In this article, we will look at the 15 most kid-friendly cities in the US. You can skip our detailed discussion of the US tourism sector and go to 5 Most Kid-Friendly Cities in the US.
Overview of the US Travel Sector
With news of revenge travel and other travel trends cropping up after the eventual end of travel restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, family vacations are picking up speed. Americans are showing increasing interest in traveling as a family, whether on a domestic or international trip. According to a report by the US Travel Association, travel accounted for a direct spending of $1.2 trillion in 2022 alone, producing an economic footprint of approximately $2.6 trillion. The travel industry supported around 15 million American workers, directly employing 8 million.
The positive trends in economic and job growth in the travel industry is predominantly due to a solid recovery of domestic leisure travel, which has exceeded the bounce-back of international and business travel segments. The leisure and hospitality industry has also returned to its pre-pandemic employment levels, and had around 1.5 million open jobs in February 2023. This was the highest job openings rate across all industries in the country.
READ ALSO: 25 Cheap Places to Travel in the U.S. with Beaches and 20 Best Places for Adventure Travel in the World
Travel Trends in the US
Americans thus seem increasingly inclined to travel the country, and that too with their families. International travelers are also showing a growing interest in tourism in the country. Data by the International Trade Administration shows that the total number of international visitor arrivals to the US increased from 50.8 million in 2022 to 66.5 million in 2023, undergoing a 31% increase and adding around 15.7 million additional visitors. New York City remained the most visited city in the country in 2023, with Miami and Los Angeles close behind. Spending by US nationals abroad also increased by 33%, going from $161.9 billion in 2022 to $215.4 billion in 2023, adding around $53.5 billion.
The first UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of 2024 estimated 1.3 billion international arrivals, with international tourism ending at 88% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023. The increasing travel appetite, growing air connectivity, and robust recovery of Asian destinations and markets are expected to bring about a complete recovery by 2024. The US Family Travel Survey 2023 by the Family Travel Association shows that nearly 55% of the parent respondents are planning a multi-generational trip in the coming year. Similarly, 81% of the parent respondents said they are likely or very likely to travel with their children in the next 12 months. However, due to affordability concerns, domestic travel is a more common travel option as compared to international travel. You can also look at 25 Most Famous Cities in the US.
Public Interest in Family Travel
Travel companies in the country are playing a significant role in expediting recovery in domestic and international travel, especially for families. Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) released its family travel trends expectations for 2024 at the beginning of summer, highlighting an 8% increase in searches for accommodation and 21% in flight searches across the globe. The report also showed that 62% of families regarded spending quality time as the primary motivator for travel in 2024, followed closely behind by reasons such as finding the time to relax properly (58%) and exploring new places (48%). It also provided a list of countries that included at least one child in a majority of flight searches, with Egypt and Denmark topping the list.
People are also showing an increased inclination towards hiring travel nannies, with 31% of families saying that they are likely to allocate a travel budget to hire someone who can take care of their child or children during a trip. This rate is around 50% in India, Thailand, and Hong Kong.
The report also shed light on the increasing use of AI in travel, with 48% of families planning to use AI tools to streamline their travel planning in 2024. Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), which runs several subsidiaries including Booking.com B.V., Agoda, Priceline.com, KAYAK, and more, has its own AI Trip Planner which runs in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Built on the company’s existing machine learning models, the trip planner suggests accommodation and destination options to its users, easing the otherwise tedious trip planning process. Users can also ask the AI Trip Planner questions and receive personalized options to expedite and streamline their plans.
While we acknowledge the potential of BKNG as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NVDA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
Now that we have taken an overview of the travel sector in the US, let’s look at the 25 most kid-friendly cities in the US. For more insights, you can also look at 15 Best AI Travel Apps for Vacationing in 2024.
25 Most Kid Friendly Cities in the US
Our Methodology
To compile a list of the 25 most kid-friendly cities in the US, we used a consensus approach and conducted a visitor survey through Reddit. Firstly, we consulted ten online expert resources to compile a list of the 40 most kid-friendly cities in the US. Next, we looked at ten Reddit threads that asked commenters to mention the most kid-friendly cities they had visited in the United States. We only chose threads that had more than 50 comments and studied more than 500 comments to shortlist the cities with the most recommendations by Reddit users. We then counted the number of upvotes on each comment and chose the top 25 US cities with the most number of upvotes. The 25 most kid-friendly cities in the US are arranged in ascending order of their number of upvotes on Reddit.
