1522b2988c80acd9b2aa54d16d7949/c=0-137-2700-1662/local/-/media/2017/06/21/Wilmington/Wilmington/636336586210151582-brd.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=1200)
First phase site of Wilmington’s Riverfront East development project
Take a peek at the approximately 12-block area where the first phase of demolition and remediation for Riverfront East is set to begin in September.
A vacation doesn’t always have to break the bank, and that often means opting for a domestic trip instead of somewhere international.
According to a study that rounded up the cheapest cities in the United States to visit, Delaware is home to one, and it might surprise you.
City in Delaware makes list of cheapest U.S. cities to visit
Dunhill Travel Deals, a travel service offering deals and discounts, calculated the total cost of a four-night stay for a family of four across select U.S. cities and ranked them from cheapest to most expensive.
Determining the cost of a four-night stay included factors like the price of four average-priced round-trip flights, three average-priced meals per day for four people, two average-priced hotel rooms for four nights and the cost of the average-priced rental car for four days.
Based on these calculations, Wilmington ranked No. 2 in terms of the cheapest U.S. cities to visit.
Dunhill Travel Deals found that a trip to Wilmington for a family of four would cost $2,948 total for a family of four or $1,131 for an individual, broken down into:
- Round-trip flights costing $175 per person
- Lodging costing at $524 per person
- Meals costing at $256 per person
- Rental cars costing $176 each
In comparison, the study reports that “all cities” cost $4,437 for a family of four or $1,551 for an individual, with flights costing $500 per person, lodging costing $577 per person, meals costing $270 per person and a rental car costing $204.
The city ranking No. 1 is Toledo, Ohio, with a total cost of $2,852 per family or $1,068 per individual. For this trip:
- Round-trip flights cost $216 per person
- Lodging costs $428 per person
- Meals cost $236 per person
- Rental cars cost $188 each
The most affordable U.S. cities to visit
The study found that locations in the Midwest and South tend to offer more affordable travel options, and some are served only by small or regional airports that limit commercial flight options and result in lower airfares compared to locations with larger airports. Most cities in these locations cost less than $4,000 for a family of four.
Major cities like New York, San Francisco and Boston cost more than $5,000 per family of four. Opting for neighboring cities like Philadelphia, Oakland and Providence can get you a similar experience for a cheaper price.
Cheaper travel alternatives: How to save money on travel this summer with these destination vacation swaps
The rest of the top 10 cheapest U.S. cities to visit:
- Allentown, Pennsylvania, at No. 3, with a total cost of $3,472 for a family of four or an individual trip cost of $1,245
- Peoria, Illinois, at No. 4, with a total trip cost of $3,604 for a family of four or an individual trip cost of $1,259
- Akron, Ohio, at No. 5, with a total trip cost of $3,700 for a family of four or an individual trip cost of $1,268
- Jacksonville, Florida, at No. 6, with a total trip cost of $3,932 for a family of four or an individual trip cost of $1,338
- Fort Wayne, Indiana, at No. 7, with a total trip cost of $3,976 for a family of four or an individual trip cost of $1,342
- Buffalo, New York, at No. 8 with a total trip cost of $4,028 for a family of four or an individual trip cost of $1,397
- El Paso, Texas, at No. 9, with a total trip cost of $4,026 for a family of four or an individual trip cost of $1,373
- Norfolk, Virginia, at No. 10, with a total trip cost of $4,040 for a family of four or an individual trip cost of $1,362
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.