The Space Center Houston exhibit “Science Fiction, Science Future,” on display from May 27 – September 4, is one of many Houston area attractions. Photo courtesy of Space Center Houston 
With the hot and humid weather, Texas isn’t often thought of as a prime summer vacation destination spot. But three cities in the Lone Star State rank among the top 12 in the nation where you get the most bang for your travel buck, according to a new survey.
WalletHub compared 80 of the most populated metro areas across six categories, including travel costs and hassles, local costs, the number of attractions, weather, activities, and safety to determine the nation’s best vacation spots.
Houston-The Woodland-Sugar Land came in as the top vacation spot in Texas, ranking No. 7 in the nation, while Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington was close behind at No. 8. The Austin-Round Rock area came in at No. 12.
San Antonio-New Braunfels ranks No. 38, El Paso in No. 40, and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission is No. 42.
The Houston area benefits from low travel costs and a large number of attractions. Even our much-maligned weather ranks a relatively modest 26 out of the 80 metropolitan areas surveyed.
The Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin-Round Rock areas also score well in key areas of the survey, with only a few points separating these metropolitan areas from Houston.
San Antonio and McAllen rank in the Top 5 with lowest costs, while McAllen is in the Bottom 5 with fewest attractions and fewest activities.
Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Orlando rank as the top three metro areas in the survey.
