With the mercury ratcheting up across America, it’s high time for most of us to set our sights on a different locale, with summer travel on the horizon and a car or airplane ride awaiting.
For those looking to explore the Tar Heel State, a Triangle area city is among those that are considered the most underrated in America, with Durham scoring the most points of any city in North Carolina by our metrics.
Summer is officially here. In case you need any last-minute summer travel plans, but want to avoid major crowds and inflated costs, BetCarolina.com - your home for North Carolina sports betting coverage - created a scoring system using average summer temperatures, hotel costs, sunny days, and search volume. Lower hotel costs, warmer temperatures, more sunny days, and lower search volume equate to more points and a higher rank.
Most Underrated U.S. Summer Cities
Rank | Location | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
1 | Albuquerque, NM | 70 |
2 | St. Augustine, FL | 67 |
3 | Ogden, UT | 63 |
4 | San Antonio, TX | 58 |
5 | Hot Springs, AR | 52 |
6 | Durham, NC | 51 |
7 | Santa Fe, NM | 50 |
8 | Kansas City, MO | 48 |
9 | Boise, ID | 46 |
10 | St. Louis, MO | 45 |
What Are America’s Most Underrated Cities?
Of the many cities that make up the American experience, Durham’s total score of 51 puts the home of Duke University at No. 6 nationally, behind Hot Springs, Arkansas (52 points) and ahead of Santa Fe, New Mexico (50 points).
The Triangle region city ranked well behind America’s top-scoring cities, though with Albuquerque leading the way with 70 points, followed by St. Augustine, Florida (67 points) and Ogden, Utah (63 points).
Throw in San Antonio (58 points) and Hot Springs and you have the full list of the cities that ranked ahead of Durham, while Santa Fe, Kansas City, Missouri (48 points), Boise (46 points), and St. Louis (45 points) rounded out the collective for 2024.
As the summer ramps up and Carolinians look to explore their home state, it seems like Durham might be in the cards, as the college town ranks among the best in America for saving money and producing the most bang for your buck in America. Now that North Carolina sports betting apps are legal, people can escape the heat of the summer in the various sportsbook locations across the Tar Heel State.
Author
Christopher Boan is a lead writer at BetCarolina.com specializing in covering state issues. He has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
