A double rainbow appears after a storm passed through downtown Raleigh, N.C., as seen from the Boylan Avenue bridge on June 20, 2019.
ehyman@newsobserver.com
North Carolina is one of the nation’s best places for a summer road trip, a new report finds.
The state ranks No. 7 on a list of destinations boasting low costs, tourist attractions and other qualities that make them appealing for travelers, according to WalletHub.
To create the rankings, the personal finance website said it used data from the federal government and other resources to compare all 50 states. Then, it considered how each place performed in three categories: attractions, affordability and safety.
North Carolina received its highest score for tourist attractions, which might not be a surprise for a state that’s packed with scenic mountain views and pristine beaches. In addition to weighing the state’s national park land and shorelines, the category considered zoos, gardens, historical sites, theme parks, hotels, restaurants and night life options, according to results published June 22.
While North Carolina earned the No. 8 spot for attractions, it landed at No. 19 for affordability. For that category, WalletHub considered the state’s costs of living as well as overnight hotel rates, car maintenance responsibilities and gas prices, which have gone up nationwide.
Also on the list, North Carolina ranked below average for safety, a measure of several factors including the violent crime rate, traffic congestion and road quality.
WalletHub released its findings at a time when several North Carolina travel spots have earned national recognition.
In June, the mountain destination of Banner Elk was named one of the nation’s top small towns to visit. Earlier this year, Asheville made a list of up-and-coming U.S. tourist sites, and an Outer Banks beach was ranked the best in the country, McClatchy News and The News & Observer reported.
On the latest list, New York was named the No. 1 place for summer road trips. Also ranking ahead of North Carolina were Minnesota, Texas, Louisiana, Maine and Ohio.
The lowest-ranking state was Rhode Island.
Simone Jasper is a reporter covering breaking stories for The News & Observer and real-time news in the Carolinas.
