Ever wonder which parts of the country go big on summer travel? We crunched the numbers on how folks across all 50 states intend to spend their vacation budgets – and where they’re headed from now through mid-September.
From baller first-class flights to budget-friendly staycations, every state’s got its own travel vibe. Some of our findings? Totally unexpected.
Snapshot of the nation: Who’s splurging the most on flights this summer?
One thing’s clear: travel preferences are all over the map. Some folks are dropping serious cash on long-haul getaways, while others are all about quick, budget-friendly trips closer to home.
Here’s how average flight spending preference stacks up across the country – and what it says about how each region likes to vacation.
- Map view
- Table view
Sky-high differences: flight spending preference from coast to coast.
Meanwhile, Minnesota and Colorado travelers keep it frugal, investing under $400 on average. This may signal that they prefer shorter trips that are closer to home, avoiding the steep costs of long-haul flights.
Vacation top lists: Who flies where?
We dug into the top flight destinations for all 50 states and what travelers choose to pay to reach them. Here’s what stood out:
Big cities and culture capitals rule the high-spenders list.
Mexico and the Caribbean dominate budget-conscious searches coast to coast.
European history and Asian energy.
Now, let’s have a closer look at where travelers from each state are flying and what they’re willing to spend to get there.
Where we sleep: Hotel spenders vs. savers.
- In the US
- Abroad
Unpacking Americans’ spending habits for their hotel stays.
Florida, California and New York lead in the premium hotel search share indicating a taste for upscale stays. Not all luxury lovers are in the big states. Also travelers from Georgia and Oklahoma often search for premium stays, showing luxury travel is more widespread than you’d think.
From first class to five stars: Who’s on the hunt for luxury travel?
Biggest splurgers: who searches the most for premium travel services?
These are the states with the highest search share for premium travel services.
Flights
| 1 | California |
| 2 | Hawaii |
| 3 | Nevada |
Hotels
| 1 | Florida |
| 2 | California |
| 3 | New York |
Car rentals
| 1 | Missouri |
| 2 | Tennessee |
| 3 | Kentucky |
California tops both premium flight and luxury hotel search share – showing a clear appetite for high-end travel. Meanwhile, Missouri and Tennessee take the wheel on luxury car rentals.
Thriftiest travelers: who searches the least for premium travel services?
These are the states with the lowest search share for premium travel services.
Flights
| 1 | Minnesota |
| 2 | Wisconsin |
| 3 | Nebraska |
Hotels
| 1 | Wisconsin |
| 2 | Minnesota |
| 3 | Idaho |
Car rentals
| 1 | Hawaii |
| 2 | Oregon |
| 3 | Colorado |
Wisconsin appears across both flight and hotel “thrifty travelers” lists, demonstrating budget-conscious travel behavior.
Hawaii offers the most intriguing twist: its residents are near the top in premium flight search share, but rank last for luxury rental cars search share – perhaps proving that comfort matters more on those long haul flights off the islands than it does road-tripping around their home state.
Methodology
All insights are based on flight and hotel searches made on KAYAK from IP address identified location, in the period between 2025/01/01 and 2025/07/20 for travel periods between 2025/06/15 and 2025/09/15. All flight prices are average prices for round-trip, economy tickets. The hotel prices are weighted average prices per night for a double room. Prices may vary.
State’s top destination lists and average flight prices are based on flight searches made on KAYAK from IP address identified location, in the period between 2025/01/01 and 2025/07/20 for travel periods between2025/06/15 and 2025/09/15.
To assess interest in luxury travel, we analysed the share of searches for business and first-class flights, four- and five-star hotels, and premium car rentals within the same search and travel periods as above.