Note: This list is not exhaustive and does not reflect our opinion. The ranking is solely based on the opinions of mass consumers on Reddit.
At Insider Monkey, we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
25 Most Kid-Friendly Cities in the US
25. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 389
Myrtle Beach ranks 25th on our list of the most kid-friendly cities in the US, with 389 Reddit upvotes. It is a popular tourist spot in the state, located on South Carolina’s Atlantic coast. The city boasts restaurants, arcades, and souvenir stands apart from the renowned Family Kingdom amusement park. It also houses one of the tallest Ferris wheels in the US.
24. Park City, Utah
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 396
Utah’s Park City is as fun as its name sounds, and is quite kid-friendly as well. Located in the western state of Utah, the city is located east of the state capital of Salt Lake City.The city has 396 Reddit upvotes.
23. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 401
Colloquially known as Philly, Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania. The city has vibrant neighborhoods and is bordered by charming towns. It is considered one of the most kid-friendly cities in the country, and ranks 23rd on our list.
22. Phoenix, Arizona
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 408
Phoenix offers a plethora of family attractions, including the Musical Instrument Museum with around 15,000 musical instruments from 200 countries across the globe. The Desert Botanical Garden is another prominent attraction, which houses more than 50,000 plants species of the Sonoran Desert.
21. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 412
Pittsburgh lies in Western Pennsylvania at the confluence of the Monongahela River and the Allegheny River, with the two combining to form the Ohio River. The city is considered one of the most kid-friendly cities in the US, and has 412 upvotes on Reddit.
20. Denver, Colorado
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 417
Denver has a lot to offer for kids, especially for families that love the outdoors. Its most popular family-friendly tourist attractions include the Red Rocks Park, with miles of scenic hiking trails, Washington and Confluence Parks for picnics and play, and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science for fun-filled learning. Denver ranks 20th on our list.
19. Nashville, Tennessee
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 423
Also known as the “Music City,” Nashville is the capital of the state of Tennessee and is also its most populated city. Nashville is located on the Cumberland River, and is the center of the Nashville metropolita area. It has 423 upvotes on Reddit, and takes the 19th spot on our list.
18. Atlanta, Georgia
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 428
The 18th spot on our list of the 25 most kid-friendly cities in the US is held by Atlanta, the capital and most populous city in Georgia. The city offers a number of interesting attractions, including the World of Coca-Cola, Georgia Acquarium, Children’s Museum of Atlanta, Museum of Illusions, LEGO Discovery Center, Sloomoo Institute, and many more.
17. Washington D.C.
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 431
The nation’s capital has much more to offer than a visit to the White House. It is considered one of the top 25 kid-friendly cities in the country, offering an amalgamation of history and entertainment to children. Washington D.C has 431 upvotes on Reddit.
16. Fort Worth, Texas
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 438
Fort Worth is often called the region “Where the West Begins” and Dallas’ sibling city. Fort Worth has everything to offer for a traditionalc cowboy life, making it one of the most interesting and kid-friendly cities in the country. The National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, and Fort Worth Zoo are only some of these attractions.
15. New Orleans, Louisiana
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 447
Located in the southeastern wing of Louisiana, New Orleans lies on the Mississippi River near the Gulf of Mexico. Affectionately called the “Big Easy,” New Orleans easily makes our list of the most kid-friendly cities in the US. The city has a rich culture and cuisine, reflecting hints of African, French, and American cultures in its streets.
14. Tampa, Florida
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 453
With 453 Reddit upvotes, Tampa ranks 14th on our list. The city offers innumerable family-friendly attractions, such as the Glazer Children’s Museum, Florida Aquarium, and the Tampa Bay History Center. It also houses several kid-friendly theme parks and museums, ranking it high on our list.
13. Seattle, Washington
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 461
Primarily known by the substantial tech industry it houses, Seattle lies in the Pacific Northwest on Puget Sound. Amazon and Microsoft are headquartered in its metropolitan area, but it is also a kid-friendly city with thousands of acres of parkland, mountains, lush forests, and water. Seattle ranks 13th on our list with 461 Reddit upvotes.
12. Boston, Massachusetts
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 479
Boston is a lot more than a university town, and ranks 12th on our list with 479 Reddit upvotes. It is easy to get around the city, which houses family-friendly attractions such as the Boston Common, Public Garden, Boston Children’s Museum, and the New England Aquarium.
11. Dallas, Texas
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 487
The 11th spot on our list of the 25 most kid-friendly cities in the US is held by Dallas, one of the most prominent cities in Texas. The modern metropolis lies in the northern wing of the state, and is a cultural, economic, and commercial hub. It has 487 upvotes on Reddit.
10. Los Angeles, California
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 501
Dotted with family-friendly theme parks, sandy beaches, outdoor recreational activities, and kid-friendly museums, Los Angeles is an easy win on our list. The city also has amazing weather throughout the year, earning it extra points. It houses several attractions for kids, ranging from the globally popular Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Hollywood to California Science Center.
9. San Diego, California
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 509
San Diego is considered one of the most kid-friendly cities in the US, and takes the ninth spot on our list with 509 upvotes on Reddit. It lies on California’s Pacific coast, and is famous for its kid-friendly parks, scenic beaches, lush parks, and warm climate. The San Diego Zoo is one of its most popular spots, along with several other museums, gardens, and galleries.
8. San Francisco, California
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 511
San Francisco houses several bucket-list attractions like the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and Fisherman’s Wharf. The city also has some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. It has 511 upvotes on Reddit, and ranks eighth on our list.
7. Chicago, Illinois
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 518
The seventh spot on our list is held by Chicago, one of the most popular cities in Illinois. Chicago offers a lot for kids, ranging from the Lincoln Park Zoo, Navy Pier, and Bike and Roll Chicago to the famous Millenium Park and Skydeck Chicago. It has 518 upvotes on Reddit.
6. Miami, Florida
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 526
Miami is a coastal city in Florida, and is one of the most popular tourist spots in the country. Its outdoor recreational activities make it a fantastic spot for children. The city has beautiful beaches for hands-on activities and exhibits, as well as activities such as snorkeling and airboot riding to see alligators, wading birds, and mangroves.
5. Las Vegas, Nevada
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 530
Contrary to popular belief, Las Vegas is not a predominantly adult attraction. The city ranks fifth on our list, offering a variety of kid-friendly shows, animal attractions, pools, and even free circus acts at Circus Las Vegas.
4. New York City, New York
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 537
New York City is one of the most popular cities in the United States, and ranks in the fourth spot on our list of the 25 most kid-friendly cities in the US. The city offers a number of family-friendly recreational spots, including several cultural attarctions, museums, and musicals. It also houses Central Park, the most visited urban park in the US.
3. Orlando, Florida
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 549
Orlando is one of the most favorite cities for children across the United States. Located in central Florida, the city houses over a dozen innovative theme parks. But it is most famous for the epic Walt Disney World, a popular tourist destination for many visitors of all ages. Universal Orlando is another popular destination that offers visitors a journey into the Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios.
2. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 554
Minneapolis is the second city to be recognised as a UNICEF Child Friendly City after Texas. It ranks second on our list with 554 upvotes on Reddit. It is a significant city in Minnesota, and forms the “Twin Cities” with the neighboring Saint Paul, which is also the state capital. Minneapolis is bisected by the Mississippi River, and is famous for its numerous parks and lakes.
1. Houston, Texas
Number of Redditt Upvotes: 567
Houston ranks first on our list of the 25 most kid-friendly cities in the US, with 567 upvotes on Reddit. It is the most populous city in Texas, as well as in the Southern states. It lies near the Gulf of Mexico and the Galveston Bay in the southeastern wing of the state. Houston is best known for its link with the Space Center Houston, which is the coastal visitor center located at NASA’s flight control and astronaut training complex. Houston is also the first city to be recognized as a UNICEF Child-Friendly City in the United States.
READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA ‘Has Become A Wasteland’.
Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.